NEW YORK—Veteran multiplatform media strategist and executive Sahand Sepehrnia has been named senior vice president of streaming for CBS Stations.
Sepehrnia will assume his new role on Feb. 28 and be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day and long-term strategic vision for the programming, production, editorial and operational functions at CBS News and Stations’ 13 local streaming channels.
Sepehrnia is joining CBS Stations after spending the past five-and-a-half years with the Walt Disney Company, where he most recently served as executive director, content strategy and analysis, ABC Owned Television Stations, since 2019.
“As we move forward with the dramatic expansion of our industry-leading local news streaming operation, we are thrilled to add someone with Sahand’s experience and insights to our leadership team,” said Jennifer Mitchell, president, CBS Stations. “I had the pleasure of working closely with Sahand in recent years and have long been impressed with his strategic, analytical and entrepreneurial mindset. We look forward to having him partner with the teams at our stations and also collaborate with our CBS News Streaming Network colleagues.”
“I’m incredibly thrilled and humbled to join a team that has led the charge in local news streaming for years,” Sepehrnia said. “I have long admired CBS Stations for pioneering OTT 24/7 local news and am excited to help us innovate as our streaming audience continues to grow and evolve.”
Prior to joining Disney in 2016, Sepehrnia spent two years with Mattel, Inc., where he helped drive dramatic growth in the company’s direct-to-consumer business. His background also includes serving as the co-founder and president of L.A. Source, a successful e-commerce retailer of sports apparel, positions with Bain & Company, Microsoft and firms in the finance industry.
Sepehrnia earned his bachelor’s degree in management science with honors with highest distinction from the University of California, San Diego. He then earned his MBA with a school-record six majors (entrepreneurship, management and strategy, finance, marketing, managerial analytics and decision sciences) from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
CBS (now part of Paramount Global) was the first major media company to launch a local OTT news service when CBS News New York (originally known as CBSN New York) debuted in December 2018. Since then, the company has launched local streaming services in Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Denver, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Sacramento, Baltimore and Miami. Later this year, CBS News and Stations will launch CBS News Detroit, giving the company 14 local streaming channels in the top markets in the country.
