WTHR Indianapolis Sets New Content Leaders

Tegna NBC affiliate WTHR Indianapolis today appointed current interim news director Scott Hums to director of content, focusing on WTHR’s strategic growth across all broadcast, digital and streaming platforms. Additionally, WTHR named Nicole Block news director. Block will lead all day-to-day operations and daily editorial decisionmaking. Block will join WTHR in October.

“As our industry continues to evolve, so too have the roles of local news leadership,” said Michael Brouder, WTHR president and general manager. “I am proud to bring together two proven newsroom leaders who will ensure WTHR continues to provide exceptional news and information across all platforms. Scott has been a top performer and rising star at WTHR, and Nicole brings legacy newsroom experience and a keen focus on serving the community.”

Hums has been WTHR’s director of digital content for the past seven years and has more than 20 years of newsroom experience in Indiana and Utah markets with expertise in content creation, audience development, project management and team building. According to the station, “under Hums’ leadership, WTHR’s digital efforts topped all local news outlets in Indiana for the past four years.”

Hums has been recognized with several broadcast industry awards including a 2020 Regional Murrow Award for Multimedia Journalism and an Emmy Award for Interactive Media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hums led the wthr.com efforts that received numerous best website awards from the Indiana Associated Press, Indiana Society of Professional Journalists and the Indiana Broadcasters Association.

“How Hoosiers consume local news changes by the day,” Hums said. “13News leads the way in local news on both broadcast and digital platforms because we’ve continued to evolve with our audience and meet them where they are.”

A Hoosier native, Hums is a 2004 graduate of Ball State University.

Nicole Block most recently was assistant news director at KDKA Pittsburgh and WFXR Roanoke, Va., and is a newsroom veteran with more than 20 years of media experience leading news teams in Dallas; Baltimore; Jacksonville, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; and Atlanta. She is a Certified Life Coach and has successfully mentored and motivated large groups of journalists.

Block received an Emmy Award for breaking news coverage in 2015 and was nominated for breaking news coverage in 2021.

Block graduated from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., in 1995.