For the past year, he’s served as a SVP and Regional Manager for Nexstar Broadcasting, overseeing the company’s broadcast and digital operations in various markets.
Now, this former Media General executive who has spent time in New York’s Capital District and began his career in 1991 as an local AE at the FOX affiliate in Jackson, Miss., is being placed in charge of Nexstar’s FOX and MyNetwork TV affiliates in the South’s second-largest market.
Leading both WJZY-46 and WMYT-55 in Charlotte as the stations’ new VP/GM is Ron Romines.
He is perhaps best-known for his long tenure at WTEN-10 in Albany, N.Y., where he served as VP/GM. Romines was a Media General veteran, and joined WTEN in 2005 as GSM before ascending to the top role in 2014. Romines is originally from the Jackson, Miss., area, and started his career at FOX affiliate WDBD-TV in the city.
“Ron is a highly-engaged, energetic and collaborative team-builder,” said Doug Davis, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Nexstar Broadcasting. “His depth of experience as a broadcast executive, lengthy track record of success, deep involvement in station operations, local content development and thoughtful engagement with local advertisers and community constituencies, make him an excellent choice to lead our newly-acquired Charlotte broadcast and digital operations. His positive, decisive leadership has enabled him to build superior management teams and generate exceptional news ratings and revenue results throughout his career. Ron is committed to developing exclusive local content and offering creative and effective marketing solutions to accelerate the growth of local businesses. We are grateful that Ron will now dedicate his talent and effort to collaborating with the staffs of WJZY-TV and WMYT-TV in serving the viewers, advertisers and communities of the greater Charlotte region.”
Commenting on his appointment, Romines said, “Throughout my career and especially during my three-and-a-half years with Nexstar, I’ve been fortunate to be presented with several leadership opportunities. I am excited and grateful to take on the role of overseeing our recently acquired Charlotte operations. Charlotte is a growth market and there is immense opportunity ahead for these stations as part of Nexstar Broadcasting. I look forward to my new role within Nexstar and working closely with the talented and dedicated staff at WJZY-TV and WMYT-TV. Together, we will build on our strong foundation of delivering hyper-local news, creative and effective client marketing solutions and establishing our stations as effective leaders in the communities we serve. I am excited about immediately relocating to Charlotte and to enjoying one of this country’s great cities.”
WJZY and WMYT have seen a succession of leaders in the last two years — and an ownership change. In October 2018, Mike McClain took the VP/GM role under then-parent FOX; WJZY and WMYT were owned-and-operated properties.
In September 2019, a change in command saw Mike Lewis assume VP/GM duties, with FOX still the owner at the time. McClain moved to Orlando, taking on VP/GM responsibilities for WOFL-35, a FOX O&O.
By May 10, 2010, a job posting was publicly accessible noting the opening at WJZY and WMYT. Lewis lasted two months under Nexstar ownership, following its closing of a roughly $45 million purchase of WJZY and WMYT from FOX announced in November 2019.
The stations were purchased in January 2013 from Capitol Broadcasting Corp. for $18 million, and that deal shifted FOX network programming to WJZY from WCCB-18, now an affiliate of The CW Network.
