The winners of the 2021 TVB Excellence Awards and TVB NEXT Awards redefine what greatness in media and advertising looks like, showcasing the bright future ahead for local television broadcasters and agencies

Winners of the 2021 TVB Excellence Awards and TVB NEXT Awards were announced earlier today at the annual TVB Forward Conference. Every year, TVB, the not-for-profit trade association representing America’s multi-billion-dollar local broadcast television industry, celebrates individuals and organizations who are shaping the future of local media.

“It is a privilege to be a part of such an amazing community of talented, hardworking, passionate individuals, and an even greater honor be able to celebrate some of the many people who are driving real impact for their communities,” said Steve Lanzano, President and CEO of TVB, “People are what make any industry or business great, and we are so lucky to have such great people working in local broadcast television. Thanks to their tireless efforts and constant dedication to excellence, the future has never looked brighter for local TV, nor has it been so full of promise and opportunity.”

TVB Excellence Award for Media Agency of the Year

In 2021, brands and their media partners were tasked with navigating an intense period of change and disruption. Consumers and viewers want more from the organizations they support – more transparency, action, and purpose. The recipient of this year’s Excellence Award for Media Agency of the year embodies all that and was accepted by Kathy Doyle, EVP, Managing Director, Local Investment, MAGNA Global.

Excellence describes every aspect of Kathy’s contributions to the industry. A 20+ year veteran of IPG/MAGNA, Kathy oversees all local activity for clients including Amazon, Rocket Mortgage, Gilead, BMW, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, and Arby’s. Kathy represents the agency on leadership committees at the 4As, IAB, Nielsen and TVB. She is an active member of Mediabrands’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council and was given the agency’s “Truth Well Told” award for her outstanding work on General Motors. She is a fearless change agent, gifted leader, champion for localism, and a superb mentor.

When asked what the secret to her success is, Kathy had this to say, “If there is a secret sauce to our success, it is my team. They have been with me every step of the way. Ideating, embracing, and driving thought leadership and ACTION against change on behalf of our clients. Bringing Impression-based buying, automation, pay-for performance and an equitable approach for all to a reality, truly leading innovation for the entire industry.”

TVB Excellence Award for Career Achievement

The past year was a dynamic one for local television with many leaders in the industry showing us what excellence looks like in 2021 and beyond. As such, the TVB awarded two recipients in its recently created Career Achievement category – Tim Busch, Former President, Nexstar Media and Ralph Oakley, Former President and CEO, Quincy Media.

Tim has been an active and effective defender and champion of the local broadcast TV industry, having spent many years lobbying on behalf of broadcasters through his company and board organizations with key lawmakers and the FCC. He’s also been an invaluable member of the TVB board, providing insight and guidance on issues from measurement to automated TV. Tim’s vision, passion and commitment to local TV industry is second to none and matched only by a select few – among those is Ralph Oakley.

Ralph’s distinction as a smart and effective operator through his work with Quincy Media led him to the NAB TV Board and its executive committee, co-chair of the NAB Political Action Committee and NAB Leadership Foundation Board of Directors. He served as President/Chairman of the NBC Affiliate Board, the ABC Affiliate Board of Governors, and Illinois Broadcasters Association. He has been an outstanding member of TVB’s Board and a valued and trusted friend and advisor, serving as a north star for the industry and helping local broadcasters achieve excellence.

TVB Next Awards

Since its inception in 2016, TVB’s NEXT Program with the support of WideOrbit celebrates and supports the industry’s next generation of leaders. Recognizing rising executives and giving them a platform for sharing their insights is critical for the future of any industry. To support their journey, NEXT gives up-and-coming media leaders access to today’s thought leaders, insights into industry innovation, and a leg up on career advancement at the annual TVB Forward Conference.

2021 TVB NEXT Award honorees were presented by Eric Mathewson, Founder & CEO, WideOrbit, who had the pleasure of announcing both Melissa Senande, Senior Account Executive, Univision Communications and Karen Vetere, Supervisor, Omnicom Media Group.

When asked about her views on the power of local broadcast TV and localism, Melissa said, “Our power is our ability to connect local consumers to advertisers’ products. We need to understand their business, gain their trust, and effectively help them achieve their goals. It also means, as broadcasters, we have a shared responsibility to our local communities, to address their needs and act as their voice.”

“Impressions-based buying combines ease of execution with the ability to take a more holistic approach across all media platforms,” said Karen when asked about the buyer’s role when impressions and automated TV are fully adopted, “While impressions and the transition to Automated TV buying provide clients with detailed data and increased ROI potential, there still needs to be a layer of buyer knowledge and the human factor to support our clients’ KPIs and KPAs.”

In the past 5 years since TVB began the NEXT Award, winners are demonstrating their potential. In 2017, Christopher Martinez, an account executive at Katz Media, was a NEXT Award recipient. Today he is OTT Director of Sales, Hearst Television and a speaker at Forward 2021! “Not only am I a proud NEXT Award recipient, I am also proud of the colleagues I’ve been privileged to work with throughout our industry as we help to move the business forward and make the industry more indispensable than ever for marketers,” Martinez said.

Other awards presented at TVB Forward include the Ad Council Catalyst Award, presented by Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council to Meredith Local Media Group.

About TVB

TVB is the not-for-profit trade association representing America’s local broadcast television industry. Its members include the U.S. television stations, television broadcast groups, advertising sales reps, syndicators, international broadcasters, and associate members. TVB actively promotes local media marketing solutions to the advertising community and works to develop advertising dollars for the medium’s multiple platforms, including on-air, online, and mobile. TVB provides a diverse variety of tools and resources, including its website, to support its members and to help advertisers make the best use of local ad dollars. For more information, visit www.tvb.org.

About WideOrbit

WideOrbit helps media companies do more business by making it easier to buy and sell advertising. WideOrbit is the system of record for more than $38 billion in advertising transactions annually. Say hello to a Wider World with WideOrbit, the one platform that ties everything together, from pitch to payment. In a rapidly evolving media landscape, doing more business means doing less paper-chasing, less chair-swiveling, and less data re-re-entry. Only WideOrbit brings a Wider-World approach, providing the broader capabilities, bigger insights, and better connections that media companies need. That’s why so many industry leaders – including A+E Networks, Disney|ABC, AMC Networks, ViacomCBS, UrbanONE, Midwest Communications, Rogers, and Audacy – have partnered with us since 1999.

WideOrbit is headquartered in San Francisco with offices worldwide. Learn more at wideorbit.com or contact us.

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