The Broadcasters Foundation of America bestowed its Golden Mike Award to Hearst Corp. EVP and COO Jordan Wertlieb and its Lifetime Achievement Award to journalist and Inside Edition Anchor Deborah Norville. A packed grand ballroom at New York’s Plaza hotel resonated with the memory of longtime BFOA Chair Phil Lombardo, who died early this year. Pictured (l-r): Scott Herman, BFOA chairman; Jordan Wertlieb; and Tim McCarthy, BFOA president (Renee Cassis photo).
They will be the presenting speakers at the March 4 Broadcasters Foundation of America’s annual Golden Mic gala that will include a special tribute to long-time BFOA Chairman Phil Lombardo.
A Gala award ceremony and fundraiser will be held March 4 at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb moves up to COO of parent company Hearst, while Michael Hayes is tapped to succeed him a president of Hearst Television.
NBCUniversal Local’s Valari Staab, Graham Media Group’s Catherine Badalamente, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Chris Ripley and Hearst Television’s Jordan Wertlieb will share their outlook for 2023 and weigh in on the industry’s most crucial challenges in TVNewsCheck’s annual station group leaders panel at TV2025 on Oct. 19 at the NAB New York Show. Register here.
Jordan Wertlieb: “I think this show is going to be a huge celebration of re-engagement. We are back at our normal attendance throughout Hearst. We had come back in the fall, and then took a break during Omicron, but now we’re back in full again. Having just experienced my own management meetings with my leadership, the energy and the excitement of people being together was palpable. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like in Las Vegas when you get thousands and thousands of people together who haven’t seen each other for two years.”
Exclusives
The heads of Graham Media, Emily Barr, and Hearst Television, Jordan Wertlieb, yesterday agreed that local journalism, particularly that practiced by TV stations, was critical to the nation’s well-being. The two made their remarks as they were honored as Giants of Broadcasting and the Electronic Arts by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.
Station Group Chiefs: There’s Common Cause For Broadcast And Cable
Local broadcasters and cable operators needn’t be constantly at odds with each other, leaders from Fox Television Stations, Hearst Television and Gray Television said in a panel last week that also tackled streaming, M&A and diversity.
Station group leaders Jordan Wertlieb from Hearst Television; Jack Abernethy from Fox Television Stations; and Pat LaPlatney from Gray Television will unpack the state of TV amid enormous change at TV2025: Monetizing the Future, a virtual conference. Register here.
Entertainers Penn & Teller will host the Jan. 21 ceremony honoring Kelly Clarkson, Jordan Wertlieb, Kevin Frazier and Entertainment Tonight at NATPE Virtual Miami.
The board of directors of the Broadcasters Foundation of America has elected Scott Herman, longtime CBS Radio and Group W executive and current CEO of SHH Media Management, as Chair. Dan Mason will remain on the board, and Jordan Wertlieb, president […]
“We have always focused on providing large, quality audiences to our advertisers,” said Jordan Wertlieb, Hearst Television’s president. “Today’s video marketplace requires contemporary measurement metrics.”
TVN Focus On Advertising | TVB Driving Impressions-Based Ad Buying
“In our current multiplatform world, everything is now being sold on an impression basis except linear TV,” says TVB President Steve Lanzano. “We want local TV stations and the ad agencies to be able to sell and buy that way, too. We have been working with the buying agencies for some time behind the scenes and now we are going public.”
CEOs Talk Ratings, Automated Ad Biz, NFL
The top executives of four TV station groups assessed the state of the TV broadcasting business (l-r: Hearst’s Jordan Wertlieb, NBC’s Valari Staab, Tegna’s Dave Lougee and Sinclair’s Chris Ripley). Among their topics were the future of audience measurement including specific-device measurement built into the ATSC 3.0 standard; why automated buying and selling of TV ads has been so slow to be adopted; and the changing value of sports programming, especially NFL games. (Photo: Wendy Moger-Bross)
In addition, Jordan Wertlieb is elected TV chair and Randy Gravley elected radio chair.
Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb has written an open letter to Dish Network in which he denies Dish’s allegation that Hearst is unwilling to negotiate an end to their now 11-day-old fee fight.
Stations Should Editorialize, Not Just Inform
Hearst Television’s Jordan Wertlieb: “Now, more than ever, stations should editorialize and put an added focus and spotlight on the issues that touch their local communities. Editorials highlight community leaders and heroes; hold elected officials accountable; seek to underscore important investigations and truths; and call for legislative changes that better the lives of the viewers they serve.
Wertlieb: Public Safety Demands ATSC 3.0
Jordan Wertlieb, president of Hearst Television: “Whether it is severe weather events like Hurricane Matthew, tornadoes in the Midwest or domestic terrorist attacks, local broadcasters are the lifeline of support. Next Generation Television (ATSC 3.0) offers the opportunity for our communication lifeline to be upgraded to the latest technology. The television industry has worked hard to finalize a next-generation standard and the time is now for the FCC to approve this new standard.”
The station group’s president, Jordan Wertlieb, says his stations have “he strongest news assets they’ve ever had. “One of the metrics we use a lot is all of our shows would rank in the top 10 of national cable networks,” Wertlieb says. Taking all of Hearst’s 6 p.m. newscasts, “which represents 19% of the U.S., [we] would be the No. 2 cable network in the country with 2 million viewers a night. Local news is very popular in our markets.”
Wertlieb Sees Opportunity Ahead For Hearst
Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb says that while the television business is being challenged on many fronts, including Washington, he sees it remaining healthy and well-positioned to benefit from the advent of ATSC 3.0, programmatic selling and OTT.
The Tegna Media exec succeeds Charles Warfield. Brian Lawlor elected TV chair and José Valle elected Radio chair.
The president of Bonneville International takes the seat formerly held by Ray Cole, president of Citadel Communications.
Hearst Corp. CEO Steven Swartz today unceremoniously announced that “David Barrett completed at year-end an outstanding 15-year run as CEO of Hearst Television and handed over leadership to his deputy, Jordan Wertlieb, president, and himself a 20-year veteran of the group.”
David Barrett becomes chairman and CEO, while relinguishing the president title to Jordan Wertlieb, who moves up from executive vice president.
The general manager of Hearst’s WBAL Baltimore Joins the group owner’s corporate staff in New York.
