Vicki Stearn

Current

• Principal at Think Out Loud Media
• Commissioner at Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth

Past

• Director, Corporate Communication at iBiquity Digital Corporation
• Director Communications at XM Satellite Radio
• Principal at VSA Communications

• Vice President, Public Relations/Your Choice TV at Discovery Communications
• Director, Communications/Multimedia at Discovery Communications
• Director Communications at Discovery Networks U.S.
• Manager, Public Relations at Showtime Networks
• Managing Editor at Videography Magazine
• Production Assistant at WNAC-TV
• Writer/Producer at Warner Cable of Somerville, MA
• News Editor at Daily Free Press

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Education

• Boston University
• University of Rochester

Connections

263 connections

Industry

Public Relations and Communications

Vicki Stearn’s Summary

As a creative adult in the Web 2.0 world, I design and execute strategic communications campaigns that expand an organization’s reach to key stakeholders by integrating traditional and new media. I have extensive experience launching new products, building communications departments, and developing and implementing highly successful communications campaigns in many arenas, including high tech, cable TV, satellite, radio, education, automotive, and consumer electronics.

Vicki Stearn’s Experience

• Principal

  Think Out Loud Media

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  September 2009 — Present (3 months)

• Commissioner

  Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth

  (Government Administration industry)

  2006 — Present (3 years )

• Director, Corporate Communication

  iBiquity Digital Corporation

  (Privately Held; Consumer Electronics industry)

  December 2004 — August 2009 (4 years 9 months)

  Responsible for traditional and Web 2.0 media relations and partner relations for the developer of HD Radio technology. Oversaw strategic consumer and trade media campaigns, B-to-B Web site, newsletters and bylined articles in the broadcast, consumer electronics, automotive, advertising, financial, and high-tech arenas. Supervised out-of-house agency and budget.
  
  Key Results: Garnered extensive coverage – including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Radio World, and EE Times – for HD Radio technology, iBiquity Digital and the company’s partners.

• Director Communications

  XM Satellite Radio

  (Public Company; Broadcast Media industry)

  1998 — 2000 (2 years )

  Launched new billion-dollar startup to national consumer and trade media, including financial, automotive, consumer electronic, high-tech, radio, and consumer entertainment media outlets. As a member of the management team that created the XM brand and took the company public in October 1999, built a public relations and investor relations department, hired and supervised staff and agency, and managed $500,000 budget.
  
  Key Results: Created strong image for a new industry and positioned XM as its leader. Garnered extensive coverage in trade publications and national business and consumer outlets (including Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, MSNBC, and CNN) as well as in trade publications.

• Principal

  VSA Communications

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1998 — 2000 (2 years )

  Founded communications consultancy to work with high-tech companies to grow their businesses through effective communications campaigns. Clients included Hughes Network Systems’ government relations department, Fleishman Hillard, InfoZen, World Band Radio, and Longbottom Communications.
  
  Key Results: Drew media and political leaders to Columbia, South Carolina, event demonstrating long-distance diabetic retinopathy scans and analysis via high-powered satellite. Oversaw the development of and wrote technology Web site.

• Vice President, Public Relations/Your Choice TV

  Discovery Communications

  (Public Company; Broadcast Media industry)

  1996 — 1997 (1 year )

• Director, Communications/Multimedia

  Discovery Communications

  (Public Company; Broadcast Media industry)

  1990 — 1996 (6 years )

  Created a corporate communications group and built it into an internal media relations “agency” for Discovery Enterprises Worldwide to move the Discovery brand into new arenas (multimedia, home video, online, education, and publishing). Developed local media-relations campaigns to support cable operators. Managed $1 million budget.
  
  Key Results: Created positive brand awareness by garnering extensive national, local, and trade coverage (including Newsweek, USA Today, and Washington Post.) of Discovery’s entry into many new businesses and markets.
  • Launched Your Choice TV, a pay-per-show service.
  • Launched Discovery Channel Multimedia.
  • Launched Discovery Channel Online.
  • Re-launched The Learning Channel in the United States and Canada, with a grassroots campaign that leveraged the voices of public school teachers in local communities.
  • Increased distribution of The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel, as well as brand-extension products.

• Director Communications

  Discovery Networks U.S.

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1990 — 1992 (2 years )

• Manager, Public Relations

  Showtime Networks

  (Public Company; CBS; Entertainment industry)

  1983 — 1989 (6 years )

  Designed and supervised the implementation of national grassroots publicity stunts and campaigns to enhance the cable networks’ public perception and increase distribution. Projects included
  • Media tours for heavy-weight boxing champion Evandor Holifield.
  • Media tours for stand-up comedians such as Ellen DeGeneres, Brett Butler, and Elaine Boosler.
  • Media tours for Showtime Comedy Club Network.
  • Local market tours for Showtime’s Funniest Person America, Showtime’s Kid Talent Quest and The Movie Channels’ Talent Quest.
  • Monthly magazine targeted at cable affiliate staffs.
  
  Key Results: Extensive TV, radio, and print coverage in targeted local markets. Individual national tours garnered $1 million in “earner” publicity. Received CTAM’s first award for Best Public Relations Campaign by a Program Network in 1985 for Funniest Person in America’s coast-to-coast media campaign.

• Managing Editor

  Videography Magazine

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1980 — 1982 (2 years )

  Responsible for the daily operation of monthly professional video production magazine: reporting, writing, rewriting, and editing technology columnists. Specialized in editing technology columns and one-on-one interviews.

• Production Assistant

  WNAC-TV

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  June 1979 — December 1979 (7 months)

  Responsible for writing news pieces, running the TelePrompTer, and assisting news producers at what was then the Boston CBS affiliate.

• Writer/Producer

  Warner Cable of Somerville, MA

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  May 1979 — August 1979 (4 months)

  Responsible for 15-minute local news show three nights a week covering Boston’s northern suburbs for fledgling cable TV operator.

• News Editor

  Daily Free Press

  (Public Relations and Communications industry)

  1978 — 1979 (1 year )

  Reorganized the news and features departments, assigned all stories, recruited, and trained 110 reporters for Boston’s third largest daily.