WILLIAM L. BOLSTER
Bill Bolster was named chairman and chief executive officer of CNBC International in July 2001. He reports to Bob Wright, chairman and CEO of NBC. Bolster is responsible for driving the expansion of the CNBC franchise overseas and leading all international efforts on behalf of CNBC. He had been serving as the chairman and CEO of CNBC since February 2001.
Since he joined the network as president in January 1996, CNBC has become the top-rated global leader in business news and information, now reaching more than 198 million households in the United States, Canada and 83 countries throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. CNBC Europe, based in London, and CNBC Asia, based in Singapore, are pan-continental services that operate as partnerships with Dow Jones.
During Bolster’s tenure, CNBC has achieved dramatic ratings gains for all its business-day programs (airing weekdays 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET)—including the popular Squawk Box and Business Center, television’s premier nightly business-news program—as well as substantial increases in CNBC revenues and profits. Bolster has been called the “king of TV financial news” by the New York Times; named as one of the “30 Most Powerful People in Investing” in 2000 by Smart Money magazine; was honored as the 2000 “Cable Broadcasting Executive of the Year” by the Delaney Report newsletter; and named to Ticker magazine’s “Power 50” list as one of the most influential people in financial services.
Previously, Bolster served for five years as president and general manager of WNBC-TV, NBC’s owned-and-operated flagship television station in New York City. During his tenure, the station dramatically increased its ratings and financial performance, rising from No. 3 to No. 1 in its market. Bolster is credited with strengthening news operations, sales and marketing.
Before joining NBC, Bolster was president of Multimedia Broadcasting from 1989 to 1991. He joined that company in 1983 as vice president and general manager of KSDK-TV, an NBC affiliate in St. Louis. From 1977 to 1983, Bolster was vice president and general manager of KWWL-TV in his hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, as well as a member of the board of directors of its parent company, Black Hawk Broadcasting Company. He began his broadcasting career in 1965 as an on-air announcer and salesman at KDTH, a radio station in Dubuque, Iowa.
Bolster received a B.A. degree from Loras College and is on the board of St. Louis University. He and his wife, Eileen, have three sons.
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