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LeslieAnne Wade Named Senior Vice President, Communications, CBS Sports

Thursday, December 6, 2007 , Posted by Christopher Byrne at 9:41 PM, under , , , , , ,

New York (Dec 6, 2007) - LeslieAnne Wade (pictured left) has been named Senior Vice President, Communications, CBS Sports, it was announced today by Gil Schwartz, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, CBS Corporation, and Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports. In this role, Wade will oversee the corporate and media relations effort for the Corporation's sports businesses including CBS Sports, CBSSports.com, CSTV and CSTV.com, and will work closely with Showtime Sports and all the Company's other sports properties.

Wade had been Vice President, Communications, CBS Sports since May 1998. She joined the division in 1993 as a consultant and was named Director, Communications, CBS Sports in April 1996. She will continue to report to Schwartz and McManus.

"LeslieAnne is one of the most highly regarded sports communications executives in the business," said Schwartz. "During her tenure with CBS, her duties have expanded exponentially as the Company's sports properties have multiplied, and she's proven herself with each new responsibility. I look forward to continuing to work with her in this expanded role."

"LeslieAnne has been an invaluable asset and key member of the CBS Sports management team," said McManus. "The sports and business media have grown to respect, trust and rely on her as spokesperson for the entire portfolio of sports businesses at CBS."

During her tenure as Vice President, Wade has handled corporate and media relations for CBS Sports' businesses, personalities and programming. At an organization recognized as the year-round leader in Network sports television, Wade has led the publicity efforts surrounding coverage of Super Bowl's XXXVIII and XLI, THE NFL ON CBS, the PGA Tour, U.S. Open Tennis Championship, The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and college football among other programs and specials.

As Director of Communications, Wade directed the announcement of the National Football League's return to CBS Sports, the historic 11-year bundled rights deal with the NCAA, and promotion of the Network's coverage of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games from Nagano, Japan.

She was the lead publicist for the Network's non-Olympic properties including the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships and College Football's Bowl Alliance. She also served as a consultant to CBS News, launching the public relations campaign surrounding the critically acclaimed series, "Before Your Eyes."

Prior to coming to CBS, Wade served as Manager, Press Relations at USA Networks (1989-93), responsible for the total publicity effort surrounding sports programming and original entertainment series. In addition, she directed the campaign that launched USA Networks' Sci-Fi Channel in 1992.

She began her career as Director of Sports Information at Fordham University (1985-86) and then Manhattan College (1986-89). During that time, she was actively involved with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), serving as a National Coordinator of the Academic All-America program. In 1986 she was honored with a CoSIDA writing award.

Wade is a member of the board at the Boomer Esiason Foundation, a national foundation led by the former NFL quarterback and current CBS analyst, which raises monies to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. She has served the development and advisory board at her alma mater, Bayley Ellard Catholic High School in Madison, NJ and in 1999 was the youngest alumnus inducted into that school's Hall of Fame. She has been honored as the Woman of the Year by Women In Sports and Events (2003) and has been recognized as the Sports Television Executive of the Year by the All America Football Foundation (2004).

Wade was graduated from Saint Mary's College at Notre Dame, Indiana, with a degree in English writing and communications.

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