Gannett Completes Transaction to Acquire Columbia, S.C., TV Station; Announces Appointment
ARLINGTON, Va. — Cecil L. Walker, president and CEO/Gannett Broadcasting, announced today that Gannett has concluded the transaction with Lewis Broadcasting Corporation to acquire WLTX-TV, the CBS affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina.
In conjunction with this transaction, Walker also announced the appointment of Deborah A. Holland as vice president and general manager of WLTX-TV. She was formerly general sales manager of the station. Holland replaces Dick Laughridge, who previously announced his retirement at the completion of this transaction.
“Debbie has a strong sales and management background and a solid history with WLTX. We are pleased to be able to promote someone from within the station to this position. She is committed to values that are important to the viewers in the communities WLTX serves,” Walker said.
Holland joined WLTX-TV (then WNOK-AM/FM and TV) in 1978 as an account executive for WNOK-AM. She became an account executive for WLTX-TV in 1979, local sales manager in 1987 and general sales manager and national sales manager in 1996. She began her career in broadcasting as an account executive for WMYB-FM in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Holland is a past member of the Columbia Advertising Federation and is on the board of the South Carolina Broadcasters Association.
Holland graduated from the University of South Carolina with joint degrees in journalism and English. She and her husband, Gill, and their two children reside in Columbia.
With the acquisition of WLTX-TV, Gannett Broadcasting consists of 21 television stations reaching 16.6 percent of U.S. television homes. The other stations include: W*USA (CBS-Washington, DC); WXIA (NBC-Atlanta); WKYC (NBC-Cleveland); KARE (NBC-Minneapolis); WTSP (CBS-Tampa); KPNX (NBC-Phoenix); KNAZ (NBC-Flagstaff); KMOH (WB-Kingman); K*USA (NBC-Denver); KSDK (NBC-St. Louis); WZZM (ABC-Grand Rapids); WGRZ (NBC-Buffalo); WFMY (CBS-Greensboro); WTLV (NBC-Jacksonville); KTHV (CBS-Little Rock); KVUE (ABC-Austin); WBIR (NBC-Knoxville); WCSH (NBC-Portland); WMAZ (CBS-Macon); and WLBZ (NBC-Bangor). Gannett Broadcasting also consists of cable television systems in five states.
In addition to its broadcasting operations, Gannett publishes 87 daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, and USA WEEKEND, a newspaper magazine.