
Station Group of the Year: Hearst Television
Plenty of viewers flock to the news outlet that best aligns with their point of view, but the Hearst Television group is focused on breaking down the walls that divide us and pushing communities to focus more on their shared values than their differences. Motivated by Hearst TV local coverage of a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October 2018 and at a nightclub in Orlando in 2016, the company launched Project CommUNITY this year, an initiative that dives deep into the issues that divide communities, and celebrates the residents who are hustling to unite people.
There have been town halls and specials, and Project CommUNITY has resulted in close to 100 hours of content across the group. Stations have focused on race relations, gun violence, bullying and other timely issues.
We asked each station to create a plan, Hearst Television senior VP of news Barbara Maushard said. They produce stories to highlight the differences, and bring people from different sides together.
More Local Heroes: GM of the Year, Markets 1-25 | GM of the Year, Markets 26-50 | GM of the Year, Markets 51 | News Director of the Year | Multiplatform Broadcaster of the Year
KOAT Albuquerque did an immigration special. WTAE Pittsburgh brought survivors of shootings in Pittsburgh and Parkland, Florida, together to talk about recovery. WISN Milwaukee invited conservatives and liberals for dinner and an open discussion of the issues on which they clash. That allowed the participants to understand each others' perspectives a little better, Maushard said.
Jordan Wertlieb, Hearst TV president
Jordan Wertlieb, Hearst TV president, said the Project CommUNITY specials often win their time periods. There's an appetite for unique local content, he said.
The Hearst TV stations' weekly CommUNITY Champion features highlight just that the people who are working hard to bridge the gaps within their markets.
Total Commitment
Hearst Television owns 33 stations, including WBAL Baltimore, WCVB Boston, KCRA Sacramento, WESH Orlando and KMBC Kansas City. The stations reach 19% of the U.S. population.
The presidential election less than a year away will surely divide the country, but the Hearst group, long a leader in top-notch political coverage, is focused on clear, fact-based, impartial reporting on local politics with its Commitment 2020 venture. In the first 10 months of 2019, Hearst Television stations produced more than 100 hours of political coverage, including multiple debates. WLKY Louisville, for example, produced the gubernatorial debate in Kentucky, and WDSU New Orleans had tireless coverage of the Nov. 16 Louisiana gubernatorial runoff.
Partnering with FactCheck.org to distribute the most, and best, content possible, the stations play a vital role in covering the presidential footrace. KCCI Des Moines will detail all of the caucus action in Iowa, and WMUR Manchester has New Hampshire news blanketed.
We're digging deeper into understanding the different perspectives and different issues, Maushard said. We're helping our audience better understand the issues of importance.
WPBF West Palm Beach anchor Todd McDermott reports from Abaco Island after it was hammered by Hurricane Dorian.
Pitching in with the stations' coverage is Hearst Television's Washington, D.C., bureau, which has 15 staffers and connects elected officials in the Beltway with the viewers they represent.
Hearst stations breathe localism, investigative journalism and service to communities every day, National Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Gordon Smith said. With Jordan Wertlieb serving as chairman of the NAB board, I've seen the Hearst commitment to viewers up close and personal. Bar none, there's no better TV station group in America.
Working out of the Washington bureau is the group's National Investigative Unit, which launched in 2018. Mark Albert, formerly a correspondent at CBS News, heads the unit, which focuses on providing national context to local stories.
Also playing a key role in tackling the vital issues is weekly program Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, produced by the Hearst group. The weekend show prides itself on offering conversations as diverse as America.
Sen. Bernie Sanders talks with WMUR Manchester, N.H., political director Adam Sexton.
O'Brien, former anchor on CNN and correspondent on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, is the host and the producer. Emerson Coleman, Hearst Television senior VP of programming, said the show began modestly late in 2015 but has grown and developed into a national show, reaching 93% of the country, and airing in 150 markets.
The Sunday-morning shows tend to be Washington insiders, Wertlieb said. Stories on Matter of Fact reflect the diversity of our country.
Hearst TV has also been connecting with viewers, and users, on digital platforms. The channels Stitch and Dispatches from the Middle launched late in 2018 and found their footing this year. Stitch offers uplifting stories from around the country, a welcome respite from the house fires, car accidents and crime that can dominate local news. Facebook Watch program Dispatch expands on compelling stories produced by the Hearst TV stations. Coleman has crafted Stitch stories into on-air specials; the next premieres in February.
Both Stitch and Dispatches From the Middle succeed in bringing Hearst TV stories to younger viewers who may not tune in to their local station at 6 p.m. or 11 p.m. They highlight great storytelling, Wertlieb said. They give stories more time to breathe than they might get in a newscast.
KCRA Sacramento reporter Brian Hickey on scene during October's Kincade fire in Sonoma County.
Market Mavens
Hearst TV stations are local powerhouses. Wertlieb proudly noted t
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
02/09/2026
Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production
On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...
02/09/2026
SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...
02/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...
02/09/2026
The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...
02/09/2026
Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minneso...
02/09/2026
New LED provides enhanced quality control, quicker show prep, detailed productio...
02/09/2026
Combines the Phat Drive with high-voltage valve circuit
The latest pedal from Keeley Electronics combines their popular Phat Mode drive pedal with an all-ne...
02/09/2026
Free version of virtual mixing room plug-in introduced
Lewitt's Space Replicator plug-in provides users with a virtual monitoring environment that aims ...
02/09/2026
Two new mixing & mastering plug-ins revealed
AIR Music Tech have just introduced the Stereophonic Bundle, a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide ...
02/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving f...
02/09/2026
Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...
02/09/2026
Why agentic media supply chains need experience design built around visibility, reversibility and human authority
When AI can generate a functional interface ...
02/09/2026
Six-country survey finds 26% of sports fans frequently unable to determine where...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
KOKKEDAL, DENMARK, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 DPA Microphones announces its new 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, a high-performance directional headset designed for dema...
02/09/2026
Pliant Technologies will highlight its CrewCom CXD 32CF 32x32 Dante /AES67 Digital Audio Network Interface, a powerful connectivity solution designed to expand ...
02/09/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced two enhancements to Teatro Pulse, its end-to-end TV service operation...
02/09/2026
Signiant, trusted by the media industry for accelerated content movement for more than 20 years, will showcase the latest evolution of the Signiant Platform at ...
02/09/2026
With a contractual agreement to supply a leading UK sports broadcaster with outside broadcast services for 104 football matches per season over the next four ye...
02/09/2026
IBC2026 will put sport firmly at the centre of the global media and entertainment technology conversation with the strongest sports showing in the event's h...
02/09/2026
PTZOptics will bring a hands-on showcase of intelligent video production to IBC2026 (11-14 September, RAI Amsterdam), with demonstrations spanning new camera te...
02/09/2026
OOONA, a global provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, today announced the launch of OOONA Go, a ready-to...
02/09/2026
EON Media will make its European debut at IBC2026 (September 11-14, RAI Amsterdam) in the show's Future Tech Zone (Hall 14.FT5). The company is launching it...
02/09/2026
Frequency, the engine behind many of the worlds leading streaming television channels, will demonstrate at IBC2026 how integrating intelligence throughout chann...
02/09/2026
On-device AI platform gives broadcasters and content creators purpose-built tools for real-time vertical video production and AI-enhanced sports coverage...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Next-Generation Freeform Control Surfaces Lay the Foundation for AI-Enabled Media Operations
At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B73), Imagine Com...
02/09/2026
Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, the world's largest theater stage, has modernized its backstage production infrastructure with a comprehensive Riedel solut...
02/09/2026
Women in Media announces that it will host the two-day Reel/Forward in-person conference devoted to navigating today's production scene. Guests can enjoy pa...
02/09/2026
The expanded partnership brings Teradek's Live Production solutions to New Media AV's European dealer and integrator network, opening new opportunities ...
02/09/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, announces a major expansion to its award winning Studio...
02/09/2026
BCNEXXT, the developers of the advanced playout platform Vipe, today announced that premium entertainment brand Foxtel has selected Vipe to underpin playout for...
02/09/2026
SubtitleNEXT helps HOT Telecom's subtitling team keep a cool head with reliable QC capabilities
Profuz Digital, global developer of digital media and local...
02/09/2026
Case Study: Mission Digital Strengthens Battery Safety with Safe-ion
As productions become increasingly dependent on battery-powered equipment, the safe storag...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutini...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Clinicians often use a medical test called a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose heart problems, which uses electrodes placed on the chest ...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Proteins may look like rigid molecular structures, but inside our c...