Forecast 2025 Presenters

Jack Abernethy has served as CEO of FOX Television Stations (FTS) since 2004, overseeing Fox Corporation’s 28 owned and operated stations in some of the nation’s largest television markets. From August 2016 through May 2018, Abernethy served as Co-President of FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network. In October 2018, Abernethy was named Broadcasting & Cable’s Broadcaster of the Year. In both 2017 and 2018, he was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s “35 Most Powerful People in New York Media,” and he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2012.  Abernethy served as the Executive Vice President of FOX News from 1996-2004.  Before joining FOX, he had a distinguished 15-year career with NBC.

Liz Alesse became the vice president of ABC Audio, overseeing ABC News Radio and ABC News podcasts along with entertainment content, in May 2022. She has spent nearly 10 years with ABC, serving in multiple roles for the network, including five years in various producing positions before ascending to management. Prior to joining ABC Audio, Alesse was the supervising producer for ABC’s White House and Capitol Hill unit. She joined ABC News in 2015, overseeing show production and operations at This Week with George Stephanopoulos while also participating in management of the team and serving as an interim EP. She has also previously worked for WGBH and NECN in Boston, and Time Warner Cable in Albany, NY. Alesse has been named one of Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Radio and appeared on the cover of the May 2004 MIW issue of the magazine.

Matt Britton is a world-renowned expert on the impact of tomorrow’s consumer on the leading brands of today. Over the past two decades, he has provided invaluable consultation to more than half of the Fortune 500 on the influence and impact of Millennials and Gen Z. Currently at the helm of Suzy, a pioneering consumer intelligence platform, Britton has facilitated a radical transformation in how brands garner real-time feedback. Since 2016, under his leadership, Suzy has garnered over $100 million in venture capital from prominent investors such as The Foundry Group, Bertelsmann Digital Media, H.I.G Capital, Tribeca Venture Partners, fashion mogul Kenneth Cole, and NBA superstar Kevin Durant. Global leaders such as Netflix, Coca-Cola, P&G, J&J, Citibank, Verizon, Nintendo, and Nestle count on Suzy to validate critical assumptions, conceive compelling new products, and construct effective marketing strategies. In addition to his impressive corporate achievements, Matt is also the author of the NY Times best-selling book YouthNation.

Tom Castro is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of El Dorado Capital, a Houston-based boutique investment firm, and a part-time Operating Partner of the Pinto America Growth Fund, LP, a private equity firm that focuses on Hispanic consumers. He serves as an advisor to senior executives of Wal-Mart Inc. and Nielsen Holdings plc. Castro is recognized for his pioneering work in the broadcasting and marketing fields. He founded and managed six companies in the media, consumer Internet, marketing services, and energy export sectors. He has raised more than $350 million of capital for his businesses that have operated throughout the U.S. and in Latin America. With a partner, Castro bought his first radio station at the age of 25, making him the youngest radio station owner in the U.S. at the time.

Brian Comiskey is the Senior Director of Innovation and Trends and resident futurist at the Consumer Technology Association, charting how technology will shape tomorrow. Comiskey is responsible for the thematic stock indexes developed and maintained by CTA and Nasdaq as a part of a more than decade-long partnership. Covering a variety of sectors including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, gaming, and robotics, Comiskey and his team manage a portfolio of 18 thematic indexes with more than 20 products and $13 billion in assets under management, tracking these indexes across listings in more than a dozen countries. Prior to joining CTA, Comiskey worked in media strategy and tech policy consulting for the private and public sectors.

Lucas Cridland is CEO of BMG360, a full-service performance marketing agency. He has spent his entire 30-year career in the media and marketing sector, predominantly working for media agencies, but also has experience with broadcasters as well as a technology provider to the advertising industry. He is a UK native but has experience at both the global and local levels, having held senior leadership positions in the UK and China. He has spent the last nine years working in the U.S., as well as more than 10 years in global positions. Cridland is a passionate advocate for broadcast as a medium and believes that the word “and” fits better between “broadcast” — “digital” than the word “or.”

Barry N. Fisher began his career at WFMZ-TV in Allentown, PA, in 1976, and became  Director of Engineer in 1978, overseeing WFMZ-TV, WFMZ-FM and Lehigh Valley Page. In 1984, he was one of the founding partners of New Century Productions, a provider of television production trucks serving the network television industry nationwide. In 1997 he was named President and General Manager of WFMZ-TV and oversaw the expansion of the TV station as well as New Century Productions. In 2007, New Century Productions merged with NEP Productions of Pittsburgh, the largest provider of television production trucks in the world, and he served on its Board of Directors until December 31, 2012. Fisher also serves as the Vice President of MBC Grand Communications, which owns a group of radio stations in Colorado. He is an SBE Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer.

Jeff Haley is the principal at CometPartners, a growth advisory firm working across media and technology. He most recently reported to the Chairman at Cox Media Group, working on corporate development efforts there from 2020-2024. He was CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau from 2005-2012, and CEO and then Vice Chairman of Marketron from 2012 to 2022. Since 2018 Haley has been actively engaged in M&A and credit transactions with a variety of financial firms for broadcasting and other media.

Lee Harris anchored mornings on all-news 1010 WINS/New York for almost 30 years. For much of that time, he was the most listened-to radio newscaster in the nation. He worked on-air and in management at KTAR/Phoenix, KMOX/St. Louis, and Tribune Radio Networks/WGN in Chicago before becoming a station owner-operator in Wisconsin.  At 1010 WINS he led the station’s early web efforts, overseeing the first build of 1010wins.com. Creating software he needed for his own work at 1010 WINS led to the launch of Harris Media, which provides software and services to stations around the world. He has helped launch news radio stations in Moscow and Kiev and has served as a consultant to stations in China, Germany, Canada, and Latvia. Harris is now New York Bureau Chief and Director of Integrated Operations for Nexstar’s NewsNation and WGN Radio, overseeing audio content, narrating NewsNation specials, guiding news writing and storytelling, and hosting his own weekly segment “The 2:22.”

Michael J. Hayes was promoted to senior vice president of Hearst and president of Hearst Television in May 2023. He came to the New York corporate office in 2013 after two decades of success in numerous leadership positions. He moved into the role of executive vice president in 2017 and deputy group head and chief operating officer in January 2022. As a Hearst Television station executive, Hayes served as president and general manager at WTAE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, beginning in March 2011. Before WTAE, Hayes was for eight years president and general manager of Hearst’s WYFF-TV, the NBC affiliate in the Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, television market. Hayes began his broadcast television career as a sportscaster and producer at WISH-TV, at the time the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis.

Fred Jacobs started Jacobs Media when he had the notion there was a big opportunity for a radio format focusing on the greatest rock ’n’ roll from the ’60s and ’70s. Jacobs has led the growth of Jacobs Media, built on innovation, as a respected company and a brand throughout the industry, and he continues to “walk the walk” of innovation and transformation. In 2017, Fred and his brother Paul launched it CES CEO Tours, working with the Consumer Technology Association to create radio-centric tours of the biggest trade show in America. Jacobs is a frequent speaker at industry events and conventions and has been honored with many awards including induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.

Curtis LeGeyt is President/CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, involved in all aspects of NAB’s work on behalf of free, local television and radio broadcasters. He previously served as NAB’s EVP/Government Relations and COO. During his time at NAB, LeGeyt has led several successful efforts to advocate for laws that strengthen broadcasters’ ability to innovate and serve their communities. This includes permanent reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), inclusion of $1 billion in RAY BAUM’s Act to reimburse stations impacted by the spectrum auction repack, and successful passage of the Music Modernization Act. Before joining the NAB, LeGeyt served as the senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, advising Leahy and the committee on intellectual property, antitrust, and First Amendment issues.

DuJuan A. McCoy, owner, President, and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting, is a 35+ year broadcaster who has owned and operated TV stations since 2007, including Big 4, independent, CW, and MyNet-affiliated TV stations throughout the U.S.  He currently owns WISH-TV CW (News) and WNDY MyNet in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. McCoy is an active member of the broadcasting industry currently serving on the NAB Television Board and as Chairman of the NAB Leadership Foundation Board, and is on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB).

Randy Michaels describes himself as a “mediocre broadcast technician who has dabbled in programming, management, and station ownership. He has been attributable in more U.S. broadcast licenses than anyone else and therefore has extensive experience in guessing what stations might be worth.” As CEO of Jacor Communications, he led one of the nation’s most successful radio groups, both in ratings and revenue, selling the company to Clear Channel in 1999, where he remained as CEO until 2002. He later served as executive vice president of the Chicago-based Tribune Company and CEO of Interactive and Broadcasting operations as part of the management restructuring following Tribune Company’s privatization. Michaels is the sole proprietor of Radioactive, LLC; a holding company for radio broadcast licenses.

Justin Nielson is a Principal Analyst with Kagan, a media research group within S&P Global Market Intelligence, covering the broadcast, networks, sports, digital audio, and streaming video sectors. Nielson leads a team of 30+ research analysts creating qualitative analysis, quantitative forecast models, event-driven articles, and trend reports published on the S&P CapIQ Pro platform. His 17+ years of industry experience and knowledge have made Nielson a frequently quoted analyst in numerous trade publications as well as such national press as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNBC, and Bloomberg. He has been a panelist, presenter, and moderator for industry conferences and investor summits such as the NAB Show, Wells Fargo Media & Telecom Summit, Radio Ink Forecast, and the Kagan Media Summit. Prior to Kagan, Nielson worked as a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch and an Investment Representative at Edward Jones in Carlsbad, CA.

Nicole Ovadia serves as BIA Advisory’s Vice President Forecasting & Analysis. In that capacity, she focuses on overseeing the forecasting process across all local media segments. Additionally, Ovadia helps with strategic and financial consulting projects by providing insights and analysis on broadcasting and digital trends. Ovadia began her career as the Editor of Inside Radio before a five-year stint in finance working for BNP Paribas, where she focused on operations. Missing media, she then spent 14 years at Emmis Communications at the corporate level in the Strategy Group focusing on sales and acquisitions, as well as at the local level in New York, where she served as Vice President/Customer Success. From there, Ovadia worked with the New York State Broadcasters Association advocating for New York City radio.

Lou Paskalis is CEO and founder of AJL Advisory, a consultancy focused on helping marketers improve their business narrative and tech companies better understand marketers’ needs.  He also serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Ad Fontes Media, a public benefit company dedicated to restoring advertisers’ investments in reaching news audiences with a unique technology that allows them to measure, monitor, and mitigate bias and reliability. Paskalis sits on the advisory boards of Snapchat and VOX and is active with the Association of National Advertisers and Trustworthy Accountability Group. Previously he was President and COO of MMA Global, a trade association focused on architecting the future of marketing. Before that Paskalis spent three decades in client-side leadership roles, leading Global Communications Planning, Media Investment, Marketing Data Strategy, and Brand Safety at Bank of America; Media, Content, and Mobile Marketing at American Express; and related roles at E&J Gallo. He is an outspoken champion for marketing innovation, governance, and the advancement of marketing, as well as an advocate for journalism and marketers’ unique responsibility to support news organizations in their defense of truth.

With more than two decades of experience reporting from Washington, Steven Portnoy is one of America’s preeminent audio storytellers.  From every major dateline in DC, he has brought listeners to presidential inaugurals, congressional debates, State of the Union addresses, and Supreme Court oral arguments.  A past president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Portnoy spent seven years covering the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations from the second row of the White House briefing room. Portnoy returned to ABC News — where he began his career in 2002 — in 2023 after more than eight years at CBS News, where he served as a congressional correspondent before reporting from the White House. Over his career, Portnoy has been named a Peter Jennings Fellow by the National Constitution Center, is a recipient of the Bayliss Horizon Award by the John  Bayliss Broadcast Foundation, and took first place in the radio competition at the Hearst Broadcast News Championships.

Andrew Rosen is a Partner/CPA at Miller Kaplan, leading the Media group, which specializes in the operational and financial structures of broadcast and media clients. Beyond working with clients to provide revenue measurement, Rosen also offers audit services within the media and broadcast industries. His knowledge and impact in the media and accounting fields have led to his committee membership in the Media Financial Management Association, in addition to other industry roles.

Kelly Trask is owner of BK Media Solutions/Southern Indiana Radio Network. She discovered her passion for radio while in high school and has since devoted her career to the broadcast industry. She and her late husband, Blair, built a successful business owning and operating five radio stations serving Southern Indiana. After Blair’s passing, Kelly carried on their legacy, expanding the company to include a digital marketing and media solutions division, and she is in the process of establishing a nonprofit foundation honoring her late husband. Most recently, Trask authored the e-book The Next Thing: Moving Forward Without a Map and purchased her first building, which she remodeled into an Airbnb. In addition, she has taught at the college level, volunteered with numerous organizations, and served on various boards for nonprofits, foundations, and committees dedicated to education and community service.

Jose Villafañe is the principal of Costa Media Boston LLC, owner of WFAX-AM and FM translator W264DB. In August 2024, Costa agreed to purchase WCCM-AM and FM translator W279DH, also in the Boston market. Costa has an LMA agreement with WDCN-LD 6, serving the Washington, D.C., marketplace. Additionally, Villafañe is the CEO of Hispanic media rep firm MNA Sales and national Hispanic radio network Nueva Network

Dennis Wharton retired in 2020 as the longest-serving spokesperson in the history of the National Association of Broadcasters. As NAB’s Executive VP of Communications from 1996-2020, Wharton oversaw strategic messaging in defending broadcasters’ Capitol Hill and FCC advocacy efforts with both the national news media and trade press. He also headed the NAB’s Research and NAB Public Service departments. Before joining NAB, Wharton was the Washington bureau chief for Variety and Daily Variety from 1983 to 1996.