John Seigenthaler Joins PR Firm as CEO of New York Operations

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--John Seigenthaler, the award-winning network television anchor whose career in journalism spans a quarter-century, has joined Seigenthaler Public Relations, Inc. (SPR) as partner and CEO of SPR New York. Prior to joining the company, John Seigenthaler was anchor of the top-rated NBC Nightly News Weekend Edition from 1999 to 2007, as well as special correspondent for NBC News, an anchor on MSNBC, and substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, Dateline NBC, TODAY, and Meet the Press.

The announcement was made today by Elizabeth Seigenthaler Courtney, Chairman and CEO of SPR, which is headquartered in Nashville and has operations in Chicago.

"For our company and those we represent, the new partnership with John is an exciting and extremely beneficial development," Courtney said. "John’s unparalleled experience and national reputation in communications, coupled with his incisive strategic abilities, will be tremendous assets to our clients. Our close family ties obviously make this announcement all the more gratifying for us."

Courtney and Seigenthaler are cousins. Seigenthaler Public Relations was founded in 1972 by Courtney’s father, the late Tom Seigenthaler, who was John’s uncle. Courtney’s sisters, President Amy Seigenthaler Pierce and Chief Marketing Officer Katie Seigenthaler, also are partners in SPR.

"For both professional and personal reasons I look forward to helping lead this company that bears my family name,” Seigenthaler said. “I had the great opportunity to serve as a network anchor and journalist during a period when television provided most of our citizens most of their information. That media landscape has changed dramatically with the magnetic pull of the Internet, and the movement toward convergence. The transition offers those of us with professional communications skills and experience to serve new constituencies in fascinating ways.”

Courtney said SPR New York, under John Seigenthaler’s leadership, will provide the full spectrum of communications services to the firm’s diverse range of clients with a particular emphasis on strategic planning, crisis communications, media consulting, online marketing, and public policy.

"At a time when our clients' businesses face increasing national and global opportunities and pressures, John's presence in New York and his singular expertise further expand our communications capabilities and reach,” Courtney said.

Seigenthaler began his television news career in 1980 as an anchor, reporter and producer for NBC affiliate WSMV-TV, Nashville. He subsequently moved to KOMO-TV in Seattle, an ABC affiliate, as anchor and reporter from 1990 to 1993. He returned to Nashville in 1993 to co-anchor the nightly news for WKRN-TV, also an ABC affiliate. In 1996, NBC tapped him for its new cable news channel, MSNBC, launching his 11-year career with the network.

At NBC, Seigenthaler covered a wide range of national and international stories including U.S. presidential campaigns and conventions, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 tsunami and the Atlanta Olympics.

Seigenthaler has won numerous awards and distinctions for his work, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for a series of stories on the civil rights movement, National Headliner and Iris awards for coverage of a Tennessee prison riot, an American Bar Association award for a documentary on the death penalty, and two regional Emmys.

According to Courtney, discussions regarding the partnership with Seigenthaler have been underway for several months, encouraged by the expanding needs and interests of a number of the company's clients.

"On a very personal basis," said Seigenthaler, "while I will be headquartered in New York, the opportunity to work with our clients in Nashville and to see more of my parents and friends back home in the city I love has made this SPR partnership all the more attractive."

Seigenthaler added: "I have tremendous admiration for the way that Beth, Amy and Katie, and their team of talented communications professionals, have enlarged the reach and reputation of the company founded by my uncle, Tom Seigenthaler. They continue his legacy of professionalism, effectiveness, creativity and integrity, and I am eager to also build upon that legacy.”

About Seigenthaler Public Relations

Founded in 1972, Seigenthaler Public Relations is an award-winning communications company that produces measurable results for corporate clients in regional, national and international markets. The Nashville, Tennessee-based firm, which has offices in New York and Chicago, specializes in strategic communications programs for companies in the healthcare, bio-tech, real estate, energy, environmental, manufacturing, legal, and technology industries. In 2008, SPR was honored with 22 public relations awards from the Nashville, Chicago and National Chapters of the Public Relations Society of America, including a Bronze Anvil Award, for campaigns it conducted on behalf of clients. For more information, visit www.seigenthaler.com.

Biography

JOHN SEIGENTHALER, CEO of SPR New York, specializes in crisis and reputation management, media strategy and media training. One of the nation’s most respected broadcast journalists, John was the anchor of the top-rated NBC Nightly News Weekend Edition from 1999 to 2007 and host of MSNBC Investigates, an hour-long documentary series. In addition, he served as a special correspondent for NBC News, anchor for MSNBC and The News on CNBC, and substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News, Dateline NBC, TODAY, and Meet the Press. He also anchored the Court TV program Under Investigation and a special on the Titanic for the Discovery Channel.

Called "the thinking man's broadcaster" by The New York Daily News, John began his television news career in 1980 as an anchor, reporter and producer for NBC affiliate WSMV-TV, Nashville, and over the course of a decade covered most of the city’s major news stories. From 1990 to 1993, he was an anchor and reporter for KOMO-TV in Seattle, an ABC affiliate. He returned to Nashville in 1993 to co-anchor the nightly news for WKRN-TV, also an ABC affiliate. In 1996, NBC tapped him to be co-anchor of Morning Line, a weekday morning news broadcast on its new cable news channel, MSNBC, which launched his 11-year career with the network.

During his tenure with NBC, John covered a wide range of national and international stories including U.S. presidential campaigns and conventions, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Sri Lanka and the Atlanta Olympics.

John has won numerous awards and distinctions for his work, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for a series of stories on the civil rights movement, National Headliner and Iris awards for coverage of a Tennessee prison riot, an American Bar Association award for a documentary on the death penalty, and two regional Emmys.

A graduate of Duke University with a B.S. in Public Policy Studies, John is based in New York.