SILVER SPRING, Md.,
Oct. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --
Alfred Liggins, III, CEO and
President of Urban One, Inc. (NASDAQ: UONEK and UONE),
announced today the appointment of two key company executives.
C. Kristopher Simpson is the
new Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and Tony Spinelli is the new Chief Information
Officer. Simpson is a seasoned attorney who will oversee legal
operations across Urban One's five divisions and will streamline
their legal processes. Spinelli is a cyberspace technology veteran
who will manage all aspects of the company's technology
infrastructure.
"We are excited to have Kris and Tony as a part of the Urban One
family. They possess a wealth of experience and bring a level of
expertise to their respective fields that will be invaluable to us
as a company," stated Liggins. "Kris' business acumen and
commitment to our mission and audience are noteworthy. Tony not
only has a proven track record of successfully leading
organizations to the next level but also, he has made significant
contributions to the advancement of technology practices and
research. I look forward to the transformative leadership they will
both provide."
Simpson has been with Urban One for 12 years, most recently
serving as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. Throughout
his tenure with the company his responsibilities have included
counsel to the board of directors, executive management and
corporate finance/treasury teams on all governance, corporate
finance, securities law, mergers and acquisitions, and general
corporate matters. In addition, he served as counsel on various
acquisitions and divestitures across Urban One's divisions, managed
its outside counsel and worked intimately with its investment
advisors on various refinancing projects over the years.
"I feel very fortunate to have a terrific team of colleagues
across the company and look forward to working together to further
the mission of Urban One," stated Simpson. "My history with the
company gives me unique perspective and opportunity to build on our
many successes and meet key milestones in the years to come."
Tony Spinelli comes to Urban One
after more than 25 years of advancing technology, digital
transformation, and cybersecurity capabilities in the financial
services industry. Most recently, he led Fractal Industries, a
digital startup focused on delivering analytic insights and data
science to solve complex technology challenges at scale and
real-time through digital concepts and cloud-based delivery. Prior
to this role, he served as Senior Vice President for Capital One
Financial Corporation. During his tenure at Capital One, Spinelli
supported the company's digital transformation and built the
capabilities required to move its global enterprise to the cloud
across technology divisions and platforms. Additionally, Spinelli
has led strategic technology innovations and cybersecurity programs
as an executive at several other leading Fortune 500 companies.
"I'm looking forward to advancing Urban One's technology and
digital leadership and bringing my skills to the entertainment and
media industries," said Spinelli. "The company has a rich history
of growth, and I'm excited to position technology as a further
growth catalyst for Urban One."
Spinelli is a graduate of Saint Louis
University and holds an MBA from Washington University. Currently, he is a Board
Member for Peapack Gladstone Bank, Per Scholas, and Blue Cross Blue
Shield Association.
Simpson received his Juris Doctorate from The George Washington University Law School and is a
member of the Maryland Bar. He is also an Emeritus Member of the
Board of Directors of Easter Seals
(DC/MD/VA) and Co-Founder of SEE Scholarship for the University of Maryland, College Park.
About Urban One, Inc.
Urban One, Inc. (urban1.com), together with its
subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that
primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in
the United States. The Company
owns Radio One, Inc., TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television
network serving more than 59 million households, offering a broad
range of original programming, classic series and movies designed
to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult Black
viewers.
CLEO TV (mycleo.tv), a lifestyle and entertainment network
targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color that launched in
January 2019, is fully owned by TV
One, LLC, a brand of Urban One, Inc. As one of the
nation's largest radio broadcasting companies, Urban One currently owns and/or operates 55
broadcast stations (including HD stations we operate) branded under
the tradename "Radio One" in 15 urban markets in
the United States. Through its
controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc.
(blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates syndicated
programming including the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the
Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning
Show and the DL Hughley
Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast
assets, Urban One owns iOne Digital
(ionedigital.com), our wholly owned digital platform serving the
African-American community through social content, news,
information, and entertainment websites, including its Cassius,
Bossip, HipHopWired and MadameNoire digital platforms
and brands. We also have invested in a minority ownership interest
in MGM National Harbor, a gaming resort located in Prince George's County, Maryland. Through our
national multi-media operations, we provide advertisers with a
unique and powerful delivery mechanism to the African American and
urban audiences.
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SOURCE Urban One, Inc.