Ezra Kucharz has served as President of Local Digital Media, CBS’s newly-formed local broadcasting business segment, since January 2010. Bringing together local television and radio properties, CBS Local merges aligned resources to grow business and serve as a competitor in the local marketplace. Kucharz is responsible for conceiving and executing the Company’s local online media strategy utilizing the combined assets and digital operations of CBS’s over two dozen television stations and CBS RADIO’s 127 stations.
In this position, Kucharz has combined the websites of many CBS Television and Radio stations in the Company’s largest markets across the nation. These web destinations bring together the most trusted brands in local media offering visitors a truly “local” experience. CBS Local websites include the latest news, traffic, weather, sports and music information and local discounts audiences have come to expect from the websites of CBS Television and Radio’s biggest news, sports and music stations. In addition, Kucharz has spearheaded the creation of several locally targeted mobile applications relating to news, sports and lifestyle.
Kucharz joined CBS from FiLife.com, an IAC and Dow Jones personal finance joint venture. For the past 14 months, Kucharz has served as President and General Manager of the financial question and answer platform that connects people who have personal finance questions to experts in the field leading all day-to-day and strategic activities including revenue growth, new business and product development, technology, research and editorial operations. Under Kucharz’ leadership, FiLife has grown to the No. 4 personal finance site on the Internet.
The United States Tennis Association hired Kucharz in 2001 as its Managing Director, Advanced Media. During his tenure he was charged with implementing the strategic vision for the new USTA business unit. While there, he also produced and directed the operations of the popular USOpen.org website.
In 1995, Kucharz founded one of the first online digital sports media companies, Total Sports. In addition to developing numerous pioneering online sports technologies including the first online cybercast of a college basketball game and locally managed community-based college sports publishing, Kucharz managed sales and business development activities for a network of 105 websites. He also has served as executive producer of several major sporting events’ online destinations including the Final Four, College World Series and U.S. Open Golf Championship.
Kucharz earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston University in biomedical engineering and worked for NASA in their space shuttle and space station medical operations departments following graduation. He later earned master’s degrees in engineering management and medical informatics at the University of Houston and Duke University, respectively. In March 2012, research and consulting firm Borrell Associates Inc. named Kucharz the esteemed recipient of their 2012 Borrell Award of Merit, which recognizes executives who have fostered and driven significant change within their organizations. He was cited for his “intelligence, innovation and most of all the execution of strategies within a big legacy media company.”
Presentation Info
Local Advertising: Reaching the Right Customers in Your Area
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Room #3 – Marketing & Advertising I
