Tegna Slots New GMs In Seattle, Austin

Tegna named new leadership at its Seattle duopoly and its ABC affiliate in Austin, Texas.

Jim Rose was promoted to president-GM at KING, KONG and NWCN in Seattle (DMA 14), while Kristie Gonzales has been named president-GM of KVUE Austin, Texas (DMA 39). The two appointments follow the naming of Brian Cliffe to president-GM of NBC affil WCSH Portland, Maine, on Wednesday.

“Jim, Kristie and Brian are forward-thinking leaders with a deep passion for reinventing journalism in the digital age,” said Dave Lougee, president, Tegna Media. “They will bring an audience-first, digital mindset to their new positions and will use strategic campaigns across platforms to grow audiences and better serve their communities.”

Jim Rose previously was VP-station manager at KING. He joined the station in 2000 and has held various positions, including director of sales, before being named station manager in 2014. Prior to joining KING, Rose worked in New York with Capital Cities as promotion coordinator for WPLJ-FM. He was also an account executive for the Chris-Craft ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City and research manager for Blair TV in New York.

Rose graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in communications media.

Kristie Gonzales will succeed Patti Smith, who is retiring. She joins Tegna after serving as the promotion and digital brand manager at WABC New York. Gonzales oversaw all marketing of the station’s local news as well as the audience growth strategy on its social and digital channels, using social audience analytics to optimize on-air promotion strategy.

Prior to joining WABC, Gonzales held various management positions at television stations across the country. Gonzales was creative services and local programming director at WTVD Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and creative services and public affairs director at KSFN Fresno, Calif.

In 2013, Gonzales was nominated to represent ABC Owned Television Stations on a Disney ABC Television Group Hispanic Task Force. She helped form a group that focuses on serving the needs of the Latino consumer and promotes diversity within their television stations. Gonzales is also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Gonzales grew up in New Mexico. She studied journalism at the University of New Mexico where she graduated summa cum laude with double honors.