Newspaper Division Announces Executive Appointments; Mebane Retires
ARLINGTON, Va. — Craig A. Moon has been named president of the Piedmont Newspaper Group, it was announced today.
Moon, who continues as president and publisher of The Tennessean in Nashville, succeeds William deB. (Bern) Mebane, who announced today that he is retiring as senior group president of the Piedmont Group and as president and publisher of The Greenville (S.C.) News.
Steven R. Brandt succeeds Mebane as president and publisher in Greenville. He also becomes a vice president in the Piedmont Group. He formerly was president and publisher of the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle.
David L. Hunke becomes president and publisher in Rochester. He previously was executive vice president/marketing at The Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Post.
“Craig Moon has established a distinguished record as a newspaper executive over the past decade,” said Gary L. Watson. “The Piedmont Group will be well served with Craig as its president.”
Moon is an eight-time winner of the President’s Ring for outstanding performance. He was selected as advertising executive of the year in 1987; publisher of the year in 1992 and Gannett’s manager of the year in 1995.
Moon joined Gannett in 1985 as vice president/advertising of The Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati Post. In 1988, he was named president and publisher of the News-Press in Fort Myers, Fla.
In 1989, he became president and publisher of the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock. He joined The Tennessean in 1991. He also has served as a vice president in the South Newspaper Group. He attended the University of South Florida.
“On behalf of everyone at Gannett, we want to thank and applaud Bern Mebane for his contributions over the past three years,” Watson said. “Due in large part to his efforts, the transition from Multimedia to Gannett has gone as smoothly as possible.
“We wish Bern, his wife Cathy and their entire family all the best.”
Mebane joined the company with the acquisition of Multimedia, Inc., by Gannett in December 1995.
He previously had served as president of Multimedia Newspaper Company since 1989. In February of 1997, he assumed the additional responsibilities as president and publisher in Greenville.
Mebane is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a past president and chairman of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and past president of the South Carolina Press Association.
Brandt is returning to Greenville, where he served as publisher from 1993 to 1997. He joined Multimedia in 1978, serving in a variety of management roles, including general manager of the Staunton (Va.) News-Leader from 1981 to 1983. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
Hunke joined Gannett at The Enquirer and Post in 1992 as vice president/advertising. He was named executive vice president/marketing in 1997. He previously held advertising management positions with the Miami Herald. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas.
In connection with the realignment of the Piedmont Group, Thomas A. Bookstaver, president and publisher of The Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser, also will assume the additional responsibilities as a group vice president.
The Piedmont Group includes newspapers in Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia and the Nursing Spectrum.
Gannett is a nationwide news and information company that publishes 75 daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, and USA WEEKEND, a newspaper magazine. Gannett also operates 21 television stations and cable television systems in major U.S. markets.