Executive Backgrounds

    Robert F. McConnell, Chief Executive Officer. Mr. McConnell has many years of operating and executive management experience in the broadcast media,  technology and financial industries, and is CEO of Indycoast Partners.  Before Indycoast, he was Chief Executive Officer of Telecorps Holdings, Inc., parent company of Wexler Video, Coffey Sound and Telecorps Sales and Leasing.  Before that, he was Chief Operating Officer of Encoda Systems, Inc., a company with over $150 Million in sales and 1000 employees worldwide. Prior to assuming that role he was the President and CEO for worldwide operations for Enterprise Systems Group, Inc., a predecessor company to Encoda; under his leadership the valuation of this company increased by 314% in three years. He was involved in taking the company public, leading a going-private transaction, merging with an industry competitor and completing several bank financings.  He has served as an expert witness in litigation in both state and federal courts in the areas of media, media technology and misappropriation of trade secrets.  He has also served as CEO of Mortgage Solutions Financial, a billion dollar-plus retail, wholesale and correspondent mortgage lender with full GSE certification doing business in over 45 states.  In that position he led the company to an increase in revenue of 35% in twelve months, and a profitability increase of 250% over the same period.

Mr. McConnell has served on the board of Telecorps Holdings and has built close working relationships at the corporate level with many of the top television groups and media entertainment companies.  Prior to his roles at Enterprise and Encoda, Mr. McConnell worked in the radio and TV broadcasting industry in various managerial, marketing, sales and talent capacities, most significantly for McGraw-Hill Broadcasting, where he won corporate and industry awards for sales, marketing and revenue growth. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Butler University, is past President of the Butler University Alumni Association and is currently an Emeritus Director of the Alumni Association. 

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  James H. Rosenfield, Partner.   Mr. Rosenfield is President of JHR & Associates, consultants to traditional media, interactive media, communications and entertainment companies. He has served on the boards of Globalvision, New Media, Inc. and Salon Media Group, Inc., and has served as a key adviser to RedSky Entertainment.  Prior to setting up his own firm, he was with Veronis, Suhler & Associates, investment bankers, where he served as a Managing Director for four years, specializing in electronic media and entertainment companies. Before that, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of John Blair Communications, Inc., a leading television rep firm, which he acquired in 1987 with Saratoga Partners/Dillon Reed, and SIFCORP, London, England, as financial partners. From 1965 until 1985, Mr. Rosenfield held various sales and senior management positions at CBS, Inc., starting as an Account Executive in the Television Network sales department and eventually rising to President of the CBS Television Network, responsible for Sales, Affiliate Relations, Operations, Engineering and Finance. When he left CBS, Mr. Rosenfield was CBS/Broadcast Group Senior Executive Vice President, responsible for all broadcast activities, both network and station.

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  David W. Carfolite, Executive Vice President- Business Development. Mr. Carfolite has excelled in sales and general management capacities at local market television stations for over 35 years. Most recently, Mr. Carfolite was in several key local-market revenue development positions with Sinclair Broadcasting.  He has also served as the EVP Corporate Development for Telecorps Holdings, spearheading geographic expansion efforts for the company.  Prior to that, he was VP & General Manager of three affiliates for the Everett family in North and South Carolina. Both of the Carolina operations he simultaneously oversaw earned prestigious Fox #1 Club status, reserved for those affiliates who achieve prime-time ratings dominance. What has distinguished Mr. Carfolite’s career has been his consistent ability to develop new and non-traditional business, as well as build and lead successful teams at every stop in his television career. He was a General Sales Manager with Ellis and Clear Channel television exceeding revenue and non-revenue goals in all years. Before that, he rose through the sales management ranks at the McGraw-Hill’s television group in medium and large-sized markets. Mr. Carfolite has also served on the Board of Directors of the Butler University Alumni Association.

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  Thomas VanBenschoten, Advisor.    Mr. VanBenschoten has worked for and with local television and radio stations for over 40 years. He has led media sales organizations to unprecedented levels of achievement; he also headed sales and customer support for a market-leading provider of mission-critical systems to broadcasters. Mr. VanBenschoten serves as a Senior Project Manager for CNOmniMedia Solutions Group.  Before that, he was most recently a Principal at OnPrem Consulting; and he was a Senior Consultant with Edge Technology Services.  He has also served as Senior Vice President of Broadcast Sales for Quantum Visualization Laboratories and has been involved in groundbreaking initiatives in the analog to digital evolution of local television stations, specifically in the area of digital news operations. Few people have seen the insides of as many television stations as Mr. VanBenschoten has. He has been a Regional Sales Manager for Accuweather.com, a Vice President of Station Services for Telecorps Sales and Leasing, and a Vice President of Sales for Enterprise Systems Group, Inc. Before entering the media supply side, Mr. VanBenschoten rose through the sales management ranks in both the Pulitzer and Hearst television groups.

    Robert A. Epstein, Executive Vice President- Sales.   Mr. Epstein brings over 30 years of television experience at multiple levels.  He has been the General Manager or Station Manager of four local market stations and Director of Sales/General Sales Manger of five others.  He has turned around a Midwestern group owner's Fox affiliate in Rochester, MN prior to its sale to a new entity.  Mr Epstein also founded and served as CEO of ROI Advertising Agency, which he sold to his partners.   Mr. Epstein succeeded in the national sales arena with both TeleRep and Blair, eventually being named Vice President- New Business Development at Blair and given the responsibility for drafting the original business plan for Telemundo Spanish network.  Mr. Epstein brings a rare breadth of managerial experience covering station operations, personnel, new business development, budgeting, programming, overall P&L responsibility, and the proven ability to turn around underperforming stations.