Earl Jones - Chairman

Earl L. Jones, Jr. Founder, Chairman & CEO of Jones Broadcast Group, LLC, is a well-known media entrepreneur with more than thirty years experience as a senior executive in the broadcasting, advertising and entertainment industries. Prior to founding JBG in 2002, Mr. Jones actively participated as an investor and advisor with leading financial institutions in numerous M&A transactions with companies in the media, entertainment, advertising, out-of-home, and digital media sectors. In recent years, Mr. Jones served as Chairman and CEO of PMC, one of the nation’s leading television advertising sales and marketing firms. Mr. Jones founded IBS, an international media firm that played an important role in the privatization of overseas television networks and distributed U.S. television programming, including NBA basketball, throughout the world where he served as Chairman & CEO from the firm's inception in 1986 leading its successful IPO and through its subsequent acquisition in 1992. Prior to founding IBS, Mr. Jones was an active broadcast entrepreneur and executive in the 1980's as a founding Partner and Vice-President of KTXA-TV, Dallas and KTXH-TV, Houston which were sold for a then-record price for independent television stations after less than five years of operation. Mr. Jones thereafter served as a founding Partner in creating new television stations in Miami, Philadelphia, and Denver. Additionally, he served as a Partner and Director of the NBA Denver Nuggets Basketball Franchise from 1986-1989. Mr. Jones served as General Sales Manager of WDCA-TV, Washington, D.C. in 1979, where he began his station management career as National Sales Manager in 1977. Prior to his television station management career, Mr. Jones served as an Account Executive with national ad sales firms Petry Television and Telerep, Inc., a division of Cox Communications, and began his media career as a National Media Buyer with Grey Advertising in New York. Mr. Jones served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra from 1994-1997 and the Dallas Symphony Association from 1993-1996 where he was Chairman of the Media Committee. An honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree was conferred on Mr. Jones by Southern Utah University for his work in International Communications in 1988. Mr. Jones received a B.A. in Journalism from Kent State University and conducted graduate studies in international relations there and in Japan. Mr. Jones received the 2009 William Taylor Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor conferred by the Kent State University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Mr. Jones is a frequent speaker at media industry events and conferences, most recently delivering keynote addresses for international media conferences and for the 2008 Broadcasting & Cable Competitive Television Summit and the 2009 Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation Management Meeting. In recent years, Mr. Jones has convened and moderated Business Development panels on an ongoing basis for the annual MBA Media & Entertainment Conference, the premiere event for business school students focusing on the media, entertainment, and technology industries from Columbia Business School, Duke Fuqua School of Business, MIT Sloan Management, NYU Stern School of Business, and the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.


Jeff Sagansky

Mr. Sagansky has a career encompassing over 25 years in senior positions in the television, entertainment and motion picture businesses. Named Chairman of Robert Halmi Entertainment, Inc. in 2009, Mr. Sagansky also served as President and CEO of Paxson Communications Corporation (PAX-TV) from the launch of the network in 1998 through December 2002. Under his leadership, PAX TV developed into the highest rated family friendly television network. He green-lighted such successful PAX shows, such as Doc, Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye, Just Cause, Weakest Link and PAX’s longest-running series, It’s a Miracle. Under Mr. Sagansky’s tenure, PAX’s network distribution grew from 60% of U.S. TV households to almost 90% in only 4 years. Prior to joining PAX TV, Mr. Sagansky was Co-President of Sony Pictures Entertainment, where he was responsible for Sony Entertainment’s Worldwide television operations and strategic planning. In this capacity, he spearheaded Sony’s acquisition of Telemundo. Previously, Mr. Sagansky was Executive Vice President of Sony Corporation of America from September 1994 to October 1996, where he supervised Sony Theaters, the Sony Theater / Cineplex Odeon Theaters merger and the highly successful U.S. launch of the Sony Playstation. Prior to joining Sony, he was President of CBS Entertainment, where he engineered CBS’s ratings rise from third to first place in eighteen months. Under his leadership, CBS developed such critically-acclaimed series such as The Nanny, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Touched By An Angel, Chicago Hope, Picket Fences and Northern Exposure. From 1989 to 1990 Mr. Sagansky was President of TriStar Pictures and was TriStar’s President of Production from 1985 to 1989. While at TriStar, he developed and oversaw production of a wide variety of successful films, including Look Who’s Talking, Peggy Sue Got Married, Steel Magnolias, Glory and About Last Night. Before joining TriStar, he was Senior Vice president in charge of Series Programming for NBC Entertainment from 1982 to 1985. At NBC, he developed hit prime-time series, including Family Ties, Cheers, The Cosby Show, Miami Vice and Highway To Heaven; shows that brought that network to the top of the ratings. From 1979 to 1982, he was Vice President of Development for the David Gerber Company. Prior to that, he held positions at NBC Entertainment, including Director of Dramatic Development in 1978 and Manager of Film Programs in 1977. Mr. Sagansky received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College and his Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. He also co-chaired the 30th Anniversary Endowment Fundraising for the L.A. Free Clinic and currently serves on the Boards of the International Council for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the American Jewish Committee.


Chris Dickens

Chris Dickens' media and marketing communications career spans over 35 years with involvement at all levels and across all disciplines, from Elida Gibbs and London Week-end Television to Vice Chairman and Head of Media for Leo Burnett and NY Media Director and London Deputy Chairman for Young & Rubicam. In 1988, Mr. Dickens became Director of Sales and then Managing Director of Publishing for the UK’s first digital broadcasting service, British Satellite Broadcasting. After two and a half years at BSB, he returned to Y&R to become World-Wide Media Director. He fulfilled this position for five years with great success, including a secondment to Y&R London as Group Chairman for 18 months. Inspired by the increasing need for experienced media management advice and guidance, both in the UK and internationally, Chris Dickens established and became CEO of Chris Dickens Communications Ltd. The company has a large number of international clients on both a project and retainer basis. In recent years, Chris Dickens has provided due diligence reporting for private investors in media companies, helped raise investment capital for new media ventures and held a number of non-executive posts with media companies particularly related to the Outdoor Medium. Mr. Dickens jointly led the development of the first piece of Outdoor Audience Research in the UK called OSCAR. For 10 years this was the Industry standard. In 1996 it was superseded by POSTAR and he served for three years as the Independent Chairman of its Board.


Todd Freeland

Mr. Freeland is a leading investment banker and serves as JBG’s financial advisor. He is the Managing Director of Redcroft Partners and previously served as the Managing Director and Head of Media, Communications & Technology, Investment & Corporate Banking for the Bank of Montreal. He also spent over 12 years in the investment banking divisions of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Morgan Stanley & Co., during which time he executed a wide variety of strategic and financing transactions for clients across numerous industries, including communications, media, financial institutions, retail, natural resources and industrial manufacturing. Mr. Freeland was a founding member of Goldman's global Communications, Media & Entertainment investment banking group, and served as the head of that firm's U.S. broadcasting and European cable and broadcasting practices. He is also a Board member of Elevator Channel, Inc.. Mr. Freeland graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina and received his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was an Austin Scholar.


Steven Hirsch

Mr. Hirsch recently served as President of CBS Television Distribution Media Sales. In 1984 Mr. Hirsch co-founded Camelot Entertainment Sales (the predecessor of King World Media Sales). He served as Vice President from its inception and in 1987 became President. Mr. Hirsch oversees the sale of advertising time for all King World product, including “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Dr. Phil,” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Prior to his association with King World, Mr. Hirsch worked for the company Television Program Enterprises where he was one of the early proponents of barter syndication helping to launch “Entertainment Tonight,” “Solid Gold,” “Star Search” and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Before his years in syndication, Mr. Hirsch served as Eastern Sales Manager for the NBC Owned and Operated Stations, along with various sales capacities with national advertising sales rep firms Telerep, Petry Television and Westinghouse Broadcasting.


Robert Riesenberg

Mr. Riesenberg is the CEO of RER Entertainment. In recent years he served as CEO of Full Circle Entertainment at The Omnicom Group, one of the world’s leading advertising agency holding companies. One of Madison Avenue's most powerful executives, he is a rarity in that he enjoys cutting edge expertise in both media buying and media planning and television production. He is an Emmy award-winning Producer of numerous television programs and he has been honored as the Young Audiences New York Children’s Arts Medal Recipient. Mr. Riesenberg’s television productions have received industry-wide critical acclaim and have appeared on virtually all US television networks and major cable networks. He is among the industry’s most prolific and highly regarded television producers.


Back To Top