Akili Franklin Named News Director At WDSU

Today, Hearst Television-owned NBC affiliate WDSU New Orleans (DMA 51) appointed Akili Franklin news director effective March 21. Franklin joined WDSU in January from Hearst Television sister station WVTM Birmingham, Ala., as assistant news director. She has worked almost exclusively within the Hearst Television family of stations since 2004.

Franklin assumes the role left open by former news director Jonathan Shelley who has left to pursue other opportunities.

Franklin earned her B.A. in mass communications and broadcasting from Hampton University in Virginia. After her start at WWL New Orleans in 2002, she joined WPBF West Palm Beach, Fla., as a news producer in 2004.

After a brief time as a producer at WFOR Miami, she returned to Hearst Television in 2006 as a news producer at WYFF Greenville, S.C. Four years after her promotion to executive producer at WYFF, she joined WVTM Birmingham, Ala., in 2015.