Susana Schuler Named WVTM Birmingham GM

Susana Schuler, a veteran television executive, is joining Hearst Television as president and general manager of WVTM, the company’s NBC affiliate in Birmingham, Ala. (DMA 43), effective Jan. 1, 2019. She moves to Hearst Television from Raycom Media, where she served for 12 years, most recently as executive vice president of content and operations overseeing a portion of the company’s station portfolio as well as all efforts in news, marketing and programming.

Schuler succeeds Henry “Hank” Price, who was the station’s president and general manager since its acquisition by Hearst in 2014 and who recently announced plans to retire at year-end.

“Susana brings to Hearst Television exceptional credentials in local television management and journalism,” said Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb. “With the added benefit of living in Alabama for more than a decade, she is a natural fit to succeed Hank as she works with the WVTM team to build upon their accomplishments. We are thrilled to welcome Susana to Hearst Television.”

Among her many achievements at Raycom, Schuler helped create executive-leadership development and training programs for station and corporate executives, and she launched annual initiatives to support innovations in news gathering, content generation and local community service. Prior to her most recent role at Raycom, she was VP of news and subsequently senior VP of news.

In 2010, Schuler received the Radio Television Digital News Foundation First Amendment Service Award, which is presented to a person of distinction who works in an off-air, management capacity in television news.

Before joining Raycom, Schuler worked at Nexstar as corporate VP of news. This marked a return to Texas for Schuler; while in college, she began in television as an associate producer for KXAS Fort Worth, before moving on to roles on both sides of the camera early in her career — including reporter, photographer, producer, assignment manager, anchor and news director — at stations in Beaumont and Wichita Falls. She later moved to Harrisburg, Pa., as an assistant news director as well as health reporter and anchor, and then to Terre Haute, Ind., as a news director.

Schuler graduated cum laude from Texas Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast/journalism.

Among Schuler’s industry associations, she serves on the ABC Affiliates Board of Governors and previously served on the Associated Press advisory board and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) board of directors.