Nexstar Media Group has hired Erin McIlvain away from Great American Media (GAM) to serve in a new senior executive role at its CW Network.
Starting this week, McIlvain will oversee network distribution and affiliate relations for the CW Network as its Senior Vice President of Affiliate Distribution and Marketing. She reports to Dana Zimmer, the President and Chief Distribution and Strategy Officer for Nexstar, as well as Dennis Miller, the President of the CW Network, the company said in a statement.
“Erin is a strategic thinker with tremendous experience in the multi-channel distribution business and affiliate relations,” Zimmer said on Wednesday. “She has a keen understanding of the linear broadcast, cable, digital, and streaming world, and has a great reputation with our clients. We are excited to have someone of Erin’s caliber join our team and I look forward to working together to raise the bar on CW affiliate matters.”
“The CW Network and Nexstar’s portfolio of media assets make for an unbeatable combination, and I’m excited to be joining a network that is incredibly innovative in its approach to programming and determined to forge collaborative relationships with its affiliate partners,” McIlvain said in a statement. “There are a lot of opportunities to continue expanding the CW’s reach, and I am eager to get started.”
McIlvain arrives at Nexstar and CW Network after serving as GAM’s Chief Officer of Distribution and Content Strategy. While at GAM, she helped launch the brand’s first free, ad-supported streaming channel and increased distribution of its flagship pay TV networks, Great American Famiy and Great American Living.
She also served in executive roles at Charter Communications, Crown Media Family Networks (Hallmark Media) and Dish Network during her career, which spans over two decades.
“Erin is extremely familiar with our network partners, having worked with all of them throughout her career,” Miller said on Wednesday. “As we continue evolving the CW’s programming strategy — adding more live sports and broad-based entertainment offerings — she is the perfect choice to lead our distribution efforts.”
Nexstar acquired a controlling 75 percent stake in the CW Network during the second half of 2022. The network was originally launched as a joint venture between the prior incarnation of Paramount Global and Warner Bros Discovery, which merged their former broadcast networks UPN and WB.
