Jeff Benscoter Joins WLWT As News Director

Hearst-owned NBC affiliate WLWT Cincinnati (DMA 36) today named Jeff Benscoter, news director. He replaces Mike Neelly, who is now the president-GM of Hearst’s WAPT Jackson, Miss.

Benscoter joins the station from Hearst’s KMBC Kansas City, Mo., where he was assistant news director.

Benscoter has more than 25 years of local news experience, including eight years as a news director. Prior to joining KMBC, he spent six years as assistant news director and senior executive producer at WTHR Indianapolis.

Preceding that, Benscoter had an eight-year run as news director at KYTV Springfield, Mo., leading that team to one national and two regional Edward R Murrow Awards. He also spent two years in Cincinnati as executive producer at WKRC from 1998 to 2000.

He graduated in 1989 from the University of Missouri School of Journalism with a BA in broadcast journalism and immediately started his career with a nine-year producer and executive producer stint at WKYT Lexington, Ky.