The General Manager for the CBS and NBC affiliates serving Dothan, Ala., has just been promoted to a similar role for the Gray Television-owned NBC affiliate serving Columbia, S.C.
Who’s succeeding Robby Thomas in the Wiregrass region of Alabama?
Valerie Russell will succeed Thomas in DMA No. 171.
That’s because Thomas has been selected to oversee WIS-10 in Columbia, the nation’s No. 80 DMA.
With that move, Russell will take command of WTVY-4, the CBS affiliate, and WRGX-LD 23, the local NBC affiliate since signing on a decade ago. Before that, Gray’s first TV station — WJHG-7 in Panama City, Fla. — served much of Dothan and Enterprise.
The leadership changes become effective Feb. 13.
Thomas spent the last three years at Gray’s Dothan, Ala., operation, and before that was Director of Marketing and Audience Development for WBTV-3 in Charlotte, where he created and chaired the first Gray Marketing and Creative Services Advisory Council.
Russell rises from General Sales Manager at WTVY and WRGX. Previously, she was a leading member of the sales team at the station Thomas is going to — WIS-10.
Russell is a 2022 Broadcast Leadership Training Program participant, and is currently participating in the 2022-23 Leadership Academy of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), powered by Stellantis.
