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.
The FOX stations are industry leaders based on the growth and success of locally produced programming, which have more than doubled under Mr. Abernethy’s leadership, with nearly 1,000 hours of local news every week. He is directly responsible for the creation of the national network, MyNetworkTV, currently in its 12th season and has led the success of syndicated programs, such as Dr. Oz, TMZ, Page Six TV and Divorce Court.
From August 2016 through May 2018, Mr. Abernethy served as Co-President of FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network. In this role, he oversaw all business components of both networks, including finance, advertising sales, legal and distribution units. In addition, he led an overhaul of the executive team, hiring new management in advertising sales, finance and human resources.
In October 2018, Mr. Abernethy was awarded Broadcasting & Cable’s “Broadcaster of the Year” and TVNewsCheck named FTS “TV Station Group 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 was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2012. Mr. Abernethy currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Television Program Executives.
Mr. Abernethy served as the Executive Vice President of FOX News from 1996-2004, where he was integral to the successful launch of the channel. Before joining FOX, Mr. Abernethy had a distinguished 15-year career with NBC, where he held a variety of executive finance management positions for the NBC Television Stations division, driving CNBC’s early growth as VP of Finance and Operations.
Mr. Abernethy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Georgetown, and received his MBA from NYU.