TYSONS, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) today announced the appointment of Alex Tolston as senior vice president and chief legal officer, effective immediately. Tolston will serve as a member of the company’s leadership team, reporting to CEO Mike Steib.
As chief legal officer, Tolston will lead the company’s legal department and oversee all legal functions across a broad range of disciplines including corporate governance, content creation and distribution, regulatory, ethics and compliance, M&A, capital markets, and litigation and support TEGNA’s long-term direction and growth.
Previously, Tolston was executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Hemisphere Media Group, a U.S.-based publicly traded media company targeting the high growth Spanish-language streaming, broadcast television and cable networks business in the U.S. and Latin America.
At Hemisphere, Tolston executed the company’s growth strategy, including M&A, joint venture and sale transactions. This included the acquisition of three U.S. cable networks, two Latin American cable networks, a joint venture to create the #3 national broadcast network in Colombia, and a joint venture to create the leading Hispanic premium subscription service in the U.S, and subsequent buyout of its joint venture partner. He was instrumental in steering Hemisphere’s intellectual property strategy, including license agreements with leading U.S. and international entertainment companies and sports media rights agreements with the NBA, MLB, and professional soccer and basketball leagues in Latin America. Tolston was an integral part of a complex public sale process completed in 2022.
“Alex is a sharp lawyer and a battle-tested public company leader with a real passion for serving local communities,” said Mike Steib. “He’s going to be a great addition to our team.”
Tolston said, “TEGNA is a best-in-class operator of television stations in more than 50 markets in the U.S., delivering high quality journalism to households across America. It is not surprising that a significant majority of viewers continue to consume local news daily, which they view as a trusted source of information. I look forward to partnering with Mike, the leadership team and Board to build on TEGNA’s brands and audience.”
Before joining Hemisphere, Tolston practiced law in the corporate department at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and was counsel to Hemisphere in its initial public offering. He began his career at Bear, Stearns & Co., Inc.
Tolston holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Tulane University and a J.D., magna cum laude, from New York Law School. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Law School Alumni Association and sits on the Newcomb-Tulane College Dean’s Advisory Council at Tulane University.
About TEGNA
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) serves local communities across the U.S. through trustworthy journalism, engaging content, and tools that help people navigate their daily lives. Through customized marketing solutions, we help businesses grow and thrive. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA reaches approximately 100 million people every month across the web, mobile apps, streaming, and linear television. For more information, visit TEGNA.com.
