Standard Media Group has announced that it will hire Kern Dant to be the general manager of ABC affiliate KLKN/8.1 (Lincoln) once its purchase of the station from Citadel Communications is complete.
Dant is the son of KLKN’s original general manager, Steve Dant, and is currently the general sales manager at the Memphis NBC affiliate. He has also worked in five other markets.
Dant will replace Roger Moody, who is retiring after 22 years at the station.
The FCC approved Standard Media Group’s $83 million purchase of KLKN and a station in Rhode Island last month. The news release announcing Dant’s hire says the sale is expected to close on or about September 4.
As previously mentioned here, KLKN is in the unusual situation of having to compete with two other ABC affiliates: Sinclair’s KHGI (Kearney) serves the western half of the market and is available on satellite in Lincoln, while Hearst’s KETV (Omaha) can be received over the air in the capital city.