Mission Broadcasting's David Smith has died

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TV group owner Mission Broadcasting reports that its founder, President and CEO David S. Smith died suddenly on Monday (3/28). He was 55.


The veteran broadcaster suffered a massive heart attack while attending a friend’s wedding in Texas.

Smith was a career broadcaster who held sales, sales management and station management positions in Cleveland and Cincinnati. He was also a man who had a higher calling. In 1998 David Smith became an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of American. In addition to his broadcast interests, over the last 13 years, he had served as a church pastor in Ohio.

His widow, Nancie Smith, is an officer of Mission Broadcasting and will assume ownership control of the corporation. Dennis Thatcher continues as Exec. VP and COO.

Mission began in 1996 and the company owns full-power, network-affiliated television stations in fourteen US markets which are operated in conjunction with Nexstar Broadcasting.

Funeral services will be held in the Cleveland area on Sunday, April 3rd and Monday, April 4th.