Regional News Network Taps Jeffrey L. Thompson To Head West Coast Operation

Regional News Network Wednesday named Jeffrey L. Thompson as general manager and senior VP of business development for the company's West Coast office.

Thompson will helm operations in Los Angeles, spearheading business development efforts, joint ventures and alliances for RNN, which is a news producer and content distribution company.

"I am delighted to welcome Jeffrey on board," said RNN president and CEO Richard E. French, Jr., to whom Thompson reports. "He possesses an excellent track record in traditional and digital media and has worked with partners across multiple content distribution platforms. He brings a great deal of industry relationships, digital experience, forward-thinking creativity and leadership. We look forward to his playing a big role in the growth of this critical area for the company."

Thompson joins RNN from Shout! Factory, where he served as VP of digital strategy and business development. He also had stints at Condé Nast Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company.

"RNN has developed a unique premium news content offering targeted directly at emerging content platforms hungry for premium news content, including offerings for MVPDs, OTT content distributors, smart TV and mobile platforms," said Thompson. "I look forward to helping the company exploit these opportunities with partners on a local, national and global basis."

Jessika Walsten

Jessika is an analyst for TVREV and Fabric Media. She previously served in various roles at Broadcasting + Cable, Multichannel News and NextTV, working with the brands since 2013. A graduate of USC Annenberg, Jessika has edited and reported on a variety of subjects in the media and entertainment space, including profiles on industry leaders and breaking news.