For 5 1/2 years, Dan Baylog has served as the Director of Programming & Research Strategy for WKYC-3 in Cleveland, the market’s NBC affiliate owned by TEGNA.
Now, he’ll need to be a little mindful about wearing any Ohio University alumni paraphernalia while at his new place of work, or about town.
That’s because Baylog is heading to the market that’s home to Michigan State University, and has accepted the role of President/GM of ABC affiliate WZZM-13 in Grand Rapids.
He’ll replace Janet Mason, who retired earlier this month after a 40-year run at the company formerly known as Gannett. Mason had been associated with WZZM for the last 20 years.
For Baylog, it is his first executive-level role in his 15 years in the television industry, which began in 2004 as an AE for WEWS-5 in Cleveland. He then jumped to WOIO-19 as an AE before jumping to a similar role with WTTG-5 in Washington, D.C.
That ended at the end of 2011. For 2012, he spent a year with The E.W. Scripps Co. as a political and advocacy AE before returning to FOX, as Director of Research for WTTG-5.
In June 2016, he moved to Norfolk to take a similar role at WVEC-13, the market’s ABC affiliate.
Baylog has also taught at Kent State University’s School of Journalism & Mass Communications.
“Dan is a smart, proven problem-solver who has distinguished himself at TEGNA by tackling a wide range of assignments and exceeding expectations,” said TEGNA EVP/COO for Media Operations Lynn Beall. “His engaged, inclusive management and decision-making style makes him uniquely suited to successfully build on the work WZZM has been doing to serve the Grand Rapids community.”
