Sinclair names news chief

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. -- which is launching its combined local and
centralized newscast in "beta market" WSMH(TV) Flint, Mich., Oct. 28 -- has tapped
Joe DeFeo as its corporate news director.

Veteran newsman DeFeo had been the news director of Baltimore flagship
station WBFF-TV -- helping to launch news there in 1991 -- but he was tapped earlier
this year to build the group's central news operation in Hunt Valley, Md.

Sinclair credited DeFeo's leadership for the station's numerous Washington
regional Emmy Awards and Associated Press awards.

Sinclair said it intends to use its News Central to provide news to stations
that currently don't have local newscasts.