John Cardenas Named President/General Manager Of WBNS-10TV

Michael J. Fiorile, CEO and President of The Dispatch Printing Company and Vice Chairman/CEO of Dispatch Broadcast Group today announced John Cardenas has been named President and General Manager of WBNS-10TV and Vice President of News for Dispatch Broadcast Group.  Cardenas will replace the retiring station president Tom Griesdorn on June 10 and returns to the station where Cardenas had been News Director.

"John has done an outstanding job in both Indianapolis and Columbus over the past 14 years," said Fiorile. "His leadership, outstanding record of success and passion for journalism make him the perfect choice to take the reins of market-leader WBNS-TV.  We are thrilled that John will be returning to Columbus where I’m sure he will build upon the market leadership of 10TV and will take the executive lead of our broadcast news operations in Columbus and Indianapolis."

Cardenas, 48, joined the executive ranks of Dispatch Broadcast Group in 1999.  He was News Director at WBNS-10TV for 11 years.  He was transferred to WTHR-TV, the company’s NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, and WALV (The SkyTrak Weather Network) in June of 2010 where he began as the station’s Vice President and General Manager before being named President last year.  During Cardenas’ tenure in Columbus and Indianapolis, the stations consistently ranked number one in every major newscast time period year after year.  

“I’ve been privileged to work with some of the nation’s best broadcasters and TV journalists during my time in Indianapolis and Columbus,” said Cardenas.  “It’s an honor to come back home to Columbus, yet still be involved in the award-winning journalism being done at both stations.”  

The national Broadcasting and Cable magazine named Cardenas its 2011 “Local TV Executive of the Year.”  

In terms of other awards won during Cardenas’ tenure:
•    WTHR earned numerous local, regional and national awards including the National Edward R. Murrow for Overall Excellence, two George Foster Peabody awards and the prestigious duPont-Columbia award for investigative journalism.  
•    Cardenas was News Director in Columbus when the station won the national Edward R. Murrow award for Best Newscast in the country in 2008. WBNS-TV has been recognized with more than 20 Edward R. Murrow awards and dozens of regional Emmy awards in a variety of categories. Cardenas himself won three Emmys.

Prior to working for Dispatch Broadcast Group, John was also news director at KPHO in Phoenix (1996-1999) and held other news management positions at stations in San Diego and Norfolk, Virginia.

Cardenas was born in La Paz, Bolivia, and is fluent in both English and Spanish.  He and his wife, Nancy, have two children.