Dr. Phil McGraw’s media company Merit TV has appointed former Tennis Channel executive Ken Solomon to serve as the company’s CEO and President, starting this month.
Solomon has served as a board member and advisor to Merit TV dating to the company’s founding as Merit Street Media, where he spent a considerable amount of time helping McGraw build his media startup to the point that the Tennis Channel and its parent company Sinclair terminated his employment last year.
“In searching for a fearless leader to take the helm of Merit Street Media, I made a bet with Ken while playing tennis just after he left Tennis Channel — I WON,” McGraw said in a statement on Thursday. “Seriously, Ken Solomon is in my opinion one-of-one when it comes to network-media executives, we wanted the absolute best to head up Merit TV, and we had to wait months for Ken to complete his prior obligations. It was well worth the wait.”
“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to be part of organizations that were white-hot at times when those media companies were spring-loaded and on the brink of explosive industry changing innovation and growth — and that’s where Dr. Phil’s Merit TV stands right now,” he continued. “Dr. Phil is creating the ultimate next-generation TV media company brand. I am beyond thrilled to be joining him, Joel Cheatwood, and the entire team as we quickly build Merit TV into one of the most powerful disruptive forces in the world of legacy media across news, entertainment, lifestyle, sports, and whatever we invent next.”
Merit TV is the home of McGraw’s self-titled prime-time talk show. The channel, available on broadcast and cable TV, also offers a daily newscast and syndicated programming, including rebroadcasts of McGraw’s show.
