Mike Nelson, Longtime CBS Television Stations Communications Executive, to Exit After 22 Years

Mike Nelson, a longtime communications executive for CBS Television Stations, is leaving the network after 22 years.

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“I will be leaving CBS at the end of this month. I believe this is the perfect time for me to spread my wings and pursue my next adventure,” Nelson wrote in announcing his departure. “While my leaving stirs up emotions as I reflect upon how fantastic this experience has been, I’m comforted by how supportive [CBS executives] Wendy McMahon, Lance Frank and Chris Ender have been and knowing that we’re parting company on the absolute best of terms.”

“Every comms leader should have the gift of a Mike Nelson on their team,” said Ender, CBS’ executive VP and head of communications. “He led his area with distinction and accomplishment while serving as a valued communications guide as [division head] Wendy McMahon ushered in important change for our local television stations. At the same time, Mike relished in serving as a utility player across all parts of CBS, sharing his considerable media and writing skills wherever they were needed. The only thing we ever questioned about Mike was who he loved more — CBS or his home-state Green Bay Packers.”

In 2002, Nelson came to CBS as the press rep for the Eye’s Los Angeles O&Os, KCBS and KCAL. Four years later, he was promoted to oversee communications for CBS’s entire local TV group, which was comprised of 39 stations. During his tenure, Nelson worked with no less than seven different heads of CBS Television Stations and more than 60 local general managers around the country.

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Nelson joined CBS after six years with NBC Entertainment, where he served as rating spokesperson during the network’s “Must See TV” era. Nelson oversaw the performance of several of television’s most prolific programs, including “ER,” “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” “Frasier,” “Will & Grace” and “The West Wing.” Over his many years in the TV trenches, Nelson become a respected and well-liked PR executive among the cadre of journalists who cover TV and media.

Some of Nelson’s other accolades include the establishment of the KCAL Yule Log, a continuous broadcast of a roaring fireplace that quickly became a beloved holiday tradition in the greater Los Angeles area. Nelson also served as interim head of communications at CBS Radio for six months before the division was sold off in 2017.

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