David D. Smith has served as Executive Chairman since January 2017 and Chairman of the Board since September 1990. Until January 2017, Mr. Smith served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 1988. Mr. Smith founded Comark Communications, Inc., a company engaged in the manufacture of high-power transmitters for UHF television stations, and was an officer and director of Comark until 1986. He also was a principal in other television stations prior to serving as a General Manager of WPMY (formerly WCWB-TV) from 1984 until 1986. In 1986, Mr. Smith was instrumental in the formation of Sinclair. Mr. Smith serves as a member of the Board of Directors of MileOne Autogroup, Inc., and the majority of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, Cunningham Communications Inc., and Keyser Investment Group, Inc.; is a partner of Gerstell Development, LP; and is the majority shareholder of the Baltimore Sun. Based on Mr. Smith s (i) more than forty years of experience and expertise in the television broadcast industry, (ii) extensive industry knowledge and innovative thinking, (iii) understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and risks faced by us and the industry, and (iv) valuable, significant stockholder perspective, the Board believes Mr. Smith has acquired the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills necessary to act in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, and thus, the Board has concluded that Mr. Smith should continue to serve as a director for the Company.