Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., owner of WNWO Channel 24, said today that it has installed a new management team at the station as part of its plan to beef up the station’s position in the marketplace.
All five of the new managers come from WPTA, Channel 21, an ABC-affiliate in Fort Wayne, Ind., that is owned by Malara Broadcast Group, of Sarasota, Fla.
John Nizamis has been named the new general manager of Channel 24, replacing Chris Topf. Mr. Nizamis previously was general sales manager at WPTA.
Charity Freeman has been named general sales manager at WNWO. She previously was host of a WPTA-produced program called INsight.
Nicole Hahn, a producer at WPTA, has been named news director at WNWO, replacing Jim Blue, who is a Channel 24 co-anchor. Mr. Blue will continue to co-anchor the news at WNWO and become managing editor.
Sinclair has also created two new positions at Channel 24 that will be filled by former WPTA personnel.
Emily Ashmawi is the station’s new digital content manager, a position created to help the station expand the bridge between on-air news and content and digital content on its Web site.
Jason Ashmawi will become WNWO’s new promotions director, a position created to help the station become more active and visible in the Toledo area and northwest Ohio.
Dan Hoffman, senior group manager for Sinclair, said all of the changes were effective immediately and that all five of the new hires began their jobs last week.
Baltimore-based Sinclair bought WNWO from Barrington Broadcasting Corp. last year.
First Published April 21, 2014, 4:13 p.m.