Michael P. Ryan of Avon, Conn., a broadcasting executive with more than 25 years in the sports industry, has been named the President of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association (CBA). The appointment of Ryan, 53, as President is effective immediately.
Mike Rice, the Connecticut Broadcasters Association’s longtime President, has been appointed Vice President to ensure a smooth transition of management responsibilities. Rice, a former radio station owner and broadcast engineer, will retire from the association at the end of 2013.
“Today, television and radio broadcasters face exciting new opportunities and challenges and Michael Ryan will provide the leadership to move our membership forward,” explains Klarn DePalma, Chair of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association, and Senior Vice President and General Manager of WFSB-TV 3 (Hartford/New Haven, Conn.) and WSHM-TV (Springfield, Mass.). “His extensive experience and knowledge of the business of broadcasting will be invaluable to us in the years ahead.”
Ryan most recently was Vice President, Programming & Acquisitions for ESPN and ESPN Radio. At ESPN, he was responsible for the acquisition and implementation of multimedia rights to major sports properties, such as Major League Baseball, Little League Baseball, and Grand Slam Tennis. He also served on ESPN committees for internships, hiring, and charitable outreach, and was an active participant in ESPN’s mentoring and development programs.
Prior to working at ESPN, Ryan was a Vice President with Prime Network, a sports content provider that was a joint venture between Cablevision and Liberty Media. Before Prime Network, Ryan was with the New York Mets, where he oversaw the Mets’ television, radio, cable, and video interests.
Michael Ryan’s connection to broadcasting dates back to the 1960’s when his father engineered high school basketball broadcasts for WMNB-AM in Western Massachusetts. He did on-air work for his high school and college radio stations, and was Sports Information Director at his Alma mater, Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., before pursuing a career in media.
Ryan lives in Avon with his wife, Kirsten, and two children, and is the President of the Avon Little League.
Since its establishment in 1955, the Connecticut Broadcasters Association has been a respected industry leader in legal, governmental, education and community issues on both the State and National levels. Members include broadcast TV stations, radio stations, vendors and companies with a business interest in broadcasting, educational facilities, and individuals with involvement in the broadcasting industry.
In January 2013, the members of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association partnered with the three state affiliates of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in a landmark statewide effort to recruit mentors for local youth. Member radio and TV stations also participate in public service campaigns supporting the work of the Connecticut National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Connecticut Department of Public Safety’s Office of Statewide Emergency Telecommunications – Emergency Alert System (EAS) and AMBER Alert programs. The Connecticut Broadcasters Association sponsors annual scholarship fund campaigns for high school and college students pursuing careers in broadcasting and member stations donate more than $500,000 in broadcast time to promote the scholarships.
For more information about the Connecticut Broadcasters Association, visit www.ctba.org or call (860) 633-5031. CBA’s administrative offices are located at 90 South Park Street in Willimantic, Conn. 06226.
