In July 2021, he departed as President/General Manager of KCBS-2 and KCAL-9 in Los Angeles under a turbulent period at parent company ViacomCBS, now Paramount, centered on an investigation into accusations of workplace misconduct.
Now, he’s getting an opportunity to move on from that chapter by building on his rich experience as the new VP/GM of the CBS affiliate serving Southern Nevada, owned by Nexstar Media Group.
Taking the top position for KLAS-8, branded as “8NewsNow” across the Las Vegas market, is Jay Howell.
Howell is already at the helm of one of the traditional ratings leaders in DMA No. 40, competing against Sinclair Broadcast Group’s NBC-affiliated KSNV-3, Gray Television’s recently acquired FOX-affiliated KVVU-5, and The E.W. Scripps Co.’s ABC affiliate, KTNV-13.
Howell reports to Nexstar Media SVP/Regional Manager Matthew Rosenfeld.
Howell’s career in broadcasting dates back more than three decades, and his first executive-level position came in 2001, when he was appointed VP/GM of FOX affiliate WNAC-TV and CBS-affiliated sibling WPRI-TV in Providence, R.I., under LIN Television ownership.
Howell rose to a Regional Vice President role within LIN in 2012, gaining oversight of 13 television stations across 7 markets, including Dayton, Ohio; Norfolk; and New Haven, Conn. A year later, he was promoted to VP/Television for LIN, gaining oversight of all 46 TV stations licensed to the company.
LIN’s former assets are today within the Nexstar family, thanks to its merger with Media General, which absorbed LIN in 2015. That deal gave Howell the role of VP/Broadcast Markets for Media General.
Howell exited Media General in 2017 with its sale to Nexstar, joining CBS’s Sacramento operations as VP/GM in August of that year. In July 2018, Howell transferred to Pittsburgh, taking on similar duties for CBS’s television stations in Western Pennsylvania. With the retirement of Steve Maudlin in May 2019, Howell moved to Los Angeles to succeed him at the helm of KCBS-2 and KCAL-9. It was a move made by Peter Dunn, the former President of CBS Television Stations, who also departed in 2021 as part of ViacomCBS’s misconduct probe.
Now, Howell has an opportunity for a fresh start within an organization he’s likely highly familiar with. “Jay is an ideal choice to lead Nexstar’s Las Vegas media businesses,” Rosenfeld said. “He is a proven leader with an unmatched depth of experience who understands the expectations of viewers, advertisers and marketers. He’s thoughtful, innovative, and will be dedicated to delivering outstanding local content and service to the greater Las Vegas area. His ability to deliver exceptional ratings and sales results
through unique local partnerships and superior customer service will serve him and the team at KLAS-TV very well. I am looking forward to working with Jay as he assumes his new duties and expect much success in the future.”
Commenting on his appointment at KLAS, Howell added, “I am deeply grateful to Nexstar for giving me the unique opportunity to lead the company’s Las Vegas broadcast and digital operations. As the legacy news brand in the market and an important broadcast partner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, KLAS-TV has a strong foundation on which to build future growth. In addition, when you combine Nexstar’s commitment to hyper-local content and the unique and innovative cross-platform advertising solutions offered to its viewers and clients, the result gives us a distinct advantage over our competitors. I am excited by what
lies ahead, and I am looking forward to deepening the presence of KLAS-TV and 8Newsnow.com in the communities we serve in Las Vegas and southern Nevada.”
