SALT LAKE CITY — Two members of the Deseret Management Corporation's senior leadership team have accepted new roles — Con Psarras as DMC's vice president of editorials and special projects and Tanya Vea as executive vice president of news and cross-platform development.
Much of their efforts will benefit KSL Broadcasting, one of the multiple media companies owned by DMC, a for-profit arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"There is such unbelievable pressure to get the news out that unless you set up a structure to really think about special projects, they just get pushed aside into second place," said Mark Willes, DMC president and CEO.
In her newly created position, Vea will be responsible for news programming and content for KSL Broadcasting as well as shared responsibility for DMC's integrated newsrooms. She will manage the development of news programming for multiple platforms — including radio and television — and will oversee the KSL Radio and KSL Television's news director.
Previously, Vea served as vice president of program development for KSL Broadcasting. Prior to that, she had more than 15 years of experience in broadcast news media, advertising and strategic communication with roles at Salt Lake City-based advertising agency Kim Brown and Associations and at KUTV Ch. 2, where she served as the news director.
Psarras will have direct oversight of KSL Television's editorial board and editorial positions as well as of developing strategies surrounding the creation and execution of KSL editorials. He succeeds Duane Cardall, who retired from the position last month.
Psarras will also be responsible for developing special programming opportunities for the KSL brand, coordinating and executing special report, special projects and long-form productions. He previously was vice president and managing news director for KSL Broadcasting, and before that, vice president and news director for KSL Ch. 5 Television.
Freeing Psarras up to work on such projects "will be enormous," Willes said. "He'll step back and then work with Tanya to find the resources to produce the shows."
Willes announced the changes Tuesday afternoon at a KSL Broadcasting staff meeting. "After the meeting, someone came up to me and said, 'Isn't it great — we've got the two best people here in the local TV market,' " Willes said. "And I agree."
In addition to the KSL Broadcast Group, Deseret Management Corporation also owns Deseret Digital Media, the Deseret News and Deseret Book.
e-mail: taylor@desnews.com