CINCINNATI, Ohio – J.B. Chase, vice president and general manager of television station WCPO in Cincinnati, today announced his retirement, capping a 44-year broadcast television career.WCPO is an ABC affiliated station owned and operated by The E.W. Scripps Company.Chase, 62, has been general manager of the station since 1990. He was named vice president in 1991. Chase, who has been in poor health following surgery more than a year ago, said he is retiring to give full attention to his recovery. “J.B. Chase is the reason that WCPO is the class act that it is today,” said James M. Hart, senior vice president/television group for Scripps. “Thanks to his stellar and energetic leadership, WCPO goes forward into the next millennium as Cincinnati’s leading broadcast television station. The footprint he leaves will be visible for years to come.”Chase began his career in 1955 at KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City, where he focused on television advertising sales. He was named general sales manager at KOCO in 1964 and in 1971 was promoted to general manager.Chase joined WCPO in 1972 as local sales manager, and was promoted to national sales manager in 1973. In 1985 he was named general sales manager and a year later took on added responsibilities as assistant general manager.The E.W. Scripps Company operates 19 daily newspapers; nine network-affiliated television stations; two TV networks, Home & Garden Television and the Food Network; a TV programmer, Scripps Productions; United Media, a worldwide syndicator and licensor of news features and comics; the Scripps Howard News Service; and publishes independent Yellow Pages directories.