MCLEAN, Va., May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) announced today that it has appointed Larry Kramer president and publisher of USA TODAY, effective immediately. Kramer, founder of MarketWatch and a 40-year media industry veteran, currently serves as a media consultant and adjunct professor of Media Management at the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. He will report to Gracia Martore, president and chief executive officer of Gannett, and be a member of the Gannett Leadership Team. Kramer will be based in McLean, VA.
As president and publisher, Kramer will be responsible for developing and executing the long-term strategic vision for USA TODAY across all of its platforms, including the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, the Travel Media Group, Reviewed.com and USA WEEKEND. He will also lead the ongoing search for a new USA TODAY editor-in-chief.
"We are thrilled that Larry is joining our team. He will play a critical role as we transform the company and execute on our strategic plan to position Gannett for success in the digital age," said Martore. "He is a distinguished journalist with a passion for the news business and has an entrepreneur's drive to innovate and the business acumen needed to create value. He is the ideal leader to have at the helm of USA TODAY as we work to transform this trusted, iconic brand into a more powerful multi-dimensional media platform. I am confident that under his leadership, September will mark both USA TODAY's 30th anniversary and the beginning of an exciting next chapter in its history."
During his career as a journalist and editor, Kramer received many awards for reporting, including the National Press Club Award, The Associated Press Award for news writing and The Gerald Loeb award for business reporting, and his staffs were awarded two Pulitzer Prizes. He also has an extensive track record as a successful media entrepreneur, including: serving as founding president of CBS Digital Media, a new division that synthesized all online, interactive and mobile initiatives for the network; founding leading financial information web site MarketWatch.com and successfully taking the company public before its sale to Dow Jones; and founding DataSport, Inc., maker of a proprietary hand-held sports information monitor, which was later sold to Data Broadcasting Corp.
"As a journalist and media executive for many years, I have always had tremendous respect for USA TODAY and the reputation it has built as a trusted source for the day's news and information. As an entrepreneur, I have also admired its strong legacy of innovation. I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with this talented team to reinvigorate USA TODAY's mission and lay the groundwork for its next 30 years as a leading, multi-platform media brand and content powerhouse," said Kramer.
From 2005 to 2007, Kramer served as president of CBS Digital Media where he created March Madness on Demand, brought CBS TV shows to the web, and formed content distribution partnerships with Google, Amazon, Apple iTunes, Yahoo and Verizon. He continued to serve as an adviser to CBS until April 2008. Prior to joining CBS, Kramer was Chairman, CEO and Founder of MarketWatch, Inc. until its sale to Dow Jones in January 2005. Kramer joined Data Broadcasting Corp. as Vice President in 1994, following its acquisition of DataSport Inc, which he founded in 1991. Prior to founding DataSport, Kramer spent more than 20 years in journalism as a reporter and editor for such publications as the San Francisco Examiner and the Washington Post.
Kramer holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BS from Syracuse University. He has been a lecturer at several universities, including Harvard Business School, Syracuse University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and Stanford University, and currently sits on the board of directors of Harvard Business School Publishing and serves on the Advisory Board to the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University (chairman). He was a founding board member and former Chairman of The Online Publishers Association. Kramer is author of C-Scape: Conquer the Forces Changing Business Today, a book about the digital transformation of media and commerce.
He is married to Myla Lerner and they have two children, Matthew and Erika.
About Gannett
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an international media and marketing solutions company that informs and engages more than 100 million people every month through its powerful network of broadcast, digital, mobile and publishing properties. Our portfolio of trusted brands offers marketers unmatched local-to-national reach and customizable, innovative marketing solutions across any platform. Gannett is committed to connecting people – and the companies who want to reach them – with their interests and communities. For more information, visit www.gannett.com.
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SOURCE Gannett Co., Inc.
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