Steve Thaxton has been named vice president and general manager of Cincinnati’s WCPO.  Scripps, which owns and operates the ABC-affiliate, announced the move today.

Thaxton comes to WCPO after nearly 13 years as president and general manager of both WCSH in Portland, ME and WLBZ in Bangor.

As Scripps searched for a successor to WCPO’s longtime VP-GM Bill Fee, who retired in December, Thaxton’s “reputation for local news leadership came to our attention,” said Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of the Scripps television division. “He has vast experience in producing programming that engages both consumers and advertisers.”

Thaxton came to WCSH in 1998 with a marketing and creative services background, having worked as VP of promotion and production for KARE and VP of marketing for KUSA. His first day with WCPO is March 21.

Here’s WCPO’s coverage of Fee’s retirement last year: