Columbus, Ohio - The Dispatch Broadcast Group announced John Cardenas has been named Vice President-General Manager of WTHR-TV, its NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, IN, and SkyTrak Weather. Cardenas, currently the News Director at the company's WBNS-10TV News HD, assumes his new duties on June 1.
John Cardenas is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 23 years experience in broadcast journalism. During his 11 years as 10TV's News Director, the station had been Central Ohio's news leader and #1 in every major newscast time period many times over.
During his tenure, John and his news team garnered several local and national journalism awards. In 2008, the station won the national Edward R. Murrow award for Best Newscast in the country. WBNS-TV has been recognized with more than 20 Edward R. Murrow awards and dozens of regional Emmy awards in a variety of categories. John, himself, won three Emmys.
"As we looked around the country at potential General Managers, we quickly realized that we had one of the highest-caliber candidates at our own Columbus station. We are thrilled that someone with John's abilities and track record will take over the reins of an already successful station," said Michael J. Fiorile, Chief Operating Officer and President of The Dispatch Printing Co. and Vice Chairman/CEO of The Dispatch Broadcast Group. "Since the folks at WTHR-TV are already familiar with John and his accomplishments, the transition will certainly go much more smoothly."
Under Cardenas' leadership, WBNS-TV became the first station in the Columbus market to broadcast its news programs in high definition. John is also credited with helping launch the 24/7 weather channel Doppler 10 Now on WBNS-TV's secondary channel 10.2.
Prior to coming to WBNS-TV, John served as news director at KPHO in Phoenix, Arizona from 1996-1999. He has held other news management positions at TV stations in San Diego and Norfolk, Virginia.
John was born in La Paz, Bolivia, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. John and his wife Nancy have two children and reside in Bexley, Ohio.
