• by Wayne Friedman , April 10, 2018

Frank Friedman -- who had been president of local investment at Publicis Media -- will join E.W. Scripps, the local TV station group company, in a new role as vice president of consumer engagement for local media.

Friedman has been a key instigator in pushing local TV stations groups toward more automation -- programmatic platforms in particular -- to help solve local TV’s long-criticized systems around selling and buying local TV advertising.

He has said that rapid change is necessary for local TV to gain a larger share of brands’ advertising dollars while competing for digital dollars.

As CEO ZenithOptimedia Canada, Friedman saw the agency develop the first fully transparent automated trading desk in the country. Friedman spent 15 years in senior positions at Publicis and 30 years overall in advertising.

In his role at Scripps, Friedman will oversee Scripps’ local media brands. He will manage teams, including analytics, marketing and creative, and head up testing and implementation of the growing automated advertising systems.

E.W. Scripps owns 33 TV stations, as well as Newsy, a national news network; podcast company Midroll Media; and local digitally based TV networks networks Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff.