WBNS Columbus Names Rick Rogala President and GM
Local TV veteran has been a longtime general manager in many markets
Rick Rogala has been named president and general manager of WBNS Columbus, Ohio. He begins February 26 and will also oversee radio stations WBNS-FM (Sports Radio The Fan 97.1) and WBNS-AM (ESPN 1460 Columbus), as well as ONN Radio (Ohio News Network).
He has been president/general manager at WATN-WLMT Memphis, Tennessee, Tegna’s ABC-The CW pair.
Rogala succeeds John Cardenas atop WBNS. Cardenas has retired.
Also Read: Local News Close-Up: Columbus Offers Cosmopolitan Vibe in Heartland
“Rick is an established and experienced broadcast professional whose talent has been instrumental in enhancing multiple stations across various markets over the years,” Larry Delia, Tegna senior VP of media operations, said. “Rick’s unique blend of culture-building and strategic thinking has yielded strong results in Memphis. He is an excellent collaborator and community partner, capable of inspiring and motivating those around him. We are thrilled to welcome him to the storied brand of WBNS in Columbus.”
Prior to WATN-WLMT, Rogala was senior VP at Nexstar Media Group, with oversight of 12 markets. Before that, he was VP/general manager at WCMH Columbus and has also held GM positions at KARK Little Rock, Arkansas; WXIN-WTTV Indianapolis; WFLA Tampa, Florida; WLWT Cincinnati; and WZZM Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“I am excited and honored to assume the role of president and general manager at WBNS-TV, a station with a rich legacy of serving the Columbus community,” said Rogala. “I’m excited for the station’s future and looking forward to leading our talented team in shaping that future. This includes fostering innovation, embracing the power of storytelling to inform, inspire and connect with our audience in meaningful ways, and expanding our commitment to serving our community and customers with excellence.”
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Rogala is a graduate of Ohio University.
Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.