National Broadcasting Association to Honor Nexstar's Perry Sook

WASHINGTON, DC - Perry Sook, president and CEO of Nexstar Broadcasting, KARK's parent company, will be honored next month by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA).

Sook will be honored with the First Amendment Service Award at the 25th annual First Amendment Awards coming up on March 11 in the nation's capital.

The First Amendment Service Award honors professionals in local or network news who work in an off-air, management, largely behind-the-scenes capacity.

Sook successfully built Nexstar Broadcasting from two dozen stations to more than 100, while building and improving news operations across the ever-expanding group.

He founded Nexstar in 1996 for the purpose of acquiring and operating network affiliated television stations in medium-sized markets. Today, the company's stations, websites and partners reach 58 markets or approximately 18.0% of all U.S. television households. Prior to Nexstar, Sook was one of the principals of Superior Communication Group, Inc., which was sold in 1995 to Sinclair Broadcast Group. Before Superior, Sook was President/CEO of Seaway Communication, Inc., owner of network affiliated stations in Bangor, ME and Wausau, WI.

Before being recruited to run Seaway, he worked in the television industry as a General Sales Manager, acting General Manager and National Sales Manager. Sook previously spent five years with Cox Broadcasting, first in local sales in Pittsburgh then at Telerep, Inc., as a National Account Executive. Early in his career, Sook was involved in local TV sales and radio sales. Sook also worked briefly as a television news anchor at the CBS affiliate in Clarksburg, WV.

Sook did his undergraduate work at Ohio University in Athens, OH and was an adjunct professor at Edinboro State University of Pennsylvania. He is a recipient of the NAB/BEA Harold E. Follow Memorial Scholarship, a Board Member of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Television Bureau of Advertising, the NBC Affiliate Board, and a Board Member and Trustee of The Ohio University Foundation.

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National Broadcasting Association to Honor Nexstar's Perry Sook