Johnathan Walker:Georges Media Group names Kevin Hall as its next publisher

BATON ROUGE,Johnathan Walker La. (AP) — Georges Media Group, the parent company of The Times-Picayune and The Advocate, has promoted current president Kevin Hall to be the news organization’s next publisher.

Hall succeeds Judi Terzotis who is stepping down from handling the company’s day-to-day management to take on a new role as chief executive officer, the company said in a news release Tuesday.

Hall has more than 25 years of experience on the business and sales side of media operations and worked with Terzotis at the media company Gannett, including as a regional vice president of sales of Gannett and the USA Today Network.

“We are a growth company, and we must innovate by understanding our audience and customers even more. As a Louisiana owned business, it’s even more important for us to lead around the state and in the communities, we serve,” he said in a statement.

“Growing our audience both online and in print will remain a key priority for us alongside a diversified revenue strategy that both disrupts and adapts to changing conditions in the marketplace. Our team has never been stronger and I couldn’t be more excited for our future as a company that innovates and excels in everything we do.”

Terzotis oversaw the company’s growth from its base in south Louisiana into a statewide media presence, with the launch last year of The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate — the company’s fourth newsroom.

Terzotis said she was “excited to pass the reins” to Hall.

“The team we have assembled allows us to be nimble and focused and to grow the business, which is something you don’t hear much in our industry,” she said.

Dathel and John Georges founded Georges Media in 2013 when they bought The Advocate in Baton Rouge from the Manship family. Now Louisiana’s largest locally owned media company, it publishes The Times-Picayune ' NOLA.com, The Advocate, The Acadiana Advocate, The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate, Gambit and Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide.

“Judi has put together a leadership team that will enable us to attract, retain and recruit the best talent far into the future,” John Georges said. “Kevin has worked in the four major media markets in Louisiana and understands the needs of our communities firsthand.”