Ezra Kucharz

Ezra Kucharz has more than 20-years experience creating, evolving, and managing a number of leading Internet properties. He has served as President of CBS Local Digital Media since January 2010. In this role, Kucharz oversees online and mobile strategy and all digital sales across CBS RADIO’s 117 stations nationwide, and more than two dozen CBS Television Stations.

During his tenure, Kucharz has developed a vast platform of news, sports and entertainment web destinations, bringing together the most trusted brands in media and offering visitors a truly “local” experience. The division’s digital offerings include live and on-demand audio and video streams, original programming, editorial features, as well as coverage of live concert events. Kucharz also has spearheaded the creation of several award-winning mobile applications including Radio.com, CBS Local, PINGO and Tailgate Fan.

Kucharz joined CBS from FiLife.com, an IAC and Dow Jones personal finance joint venture, where he served as President and General Manager of the financial question and answer platform that connected people who have personal finance questions to experts in the field. He led all day-to-day and strategic activities including revenue growth, new business and product development, technology, research and editorial operations.

From 2007-08, Kucharz was Executive Vice President, North American Online and Global Platforms at Oberon Media. Prior to that, he held a number of senior level positions at NBC Universal, including Chief Operating Officer for iVillage following its acquisition by the media company in 2006; and Senior Vice President, Digital Innovation and Senior Vice President, Digital Media. As one of the first digital employees hired by NBC Universal in 2004, he was instrumental in launching the company’s digital media business unit and its broadband studio.

The United States Tennis Association hired Kucharz in 2001 as its Managing Director, Advanced Media. He was charged with implementing the strategic vision for the new USTA business unit, and also produced and directed the operations of the popular USOpen.org website.

In 1995, Kucharz founded one of the first online digital sports media companies, Total Sports. In addition to developing numerous pioneering online sports technologies including the first online cybercast of a college basketball game and locally managed community-based college sports publishing, Kucharz managed sales and business development activities for a network of 105 websites. He also has served as executive producer of several major sporting events’ online destinations including the Final Four, College World Series and U.S. Open Golf Championship.

Kucharz earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston University in biomedical engineering and worked for NASA in their space shuttle and space station medical operations departments following graduation. He later earned master’s degrees in engineering management and medical informatics at the University of Houston and Duke University, respectively.

In March 2012, research and consulting firm Borrell Associates Inc. named Kucharz the esteemed recipient of their 2012 Borrell Award of Merit, which recognizes executives who have fostered and driven significant change within their organizations. He was cited for his “intelligence, innovation and most of all the execution of strategies within a big legacy media company.”