NEW YORK (AP) - Dow Jones CEO Les Hinton and David Thompson, publisher of The Oklahoman, are joining the board of directors of The Associated Press.
AP Chairman Dean Singleton said Thursday that the two are joining for three-year terms as four directors retire. The four are David Westin, former president of ABC News; David Lord, vice chairman of Pioneer Newspapers Inc.; Mike Reed, CEO of GateHouse Media Inc.; and Sam Zell, Tribune Co. chairman.
The AP said Westin will run an independent agency created to generate more revenue for the AP and other media companies by licensing news content for online use.
The AP made the announcement during its annual meeting at its New York headquarters.
Hinton, a longtime executive at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., joined Dow Jones & Co. as chief executive in late 2007 after News Corp. purchased the company. He also serves as publisher of The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones’ flagship publication.
Thompson is also president of Opubco Communications Group, which publishes The Oklahoman, based in Oklahoma City.
Four other directors were re-elected to three-year terms on the AP board, which will now have 19 members. They are Singleton, chairman and CEO of MediaNews Group Inc.; Donna Barrett, president and CEO of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.; David Paxton, president and CEO of Paxton Media Group; and Jon Rust, co-president of Rust Communications and publisher of the Southeast Missourian.
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