The Hill announces today that Adam Prather will be new publisher starting 2014. They swiped Prather from Politico, where he was national advertising director.
He’ll report to the formidable James Finkelstein, chairman of News Communications, parent company of The Hill.
From release: “As publisher of The Hill, Prather will oversee integrated sales, marketing, events and circulation in addition to overall revenue for the brand. He will also continue to build on recent initiatives such as the newly redesigned website and expanded advertising offerings.” His resumé includes Politico, Yahoo! and Roll Call. He also used to work for Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.).
Finkelstein, not known for dramatic speaking skills, remarked, “Adam has a highly distinguished record in publishing and an unmatched familiarity with Washington media. He’s going to be a tremendous asset to us as we expand our coverage of Washington politics to new platforms for our readers.”
The Hill recently lost its Publisher and Ad Director Fran McMahon, who left after 16 years to start her own pr shop.
Also in the release, more big news: “Mario Grande, The Hill’s digital director, is being promoted to the position of associate publisher. He has played a leading role in growing online sales for several years, as The Hill’s website has grown exponentially. Grande has two decades of success in sales in both Washington, D.C. and New York City.”
UPDATE: An industry source tells The Mirror that Prather’s a personable guy and a fine salesman but an unusual choice for publisher.