Hearst Names News Talent Recruitment Dir.

Sinan Sadar, whose career as a television news executive has taken him to TV markets around the country, has been promoted to the newly created position of director of news talent recruitment at Hearst Television. Since 2015, he has been the news director of Hearst Television’s WJCL Savannah, Ga., after serving as news director for WPTZ-WNNE, the Hearst stations in Burlington, Vt./Plattsburgh, N.Y., from 2008 to 2015.

In his new role, Sadar will work closely with Hearst Television news and human resources management and station executives to help identify top talent to join the company’s news operations throughout 26 media markets.

“Sinan’s extensive experience in multi-platform news management across five differentiated TV markets has helped him develop a great eye for on-camera talent and a deep understanding of all the needs of a modern newsroom,” said Barbara Maushard, Hearst Television senior vice president, news. “He is already the go-to for his colleagues, having helped place dozens of journalists around the group.  Sinan brings a strong foundation in creating and implementing strategies to recruit talented journalists from diverse communities who can be ready to work across all Hearst Television businesses.”

Sadar will continue to source a diverse pool of candidates through minority and specialty-convention recruiting and by expanding relationships with colleges and universities across the country. He will also facilitate the Fred Young Producer Fellowship Program, named for Hearst Television’s retired former senior vice president, news, who is one of TV journalism’s most recognized leaders.

In his most recent position as WJCL news director, Sadar led an overhaul of the on-air and local online product, repositioning and re-launching the WJCL brand across platforms while guiding the newsroom through growth and change.

He first joined Hearst Television in 2004 as assistant news director at KOAT Albuquerque. Before that, he worked in news production in Houston at KPRC and KRIV, and at Cleveland’s WKYC. He holds a master’s degree in communications from Syracuse University.