ROBERT W. DECHERD
Robert Decherd is Chief Executive Officer of A. H. Belo Corporation. A. H. Belo Corporation owns and operates The Dallas Morning News, Texas' leading newspaper and winner of eight Pulitzer Prizes; the Denton Record-Chronicle; The Providence Journal, the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the U. S. and winner of four Pulitzer Prizes; and The Press-Enterprise, serving southern California's Inland Empire region and winner of one Pulitzer Prize. A. H. Belo's newspapers and related assets spun off in February 2008 from Belo Corp., which Decherd led as CEO for the prior 21 years. A. H. Belo owns and manages various Web sites associated with the newspapers, as well as certain niche products, direct mail and commercial printing businesses. The Company manages Belo Interactive Media and a business development organization that brings forward new product ideas and investment opportunities for both A. H. Belo and Belo Corp. A. H. Belo had annual revenue of approximately $637 million in 2008 and carries minimal debt, making it one of the least leveraged pure play newspaper companies in the country. The Dallas Morning News, The Providence Journal and The Press-Enterprise have total combined circulation of 593,000 daily and 793,000 Sunday. The total audience reach of the three newspapers is 3.8 million when the Company's online businesses are included. The Dallas Morning News is the 10th largest daily newspaper in America and the 12th largest Sunday, based on circulation. Decherd has worked for A. H. Belo Corporation and Belo Corp. since his graduation from Harvard College in 1973. During his years as Belo Corp.'s CEO, the Company grew in revenue from $397 million to $1.6 billion. Net income grew from $20 million to more than $130 million. The Company's three major newspapers and 20 television stations, including six in the top 14 markets, have won 13 Pulitzer Prizes, 25 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, 22 George Foster Peabody Awards and 35 national Edward R. Murrow Awards the most prestigious journalistic awards in the newspaper publishing and television businesses. A. H. Belo Corporation's Web sites have been recognized as some of the leading sites supported by legacy media companies, and in 2008, generated $47 million in revenue and approximately 700 million page views. Industry Activities Aside from his corporate duties, Decherd has played a significant role in the newspaper and television broadcasting industries, and in freedom of information organizations. He has served on the boards of the Newspaper Association of America and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, which he helped found, as well being appointed to Presidential and FCC commissions concerned with television industry issues. He is currently one of 15 members of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. Decherd received the James Madison Award from the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas in 1989 and the Freedom of Speech Award from the Media Institute in 1998. He was recognized as "American Newspaper Executive of the Year" in 1985 by AdWeek magazine and received the Mayborn Award for Community Leadership from the Texas Daily Newspaper Association in 1997. Civic Activities Decherd has played a prominent role in Dallas civic affairs for three decades, with an emphasis on education and inclusiveness, and a leading role in city and urban planning issues. In 1988, he was named an Honorary Member of the Texas Society of Architects for distinguished service in Dallas over time, and received an American Institute of Architects "Citation of Honor" in 1981 for his work to establish the Dallas Arts District in Downtown Dallas. He has chaired or organized numerous civic initiatives promoting city and urban planning, including the creation of The Dallas Plan in 1991, and chaired or co-chaired three concurrent planning efforts from 2003-2005 that resulted in a comprehensive physical plan for the center city of Dallas. At his urging, The Dallas Morning News has played a consistent and aggressive role in similar efforts, including two major studies conducted by outside experts hired by The Morning News in 1990 and 2000, and a broader assessment of Dallas city government with outside experts hired by the newspaper in 2004. Career Milestones Decherd orchestrated a series of acquisitions that substantially changed Belo Corp.'s asset base beginning in 1981. The Company's $606 million acquisition of the Corinthian Broadcast Group from The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation in 1983 was the largest television acquisition in history at the time. Belo purchased WWL-TV in New Orleans, Louisiana (1991); The Providence Journal Company (1997); and, The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise Company (1998). The $1.8 billion dollar acquisition of The Providence Journal Company solidified Belo's position as one of America's premier newsgathering and advertising sales organizations. The spin-off of A. H. Belo Corporation in 2008 is an industry-leading initiative aimed at achieving shareholder value and operational focus in a market environment that no longer supports the convergence strategy Belo Corp. and other hybrid group operators pursued over the prior three decades. Decherd has served on the board of directors of Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 1996 and from 2004-2008, was Kimberly-Clark's lead director and chairman of its executive committee. He also serves on the Advisory Council of the Center for Ethics at Harvard University and has been a member of the Graduate Council of The Harvard Crimson since 1973. As a former president of The Crimson (1972-73), Decherd has been one of that newspaper's strongest advocates and financial supporters. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors of the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. |
