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 The
first thing you may notice about Frank Comerford, President
and General Manager of WNBC-TV, is that he’s busy.
Really busy. Dressed to the nines as you’d expect
any station president and manager to be – cuff links,
and all -- he nonetheless comes off as the kind of man who’s
incredibly proactive, a man who isn’t afraid to roll
up his sleeves. In fact, he comes off as the kind of man
who likely rolls up those sleeves rather often.
Sitting
across from the network president, one would notice that
Comerford invariably looks at his watch. He also insists
on sitting with his back faced to his dozen or so television
screens lined up to the right of his desk. “[If I
sit facing my televisions], I’ll get distracted; something
will bother me,” says Comerford. He tries to appear
authentically in tune with the conversation at hand though
his mind is working; his clock is ticking; he turns his
head at the possibility of his next appointment showing
up a bit early. He is, well, a New Yorker – one who
just so happens to head the number one network in the nation.
 But
don’t mistake it for being rude. Despite what initially
appears to be a lack of concentration in the interview,
Comerford actually pays quite a bit of attention to what
you’re saying. He will likely manage to even ask your
camera man about his day -- inquiring as to who he is, where
he’s from, and what’s he’s into. It’s
this sort of mind-on-all-things-at-all-times style -- a
delicate, precarious balance that nonetheless has proven
strong, steady and rewarding -- that has made Comerford
such a renowned success. The WNBC President is worth writing
about because he’s successful in a vicious world –
media, marketing, and advertising – though still manages
to be down to earth. Classic city slicker style. “I
love New York,” says Comerford. “I understand
New Yorkers – the way they think, what they enjoy,
what they want.”
Well, New Yorkers have shown, consistently, that if it’s
one network they “want”, it’s NBC. In
recent years, Comerford has led NBC to incredible, record-breaking
sales, a huge achievement in a challenging advertising market.
It’s interesting to see the business of media up close
and personal. After all, Comerford isn’t a film maker,
writer, journalist, editor, web designer, or photographer;
he isn’t what comes to mind when most think of media
makers. He’s a businessman. High up in a Rockefeller
office bedecked with old New York memorabilia, Comerford
came to NBC from Storer Broadcasting Company, working his
way through the corporate ladder after having held a myriad
of sales and management positions in a variety of firms.
With a degree from Georgetown University in business administration
and finance -- yup, you betcha, he was all about business.
Yet, he’s more than that.
 Having
been in the television business for a near quarter of a
century – though he doesn’t appear a day over
30, I swear – Comerford has used his success to give
back. Honored as “Volunteer of the Year” for
his work as a volunteer at the Manhattan School of Science
and Math in East Harlem, Frank is a well-known advocate
for child development and education. In October of last
year, The Child Abuse Prevention Program – a non-profit
that provides critical child safety information to both
youngsters and parents -- held its 17th Annual Benefit Dinner
in honor of Comerford for his tireless efforts to the benefit
of innumerable children. After all, it was Comerford who
oversaw the WNBC launch of “Wednesday’s Child”,
one of the most successful – and visible – programs
in the U.S. to help place foster children in permanent homes.
Wednesday’s Child comes on every Wednesday on NBC
evening prime time. It isn’t shuffled to the weekends,
where all of the other charitable causes and programs often
go with networks. It’s smack dab in the middle of
your week.
 It
doesn’t stop there, either. In November 2002, Comerford
was honored as one of “Brooklyn’s Favorite Sons.”
Considered a “tireless volunteer” with tons
of selfless work helping foster and at-risk children, Comerford
is a great example of how business doesn’t have to
be boring. A passionate, down-to-earth New Yorker, Frank
Comerford reminds me of the sort of mentors I’d often
seen at my own grade school, growing up. Escorted in luxury
vehicles, they’d step out with smiles, their sleeves
rolled up, brief cases pushed to the side, ready to work
and answer your questions. They had a vision with teaching,
on giving back, on being fierce advocates for child development,
and they weren’t being paid for it.
At
NBC, Comerford has stepped into big shoes; his predecessor
was Dennis Swanson, a current bigwig at media giant Viacom,
and the guy most frequently known as the one to discover
Oprah Winfrey back as general manager of the ABC station
in Chicago. Comerford doesn’t seem bothered about
the pressure on the President’s seat, though. After
all, he’s doing an incredible job. Really, if you
didn’t pick it up by now, with a potent mixture of
passion and professionalism, Frank Comerford is a great
example of media managing at its best.
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