Paul McTear

President, CEO

Paul McTear joined Raycom Media in February 1997 as Chief Financial Officer with responsibilities including traditional financial oversight plus operating responsibilities for Raycom Sports. In July of 2001, Paul was promoted to the position of President/Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of CEO John Hayes. The company has grown to the largest privately owned TV broadcast company in the US, now owning and/or operating 46 television stations in 18 states and covering more than 12.6% of U.S. television households. Raycom stations are the news leaders in the majority of their markets.

Paul was previously at the Providence Journal Company for 20 years where he was Vice President of Finance and Corporate Development. While there, Paul was involved with acquisitions, strategic and financial planning, and corporate development. He was also instrumental in the launch of two cable programming networks, Television Food Network and America’s Health Network. In addition, Paul had financial overview of The Providence Journal’s cable, paging and cellular telephone companies.

Paul serves on the National Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors, NBC’s Affiliate Board, and heads a Small Market Coalition formed to keep Small Market Broadcast issues in the forefront. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors of World Now, MSTV and My Weather.

A native of Philadelphia, PA, Paul received his BS in accounting from Drexel University. He and his wife Denise are the parents of four sons and live in Montgomery, Alabama.

Wayne Daugherty

Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

Following the purchase of AFLAC's group of television stations by Raycom Media in April 1997, Wayne Daugherty joined Raycom to work with eight of the company's profit centers as a Group Vice President. Daugherty, who had been President of the AFLAC Group of television stations, brought to Raycom Media 30 years of experience in the broadcasting business, beginning with radio in 1969 where he served as Sales Manager and General Manager of Montgomery, Alabama's first stand-alone FM radio station. Since 1974 his career has been in the television side of the business.

Wayne served as a Local Account Executive, Regional Sales Manager and Local Sales Manager with the Cosmos Broadcasting Group. Following, he served as General Sales Manager, Station Manager and General Manager of WTVM in Columbus, Georgia, until it was purchased by AFLAC Broadcasting in 1989. He joined the Corporate Staff of the AFLAC Broadcasting Group as President of the Southern Division with oversight responsibilities for a group of their television stations. Later, he became Executive Vice President and, in 1996, President of the Broadcast Group. Since joining Raycom, Wayne served as nine years as Group VP and in 2006 was named Executive VP/Chief Operating Officer with oversight responsibilities for four Group Vice Presidents of Station Operations as well as Vice Presidents for Research, Marketing, Technology, Sales and News.

Leon Long

Vice President, Television

Leon Long joined the company on February 1, 2006 when Raycom purchased Liberty Corp. Prior to joining Raycom, Long was Vice President of Operations for Liberty and the General Manager of WLOX-TV.

Long began his broadcasting career in radio with WLOX in Biloxi, MS and moved to a management position with WLOX-TV in 1980. He is a former stockholder/owner of the WXVT-TV, the CBS affiliate for Greenville, Mississippi.

Long has been actively engaged in a number of industry and professional associations. He is a past Chairman/President of the ABC Affiliate Association; has served as the chairman of the NAB 100+ Committee; a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Broadcasters Association and he was selected by TV Business Confidential as one of "America’s Best GM's".

Don Richards

Vice President, Television

While attending college in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, Don had an opportunity to go to work in a local advertising agency. This was his career goal so he took a position as an associate copywriter. While there, Don met media sales representatives from local radio and TV stations and talked to them about their jobs. Their passion for their work was enough to convince him to pursue a career in broadcasting.

Don went to work for WRBQ FM, Tampa's first FM rock station. After 4 years of selling ads, writing copy and creating radio promotions, Don left radio for the exciting new world of independent TV.

Don went to work in sales at independent station WTOG Ch. 44 in St. Petersburg. After 3 years he was named local sales manager. Having had enough of palm trees and warm winters, Don left for Denver, Colorado where he was local/regional sales manager for Tribune's KWGN TV. In 1985, Don left for Oklahoma City to become the general manager for a brand new independent station KAUT TV, owned by Heritage Media. In 1988, Don relocated to Richmond, Virginia to be the VP General Manager of Fox affiliate WRLH for Act 111 Broadcasting. When Act 111 sold to Sullivan Broadcasting Don stayed as an investor and President/ GM. When Sullivan Broadcasting was bought out in 1998, Don was hired by Jefferson Pilot as VP, General Manager of WWBT NBC 12 in Richmond. For 12 years Don was privileged to be the GM of the legacy NBC affiliate. Following the purchase of WWBT by Raycom Media in 2008, Don became a Raycom Regional Vice President in 2009 and was then named Group Vice President in March of 2011.

Don is still based in Richmond, Virginia and enjoys working with the outstanding Raycom and American Spirit Media TV stations in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Don has served on a number of community boards in Richmond and is a past President of the Virginia Association of Broadcasters.

Jeff Rosser

Vice President, Television

Jeff Rosser was named Raycom Media’s third Group Vice President in January, 1999 to oversee twelve of Raycom Media’s television stations. With the acquisition of additional stations since then, Jeff now oversees fourteen Raycom television stations. He is credited with helping to achieve one duopoly (KFVS/WQWQ in Cape Girardeau/Paducah) and three shared services agreements (WTVM/WXTX in Columbus, Ga.; WECT/WSFX in Wilmington; and WTVR/WUPV in Richmond). Jeff will soon be providing oversight as WUPV in Richmond is moved to WWBT, recently acquired from Lincoln Financial.

Jeff’s early background is in television news. He worked as a reporter, photographer, producer and bureau chief at stations in Salt Lake City and in Dallas. At the age of 27 he accepted his first News Director position with the ABC affiliate in Tulsa. In 1976, he hired Barbara Allen as a news anchor from a station in Ft. Myers, Florida. A year later, Jeff and Barbara were married. Today, they have a twenty-year-old son, Tyler who is a Junior at Rhodes College in Memphis.

In 1978, Jeff became a news producer, and then Assistant News Director at WNBC-TV in New York. Two years later he moved to Boston where he was the News Director for Westinghouse-owned WBZ. In 1983 he became the Vice President of News for WNEV also in Boston. During his eight years in Boston, Jeff accepted the Regional Emmy Award for Best Newscast in New England, four times, three of those times in consecutive years.

Jeff’s first General Manager’s job came in 1988 at Times Mirror owned WVTM-TV in Birmingham. Two years later, Times Mirror announced Jeff as the new General Manager at KDFW-TV in Jeff’s home town, Dallas. Before coming to Raycom Media, Jeff also served as General Manager at stations in Providence, Ft. Smith/Fayetteville and Oklahoma City.

Jeff served a four year term on the ABC Affiliate Board of Governors, and was the Board’s representative on the ABC Affiliate News Director’s Advisory Committee. He also served a term on the National Association of Broadcasters Television Board of Directors. Jeff is now Vice Chair of the FOX Affiliate Board of Governors and continues to serve as the Board’s representative on the FOX News Advisory Committee. Jeff received his Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from Brigham Young University.

Brad Streit

Vice President, Television

Brad attended Stephen F. Austin State University, graduating in 1979 with a major in Radio/Television and a minor in Business. During college he was active in his fraternity, Theta Chi and served as president. During his junior year he began working nights and weekends as a camera operator at KTRE-TV in Lufkin, Texas. Prior to graduation from college he had worked his way up to director of newscasts at KTRE.

In December of 1979 he began his job as Producer/Director at WBTI-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio. In October of 1980 he was promoted to Station Manager at WBTI. In the spring of 1982 Brad went back to KTRE in Lufkin, Texas to serve as Station Manager. In February of 1984 he moved to Jackson, Mississippi to accept the position of Station Manager at WLBT-TV. While in Jackson, Brad was certified as an instructor for the Dale Carnegie Public Speaking and Human Relations course, which he taught for 10 years. In the fall of 1990, Brad accepted the position of President, Civic Communications, Texas and General Manger at KLTV in Tyler, Texas. He continued as general manager of KLTV through two successive ownership changes. Brad launched general manager commentaries on KLTV earning top honors by the Texas Associated of Press Broadcasters as the “Best in Texas” two years in a row. In January, 2008, Raycom Media, owners of KLTV promoted him to the newly created position, Regional VP. In August, 2009 Raycom appointed him Group Vice President-Television.

Brad has served on several public service organizations including The Great Texas Balloon Race, the United Way of Smith County and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. He is former chairman of The Great Texas Balloon Race, PATH (People Attempting to Help) and the Texas Association of Broadcasters.

Melissa Thurber

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Melissa Thurber joined Raycom Media in 1996 as Vice President, Corporate Controller, with responsibility for all financial accounting, reporting, and treasury management functions for the company. Melissa was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in July, 2007. Prior to Raycom Media, Melissa held the position of Controller for Ellis Communications in Atlanta, Georgia.

Melissa began her career in the banking industry where, over a ten-year span, she held various positions such as Banking Officer, Assistant Controller, Internal Auditor, and Senior Accountant.

Melissa received an accounting degree and an M.B.A. degree from Auburn University, Montgomery. She has been active in broadcast and accounting organizations including the Broadcast Cable Financial Managers Association, and the Television Music License Committee.

Anne Adkins

Vice President, Marketing

Anne Thompson Adkins was named Raycom Media's Vice President of Marketing in December, 1997. Adkins is responsible for all aspects of marketing for Raycom Media including station promotion and strategy, research implementation and in some instances, public service. She is also responsible for all station graphics and heads up the Raycom Design Group.

Adkins joined Raycom Media after twenty years in the marketing arena at the local station level, the last being KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon. Prior to her marketing career, Anne worked as an independent television producer in New York, New York. Her career also includes stints as a professional actress, writer and producer.

Anne holds a Speech and Theater degree from Lion College in Arkansas with graduate credits in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Rhode Island.

Clyde Baucom

Vice President, Human Resources

Clyde Baucom is Vice President - Human Resources for the over 3,300 employees of Raycom Media. Baucom joined Raycom Media in January 1997 after spending ten years as Vice President - Human Resources for Multimedia, Inc. which had five TV, seven radio, fourteen newspaper, 600,000 cable subscribers, and three syndicated program properties (Sally Jessy Raphael, Jerry Springer and Phil Donahue). Previously, Baucom was Director of Human Resources with Karastan-Bigelow Carpet Company and Assistant HR Director with Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company until those companies were acquired.

With 40 years Human Resources experience, Baucom holds an HR degree from The University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and has served as President and Board Member of the Southern Employee Benefits Conference, President of Junior Achievement of Greenville, SC, and HR Committee Chair for the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association.

Rebecca Bryan

Vice President, Corporate Counsel

Rebecca Bryan joined Raycom Media, Inc. in September, 1997 as Vice President/Corporate Counsel and has responsibility for all legal functions for Raycom and its subsidiaries. Prior to joining Raycom, Ms. Bryan served as Vice President/General Counsel for KinderCare Learning Centers, Inc. the country's largest childcare organization.

Bryan graduated from the University of Alabama where she received both her B.S. and J.D. Degrees. Immediately after law school, she served as a Law Clerk to Supreme Court Justice James H. Faulkner and was in the private practice of law for four years.

Bryan is a member of the Alabama and American Bar Associations, the Alabama Corporate Counsel Association (past Board Member) and the International Association of Defense Attorneys/Corporate Division. She is also a member of the Communications Law Forum. She is married and has two children.

Wayne Freedman

Vice President, Sales

Wayne Freedman joined Raycom Media as VP/Sales in September 2010. In this role, Wayne’s mission is to leverage the collective and considerable experience and success of all Raycom stations to generate greater local and national revenues, across all broadcast and digital platforms. Prior to joining Raycom, Wayne was a 17-year veteran of Gannett Broadcasting, where he served as VP Business Development from 2001-2010. His Gannett career began in 1983, when he joined WXIA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Atlanta, as National Sales Manager. From 1983 to 2001, he also served as WXIA’s Local Sales Manager and VP/General Sales Manager. Wayne began his career in 1977 as a member of the first-ever Sales Associate Training Program for Blair TV, and worked as an AE and Sales Manager for Blair in Chicago, Minneapolis, and New York from 1977-1983.

From 1991-2001, Wayne left broadcasting for the Atlanta-based 700-store national photo retail chain Wolf Camera, serving as Exec VP/Chief Marketing Officer. In this position, he oversaw Wolf Camera’s in-house retail advertising operations, including media and creative activity in newspapers, radio, television, outdoor, and the Internet – in more than 100 media markets nationwide.

Wayne is a 1977 magna cum laude graduate of Northwestern University. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children. He is a past Board Member of the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB), the American Cancer Society, the Atlanta Jewish Federation, and is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Atlanta, and past commissioner of the East Marietta Basketball Association, as well as a number of other charitable and community activities. Wayne is a classically-trained concert pianist, and his other hobbies include jogging, coaching Little League Sports, and being with his family.

David Folsom

Vice President, Chief Technology Officer

With rapidly changing technology facing over-the-air broadcasting, Dave Folsom joined Raycom Media as Vice President - Technology in 1997 to guide the company as it moved into the era of digital broadcasting.

Dave Folsom has been in broadcasting and engineering management for well over thirty years. His television-engineering career began with the design of broadcast equipment for a major microwave equipment manufacturer. Later, he accepted his first broadcasting position at Boston's WGBH-TV that ultimately led to becoming the Chief Engineer of their daytime programming service, the 21 Inch Classroom.

Later, Dave joined Sony Corporation, as it's first Broadcasting Sales Engineer. His term at Sony was during the initial explosive growth of electronic newsgathering that was made possible by the rapid development of high quality small format tape machines.

He then became Director of Operations and Engineering of Boston's ABC affiliate, WCVB-TV. During his tenure at this station, the facility was completely remodeled and a major studio was added. After nearly 20 years in Boston, he accepted the position of Director of Operations of the NBC affiliate, WCNC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina. His talents there were utilized in the rebuilding of their new studio facilities as well as the new facilities of the NBC News Channel. Since completion of that project, he has also been responsible for the award-winning designs of Broadcast House of WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island, the Providence Journal Washington News Bureau, Northwest Cable News and the KING-TV newsrooms in Seattle, facilities of KHNL in Honolulu, as well as of the America's Health Network in Orlando, Florida.

He is the holder of two television equipment patents and has served on two of the FCC's committees that advised the FCC on the implementation of the High Definition Television Standard.

Dave resides presently in Montgomery, Alabama, the home city for Raycom Media with his Computer Engineer spouse of over 40 years, Kathleen.

Pat LaPlatney

Vice President, Digital Media/Business Development

Pat LaPlatney joined Raycom Media in August 2007. He oversees the digital media business with responsibilities for the TV websites, digital spectrum opportunities, and other emerging-market platforms. LaPlatney also has management oversight of Raycom Sports.

This is LaPlatney’s second tour with Raycom, having spent eight years with Raycom Sports, departing there as Senior Vice-President of Programming and Distribution in 1997. While at Raycom Sports he had oversight responsibility for distribution, programming, the events group and business development.

In 1997 LaPlatney joined Metro Networks as an Officer and Senior Vice-President of Television and New Media, charged with re-launching Metro’s Television traffic business. Within three years, Metro-TV was an eight-figure (cash flow) business and had launched the first Traffic website. In 2000 Westwood One acquired Metro Networks. LaPlatney eventually left Westwood as Executive Vice-President for TV and Digital Media in 2006.

LaPlatney spent the early part of his career with Blair Television as an Account Executive and Sales Manager in the Atlanta office. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Accounting. He and his wife, Karen, have four sons, and reside in Montgomery AL.

Billy McDowell

Vice President, Research

Billy McDowell joined Raycom in February 2004 to oversee all research related activities for the Raycom owned television stations. Previously he spent over 14 years with NBC in the Television Stations Division working in WTVJ – Miami, WNBC – New York, and for the last 7 years as Vice President, Research of the stations division. His responsibilities included the 14 NBC Owned and Operated stations, the 15 Telemundo Owned and Operated stations and the NBC National Sales Organization. His past experience also includes sales, marketing and research roles at WTLV and WJKS in Jacksonville.

McDowell currently serves as Chairman for the Media Rating Council Board and the Executive Board. He is an active member of the Council for Research Excellence. He is also on COLTAM (Committee on Local Television Audience Measurement) through the NAB and the Nielsen Policy Guidelines Committee where he has previously served as Chairman and co-Chairman respectively. He received a BA from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and a MS degree in Media Management from The Florida State University. He also completed extensive post-graduate work in marketing at Nova University in Ft. Lauderdale.

Susana Schuler

Vice President, News

Susana Schuler joined Raycom Media in February 2006 to oversee Raycom Media’s growing group of news operations. Schuler is responsible for oversight of the product, people, ratings, research, content and community involvement of the news operations. Prior to coming aboard Schuler was VP/Corporate News Director for Nexstar Broadcasting Group in Irving, Texas for 9 years with oversight of that company’s 27 news operations across the country. Prior to joining Nexstar Schuler served in News Management roles in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Texas as well as anchor, reporter, producer and assignment manager roles in Texas and Pennsylvania.

Schuler is a Cum Laude graduate of Texas Christian University with a BS degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Business. She is an active member of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). She is currently a Board member of the Broadcast Advisory Board of the Associated Press. Schuler also has served on advisory boards for the University of North Texas, Ball State University and Eastern Illinois University. Schuler also volunteers for the American Cancer Society, Race for the Cure and the American Red Cross. In 2002 Broadcasting & Cable Magazine named Schuler one of the Next Wave of Women in Communications to watch in the future. She is a first generation American born to Chilean parents. As a news woman she has the dubious distinction of giving birth to her daughter on September 11, 2001. Schuler, her husband Ray Willingham and younger daughter Monica live in Montgomery, Alabama. Their older daughter, son-in-law and grandson are now part of the U.S. Army thanks to her son-in-law’s enlistment in 2010.

David Burke

Vice President, Chief Information Officer

David Burke joined Raycom Media as the Director of MIS in September, 1997. David served as an officer in the United States Air Force and then held various IT related positions in private industry prior to joining the company. David’s last position prior to Raycom Media was Director of Communications and Client Support for KinderCare Learning Centers, Inc., the country’s largest childcare provider. David was promoted to VP, CIO on January 1, 2011.

David graduated from The Citadel in 1983 with a degree in Mathematics. David earned an M.B.A. from the University of West Florida in 1986. David serves as an executive committee member of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail of Alabama, and the Director of Technology for the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic. David has been engaged in a number of IT industry and professional associations over his career.