Belo Names GMs In St. Louis, New Orleans

Belo Corp. announced today that Mark D. Pimentel has been named president-general manager of KMOV, Belo’s CBS-affiliate in St. Louis (DMA 21) and Tod A. Smith has been named president-GM of WWL-WUPL, Belo’s CBS-MNT duopoly in New Orleans (DMA 52). 

Pimentel has been president and general manager of WHAS, Belo’s ABC-affiliated station in Louisville, Ky., since August 2007. He succeeds Allan Cohen who retired in May.

Smith most recently served as president and general manager of WVEC, Belo’s ABC-affiliated station in Hampton/Norfolk, Virginia, a position he has held since August 2009. He succeeds Bud Brown, who retired at the end of May.

Pimentel joined Belo from WTVQ Lexington, Ky., where he had been VP-GM. Prior to that, he was VP-GM of WTVR Richmond, Va., and of WAFF Huntsville, Ala. He was a news director at various television stations from 1989 to 1995 including: WXIA Atlanta; WBFF Baltimore; and WCBD Charleston, S.C. Early in his career, he was both an executive producer and a news producer at TV stations in Atlanta, Boston, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Dayton, Ohio. Pimentel earned a Bachelor of Arts in political journalism from Marietta College.

Before joining WVEC, Smith was president-GM of KMSB-KTTU, Belo’s duopoly in Tucson, Ariz. Prior to that, he was a VP and media director for Peter A. Mayer Advertising in New Orleans. Smith started his career at WWL in 1980 as a production assistant and was promoted to engineer in 1982 while working toward his college degree.

Upon completion of his degree in 1984, Smith joined Shell Oil Co. He rejoined WWL in 1993 as a marketing executive. In 1995, Smith was named director of research and audience development, and was promoted to local sales manager in 1999. Smith holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in management from Loyola University of New Orleans.