Sinclair Broadcast Group Taps Courtney Youngblood to Lead WLOS Ashville

Sinclair Broadcast Group has become a well-known name in major broadcast networks. It owns the most considerable portion of local television stations in the country, with 191 stations in about 89 broadcast markets from coast to coast and everywhere in between. What makes Sinclair Broadcast Group the largest in the number of viewership is that most Americans trust local news outlets compared to national news outlets.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Promotes Courtney Youngblood in Historic Move for WLOS Station

On May 17th, 2021, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced Courtney Youngblood as the new Vice President and General Manager of its ABC affiliate WLOS Asheville, North Carolina. She will also be in charge of Sinclair's provision of services to WMYA ( MyNet affiliate).

According to Sinclair's President of Broadcast and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, Rob Weisbord, Ms. Youngblood's career with Sinclair started more than 20 years ago. Since then, she has been climbing the ladder of success. She has moved from account executive to now lead the stations in Asheville. Youngblood's long history in television sales, including 16 years in the Asheville market, makes her the right fit for the position. According to her remarks, Ms. Youngblood is thrilled to work with her new team to create a long tradition of commitment to Sinclair's clients, community partners, and viewers.

Before her promotion, she served as the Director of Sales for WLOS and WMYA. Youngblood joined Sinclair 21 years ago as an Account Executive in Nashville. She moved to Asheville in 2005 and worked as the National Sales Manager, and in 2009, she was promoted to Local Sales Manager. She also served as director of sales since 2017. Ms. Youngblood has a BA degree from the Henry Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia.

Courtney Youngblood: First Female to Become WLOS' General Manager

As much as women are among the largest consumers of television, film, broadcast media, and other types of print, they are not well represented in leadership positions. But even after many campaigns on ensuring gender parity, many women in this industry face a glass ceiling that hinders them from reaching top leadership positions. As with women in other industries, women face so many challenges in entertainment and media.

Many media groups monitor their content and workplaces for gender balance but rarely do they publish the data, which raises questions and doubts on their level of transparency. It is the role of monitoring organizations to pressure media companies to publish their gender monitoring results. Sinclair Broadcast Group has set the pace for many media companies, and it's currently making headlines for the appointment of the first female in the top position. The promotion of Courtney Youngblood is an indicator that women can achieve top management positions in media companies.

Sinclair's vision is to connect people with the right content everywhere, regardless of the medium or platform. The promotion of Ms. Youngblood displays the commitment of the company to hire and retain the best employees for the benefit of its customers. Sinclair Broadcast Group takes the welfare of every employee seriously. That is why they ensure that the working environment is comfortable for both existing and potential employees.

Sinclair Broadcast Group has put in place strategic plans to boost employee morale, and one way is promoting excellent staff. The group has embraced the culture of diversity to increase the number of women in the organization. That's why the appointment of Ms. Youndblood as the vice president and GM displays Sinclair's commitment to embracing diversity. Sinclair Broadcast Group continues to increase its outreach by establishing communication with the recruiting resources while maintaining workforce diversity.

About WLOS Ashville, North Carolina

WLOS is a North Carolina-based media station and an ABC TV affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair is one of the largest television broadcasting networks that operate in 89 markets providing services to more than 191 television stations.

Sinclair owns and manages local news stations nationwide in cities like Calif, Amarillo, Bakersfield, Tex, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Birmingham, among others. Many of the stations it operates are affiliates of other major national broadcast networks like ABC, WKEF, KOKH, and FOX. Sinclair uses various platforms to deliver its content, including over-the-air, digital platforms, and multichannel video program distributors. For more information concerning Sinclair Broadcast Group, visit www.sbgi.net.

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