Tribune Company announced today that it has appointed a new president and CEO, effective immediately. The job is being taken by Eddy Hartenstein, who has been co-president of Tribune since October.Hartenstein will oversee all of the company’s operations.Said Tribune Chairman Sam Zell: “The board feels strongly that it is in Tribune’s best interests to have one person providing strategic vision and day-to-day direction for the company and its employees as we prepare to emerge from the Chapter 11 process. Eddy is a gifted executive—he knows our operations, understands how technology is changing the media industry, and can help the company capitalize on those changes to continue achieving meaningful financial results.”Hartenstein has also been publisher and CEO of Los Angeles Times Communications, LLC, since August 2008. He will continue to hold those positions, with assistance from Kathy Thomson, who was appointed to the newly created position of president and chief operating officer of the Times.“Tribune’s unique mix of broadcasting, publishing and digital assets, along with its forward-looking technology group, positions the company well for success,” said Hartenstein. “I’m also being given the honor of overseeing tremendously talented, experienced employees who, along with our assets and the high quality of our news-gathering organizations, give us important competitive advantages in the media industry.”The company also announced that the four-member Executive Council, which has exercised the responsibilities of the Office of the Chief Executive and President since October 2010, has been dissolved.
