Chris Reed Named Legal Affairs EVP Of Fox Television Stations

Fox Television Stations today promoted Chris Reed to executive vice president of legal affairs, effective Feb. 1. In this new role, Reed will oversee all legal functions for FTS and report to FTS CEO Jack Abernethy. This announcement comes as David Keneipp, who has been with the station group for 30 years, announced his retirement and will assist in the transition.

David Keneipp

In making the announcement, Abernethy said: “During his 30-year tenure at Fox, David made significant contributions and was an invaluable and dedicated member of the FTS executive team. We will miss him greatly. We are excited to welcome Chris to FTS as he is known as a strategic executive with strong legal acumen, and we are all looking forward to working with him in his new role.”

Reed said: “As someone with a decades-long passion for broadcast media, I am honored and grateful to be joining one of the largest and most respected O&O groups in the country. My predecessor David Keneipp leaves big shoes to fill, but has equipped me with a powerhouse team that is well positioned to serve FTS as it navigates the challenges ahead.”

Reed has been with Fox Corp. since March 2019. Most recently, he was senior vice president of intellectual property, content protection, and litigation, and prior to that was vice president of corporate legal. Previously, Reed joined 21st Century Fox in 2014 as Senior Counsel of Content Protection Policy before his promotion to vice president of global content protection in 2017.

Before that, he held various roles at the U.S. Copyright Office, including acting chief of information and record division, senior advisor for policy and special projects, and special advisor to the Register of Copyrights.

Earlier in his career, Reed was a trial attorney in the media, entertainment, and communications section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.

He writes frequently about legal issues in media and entertainment. Reed’s most recent book, Digital Media Law: A Practical Guide for the Media and Entertainment Industries was released last year by Routledge.

A graduate of Lehigh University, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business and economics. Reed earned his Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in intellectual property, commerce, and technology from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.