ATLANTA, Oct. 04, 2024 – Gray Media (NYSE: GTN) today announced the retirements of two veteran broadcasters. In Monroe, Louisiana, Laura Long is retiring as the General Manager of KNOE effective October 4, 2024. In Sherman, Texas, Rick Dean will retire as the General Manager of KXII effective December 31, 2024.
Laura Long began her television career 35 years ago in Monroe, after earning a degree from the University Louisiana Monroe. She started at Cablevision in 1992 where she rose to General Sales Manager. In 1999, she was hired as Local Sales Manager at WUPL, the CBS O&O station in New Orleans, and then promoted to the role of General Sales Manager at WTOG in Tampa. In 2006, CBS named Long VP/Station Manager/Director of Sales at WTOG and in 2010 she rose to VP/General Manager. Returning to Monroe in 2014 to be closer to family brought her to KNOE and Gray Media as VP/General Manager. During her tenure in Monroe the team at KNOE won numerous broadcasting awards and continues to be the #1 station in the Monroe/El Dorado market. Laura created a lasting legacy at KNOE through a culture of learning that launched many first-time journalists and broadcasters into successful careers across the county.
Rick Dean started his media career in 1979 at a Radio station in Oklahoma City. His radio career spanned six years as he worked his way from sales into sales management with three different stations. In 1985, he joined KXII-TV and worked for multiple owners until Gray acquired the station in 1999. During his tenure with KXII, Rick worked as an Account Executive, Assistant Sales Manager, and General Sales Manager until being promoted to General Manager in 2002. Throughout his career, KXII won countless awards from the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters in both Radio and Television and the Texas Association of Broadcasters in Television, as well as Oklahoma and Texas Associated Press awards and three Regional Edward R. Murrow awards. Gray Media recognizes his great contributions to the community, our company, and the team members he mentored in the last 45 years.
“Laura and Rick exemplify the high quality of leadership and commitment to excellence this company strives for in each of our stations,” Gray’s Chief Operating Officer Sandy Breland said. “On behalf of Gray, I thank them for their years of service and wish them the best in their retirement.”
Gray will carefully search for well-qualified successors to lead these legacy television stations, both of which are strong institutions in their local markets.
