PORTLAND, Ore. — Greg Retsinas has been named president and general manager at KGW effective June 3, TEGNA announced on Tuesday.
Retsinas will be responsible for the station’s operations across all platforms, as well as community outreach efforts and driving results for advertisers.
A seasoned industry veteran with experience leading content, digital and sales strategy, Retsinas was most recently news director at KGW for the past five years, leading the content team through one of the most active and tumultuous stretches of news in Portland’s history. Under his leadership, KGW employed a digital-first strategy, producing continued growth on digital and streaming platforms and creating innovative content, documentary, and investigative storytelling, as well as forming numerous successful community partnerships. KGW has launched several new shows during his tenure, including the award-winning “The Story,” an in-depth weeknight examination of local issues.
Prior to serving as news director, Retsinas was director of digital strategy, serving as the chief digital content and sales lead for the station from 2017-2019. In this role, he oversaw KGW’s digital revenue strategy focusing on sales programs and initiatives, digital products, team training and client-facing pitching. He also concurrently served as a regional digital director for TEGNA from 2018-2019, overseeing the digital content strategy and operations for eight TEGNA stations in the western U.S. region. From 2014-2017, he was director of digital media at KGW, overseeing digital news reporting produced by an 80-person newsroom. Prior to joining TEGNA in 2014, Retsinas worked in print and digital newsrooms for two decades, including 15 years with The New York Times Company in reporting and management positions.
“Greg’s leadership at KGW has been distinguished by integrity, curiosity and accountability, qualities that have garnered the unwavering respect of the KGW team,” said Mark Cornetta, senior vice president, media operations, TEGNA and president and general manager, KUSA. “His experience and commitment to serving the unique community that is Portland coupled with a proven track record of results make him the ideal steward to lead KGW into the future.”
Added Retsinas, “I am honored and excited to take on this leadership role at KGW, a station with a proven legacy of serving our community through our news, advertising, and community solutions. Along with our talented team, I am proud to continue to help make a positive impact for those we serve. Innovation and authenticity have been our station’s hallmarks for decades, and as we look ahead, I’m eager to build on that success and lead the KGW team in creating a new, exciting future.”
Retsinas is a graduate of Brown University in Rhode Island where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He is an active mentor to veterans transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce. Previously, he was co-chair of the Online News Association’s Portland chapter and faculty member of the New York Times’ Student Journalism Institute.
