LABF 2024 Board Adds Coles, Frick and MacCourtney

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, February 19, 2024

Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF)

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) announces Tony Coles, Dr. Caroline Frick and Leo MacCourtney have been elected to the organization's board of directors. The announcement was made by Co-chairs Heidi Raphael, Beasley Media Group Chief Communications Officer, and Jack Goodman, former NAB general counsel and longtime DC-based Communications attorney.

Tony Coles is President of Multi-Cultural Business and Development and President of BIN: Black Information Network. As President of Multi-Cultural Business and Development, Coles works across all iHeartMedia assets and divisions to support and grow multicultural audiences and to accelerate multicultural revenue growth for the company. This includes connecting Hispanic, Black, AANHPI and LGBTQIA+ consumers and clients with the unique access iHeartMedia can provide.

Prior to his current roles, he served as Metro Markets Group Division President, leading markets including Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, St. Louis, and New Orleans; and as Executive Vice President of Programming for the company's Western U.S. markets from 2016-2020. During his 20 years at iHeartMedia, he has held several leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Programming for Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest, as well as Operations Manager of the Chicago region.

Dr. Caroline Frick is an Associate Professor in the Radio-TV-Film Department at The University of Texas at Austin. She also is the founder and Executive Director of the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, an organization devoted to the discovery and preservation of media related to the state. Prior to her work in Texas, Dr. Frick worked in film preservation at Warner Bros., the Library of Congress and the National Archives in Washington, DC. Dr. Frick also programmed films for the American Movie Classics cable channel in New York and served for four years as the President of the Board for the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA). She currently serves as the co-chair of the Local Television Task Force for AMIA.

In his role as President, Leo oversees Katz's strategic sales direction to drive growth for its more than 800 television station partners and their digital extensions across over 196 markets. Leo's background in media advertising began when he joined WERE radio in Cleveland. In 1981, Leo left radio to join Blair Television as an account executive. During his tenure at Blair Television, Leo held various sales management roles, including Team Manager, Division Manager, and Division President.

Leo was promoted to President and CEO of Blair Television in 1998, a position he held for nine years. In 2007, Leo joined Katz Television Group as Vice President of Business Development. He became President of Eagle Television Sales in 2008. In March of 2012, Leo was appointed to his current role as President of the Katz Television Group. Leo is currently Ex-Officio Chair of International Radio & Television Society Foundation. He also serves on board of the Washington Media Scholars Foundation and is the Vice Chair/Treasurer for the Broadcasters Foundation of America.

"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Tony, Caroline, and Leo to the LABF Board of Directors," said Raphael and Goodman. "Their valuable insight and experience will help in our mission to preserve, protect and promote radio and television broadcasting's incredible history."

Executive Committee members elected to additional two-year terms include Heather Birks, Harry Jessell, Kathy Kirby, Jim Morley, Heidi Raphael, and Joyce Tudryn. In addition, Dennis Wharton was approved to join the Committee.

The following LABF board members were elected to serve new three-year terms: Pierre Bouvard, Gary Chapman, Mary Collins, Mike Conway, Dave "Chachi" Denes, Erica Farber, Harry Jessell, David Kennedy, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Brian Philips, Heidi Raphael and Julie Talbott.

Other current LABF board members include Heather Birks, Sally Brown, Michael Carter, Mary Collins, April Carty-Sipp, Chandra Clark, John Dille, Jack Goodman, Richard Liebner, Jim Morley, Ginny Hubbard, Deborah Parenti, Larry Patrick, Walter Podrazik, Patricia Smullin, Jeff Smulyan, Dan Spears, John Taylor, Joyce Tudryn, and Dennis Wharton.