Sean Compton

Compton began his career in radio in 1990 with Jacor Communications. In 1993 he became Program Director of Cincinnati radio station WSAI. In 1996 he became National Program Coordinator for Jacor eventually rising to VP of programming in 1999 for then merged Clear Channel Radio and Premiere Radio Networks.^[1] Compton left Clear Channel radio in 2008 to join Tribune Broadcasting as President of television programming. In 2019 Nexstar acquired Tribune Broadcasting and created a networks division headed by Compton.

Compton currently serves as President of Nexstar Networks which includes the CW Network, NewsNation, Antenna TV and Rewind TV, WGN Radio, The Hill (newspaper), and programming content Acquisitions for Dallas-based Nexstar Media Group.

In January 2020, Nexstar announced it was launching "NewsNation" a Chicago based national primetime news program on cable network WGN America with Compton at the helm. The network program, which launched September 1, 2020, is touted as news absent of bias and will compete with Fox News Channel, CNN and MSNBC. Originally launching with three hours in primetime, NewsNation expanded incrementally through June 2024, when on June 1, 2024 a "24/7" schedule began, with 24 hour programming Monday through Sunday.^[2] NewsNation offers several blocks of news programming interspersed with talk shows hosted by Chris Cuomo, Dan Abrams, Ashleigh Banfield, Elizabeth Vargas and Leland Vittert.

Compton is the son of the late radio DJ and talk show host Dale Sommers.^[3]

• Cynthia Littleton (2009-10-06). "Tribune has big plans for WGN". Variety. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• "Tribune Broadcasting Acquires "Johnny Carson"". Tribune Media. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• Albiniak, Paige (April 2, 2008). "Sean Compton to Replace Marc Schacher at Tribune Broadcasting". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• Albiniak, Paige (April 5, 2008). "Transforming Tribune". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• "Exclusive: Interview with WGN America; Lost 80s Week and Halloween Marathon for WGN America". Sitcomsonline.com. 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• "Trump dials up radio deal; Walters apologizes for ad". Usatoday.com. 2004-04-28. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• "Tribune Broadcasting Names Sean Compton President/Programming". Prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• "40 Under 40: 2010". Chicago Business. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
• https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-01-15/nextstar-will-launch-a-prime-time-newscast-on-cable-network-wgn-america-this-fall

 

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