Robert L. Lawrence Joins Western & Southern Board of Directors

CINCINNATI, Sept. 26 -- The Western and Southern Financial Group, a life insurance company, issued the following news release:

Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern) announced that longtime broadcast executive Robert L. "Bobby" Lawrence has joined its board of directors.

"Bobby brings a wealth of experience to our board of directors," said John F. Barrett, Western & Southern's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We will benefit from his unique insights, proven leadership and depth of experience."

Lawrence's experience includes serving as chief executive officer of Local TV LLC, a company he helped start with private equity partner Oak Hill Capital in 2006. The total capitalization of Local TV, a group of 20 owner/operator television stations in 16 markets across the United States, was over $1.2 billion and annual revenue exceeded $500 million. The stations were affiliated with Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, CW and My Network, and the company employed 2,100 people across its markets. Local TV was sold to Tribune Company in 2013 for $2.7 billion.

Lawrence began his career in broadcasting at Taft Broadcasting after graduating from Lake Forest College in 1975. In the early 1980s, he left Taft to form Seven Hills Broadcasting in Cincinnati. In 1984, Seven Hills restructured into Republic Broadcasting, which was purchased by Jacor Communications two years later. Lawrence served as president and chief operating officer of Jacor Communications and helped it grow to become the country's second-largest radio company with 255 stations in 55 markets.