Bonneville International has announced that Darrell Brown will retire as President of the company in August with Tanya Vea rising to President/Chief Operating Officer as of August 1.
Brown has served as President of Bonneville since December 2013 after spending 28 years with McGraw-Hill Broadcasting in various sales and management roles until rising to President of that company following stints as VP/GM of their television stations in Denver and San Diego.
Vea has been with Bonneville since 2010 where she currently serves in the dual role of Executive Vice President of Content and Media Operations and Market Manager for the company’s radio and television properties in Salt Lake City. Prior to joining Bonneville, she spent twelve years at then CBS owned KUTV as a reporter and later News Director and worked at a local advertising agency.
Darrell Brown, the President of Bonneville International Corporation, has announced his retirement beginning August 2023. Tanya Vea is being appointed as Bonneville’s new President and Chief Operating Officer effective August 1, 2023.
Brown’s retirement marks the culmination of a well-respected career spanning decades of leadership in in the broadcast industry. He began his tenure as president of Bonneville in December of 2013. He led the company through multiple deals and acquisitions, including four stations in Denver, four in Sacramento, four in San Francisco, and the KSL Sports Zone in Salt Lake City. Under his direction, Bonneville has maintained the stability of its core broadcast operations while investing in and expanding upon its digital content and advertising capabilities. Brown also demonstrated a willingness to invest significantly in employees, including when he committed publicly to take steps to avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to his time at Bonneville, Brown was president of McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company. His career with McGraw-Hill spanned 28 years where he served in various sales and management roles for ABC and Azteca America television stations, including vice president and general manager roles in San Diego and Denver. During that time Brown also served on the ABC Affiliate Board, including a term as board chairman.
Brown currently serves as board chair for the NAB Leadership Foundation, having previously served on the NAB board of directors. In addition to his business leadership, Brown has consistently provided support to community organizations, including the boards of Primary Children’s Hospital and the Utah Anti-Bullying Coalition. Brown plans to remain in Utah, where he resides with his wife, Lise.
“I’ve loved my time at Bonneville, and it’s not easy to leave, but it’s the right time for me and my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to associate with so many wonderful employees as we’ve worked together to further Bonneville’s mission to be a positive influence on the communities we serve. We’ve grown as a company in our reach and impact, and I know that Tanya [Vea] will take Bonneville to the next level. I’m thrilled for the future of the company under her leadership,” Brown said.
Vea began with Bonneville in 2010 as Vice President of Program Development. She was later promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager overseeing the Salt Lake City market, comprised of radio, digital and TV platforms. Vea has shown great skill in embracing emerging technologies and developing new distribution opportunities, including an industry-leading OTT streaming app for KSL-TV, a company-wide expansion of digital sports offerings, and the KSL Podcast division, which has over 85 million downloads and led to an exclusive podcast distribution deal with Amazon Music. Additionally, she has spearheaded several key deals, including a first of its kind exclusive streaming agreement with MLS team Real Salt Lake. Most recently, Vea was promoted to Executive Vice President of Content and Media Operations, overseeing content strategy for all Bonneville markets, while continuing to oversee all operations for Salt Lake City.
Vea currently serves on the NBC Affiliate Board and on the executive committee. Additionally, her past volunteer work has included positions with the United Way of Salt Lake City and the Utah Governor’s Taskforce on Suicide Prevention. Prior to her time with Bonneville, Vea worked in advertising and public relations and in various news management positions, including news director for KUTV, which was a CBS owned and operated station at the time.
“Darrell [Brown] has been an incredible mentor, and I’m so grateful for all that he’s done for Bonneville. He has led by example as a steward of the company and its resources. I will miss working with him, and I feel incredibly fortunate to take on this role knowing that he has put the company in a position of strength,” Vea said. “Bonneville is a special company. I’m committed to building on the foundation of those who have come before me and am focused on fulfilling our mission to be trusted voices in our communities. Our greatest strength is our team of talented people, and I am honored to be able to work with them to grow Bonneville for the future.”
