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ION Media Networks, Inc. owns and operates the largest U.S. broadcast television station group and ION Television, the country’s only independent broadcast television network. The Company owns 59 of its 60 full-power broadcast television stations, including stations in each of the top 20 U.S. markets and 39 of the top 50.





BRANDON BURGESS
Chairman and CEO
ION Media Networks

Brandon Burgess is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ION Media Networks, Inc., owner of the largest U.S. broadcast television station group, and the ION Television network, the last remaining independent broadcast television network. Since joining ION in November 2005, Mr. Burgess has engineered a series of forward-thinking initiatives to position the Company for growth. This includes a successful recapitalization and privatization, substantially enhancing the Company’s financial flexibility to pursue operational and strategic development.

On the TV network side, Mr. Burgess has formed strategic relationships with leading content suppliers of popular TV series and feature films, securing marquis off-net acquisitions, as well as theatrical and made-for-TV movies, and evolving ION Television into a “Positively Entertaining” general entertainment network aimed at a desirable 25-54 demographic. He has launched a diversity initiative using the ION Television platform to encourage production and exhibition of multicultural programming.

Mr. Burgess has positioned ION Media as a leader in digital broadcasting, using the Company’s nationwide digital terrestrial spectrum assets to extend the ION Television product offering. He led the formation of a joint venture among ION, Scholastic, Corus Entertainment, Classic Media and NBC Universal to launch qubo, a television and multimedia network devoted to children, focusing on literacy and positive values. ION’s digital initiatives also include ION Life, the country’s first multicast network dedicated to active living and personal growth.

On the technology front, Mr. Burgess spearheaded the industry’s effort to enable mobile reception for digital TV (DTV) broadcasting in the U.S. Working with broadcasters and trade associations representing over 800 television stations, he formed the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) to advocate a unified mobile technology standard for DTV spectrum. ION Media is leading the charge in major markets nationwide, trialing mobile DTV technology that will enable broadcasters to deliver live, over-the-air digital television to next-generation mobile devices.

In addition to his role as OMVC President, Mr. Burgess is the TV Network Representative on the National Association of Broadcasters Television Board of Directors and is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a member of its first class of “Young Global Leaders.” He also has been honored with Broadcasting & Cable magazine's Technology Leadership Award.

Prior to joining ION, Mr. Burgess was the head of Business Development and Global Strategy for NBC Universal, where he was credited with evolving the NBC broadcast network into an integrated global multimedia company. He was the architect of NBC‘s acquisition of Universal Entertainment, creating NBC Universal. Other accomplishments include the restructuring of Rainbow Media, resulting in NBC’s acquisition of Bravo, its first cable entertainment channel. As co-head of the NBC Affiliates Futures Committee, he emphasized digital growth among NBC-affiliated station groups, resulting in the NBCOlympics.com online venture with over 200 stations, as well as NBC Weather Plus, the first U.S. digital broadcast network in a network-affiliate partnership. In prior positions, Mr. Burgess worked in Corporate Strategy for PepsiCo and in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs.

Raised and educated in Germany, Mr. Burgess is a graduate of the European Business School and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Palm Beach, Florida with his wife, Saira, and their daughter, Elsa.