LIN Names Helen Swenson GM Of WIAT

LIN Media today announced the appointment of Helen Swenson as president and general manager of its CBS affiliate WIAT Birmingham, Ala. (DMA 45). She succeeds Bill Ballard, whose contract expired last Friday (Oct. 11).

Swenson joins WIAT with more than 30 years of television experience. Most recently, she was SVP of live programming at The Weather Channel.

Prior to The Weather Channel, Swenson was senior multimedia consultant for Frank N. Magid Associates. During her tenure, she consulted with many stations across the United States and Canada on how to improve ratings, reach revenue goals and enhance their products, programming, websites, mobile distribution and marketing for every screen.

Swenson worked in news management positions at TV stations in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Miami and West Palm Beach, Fla. While she was news director at KIRO Seattle, the station received the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence and Best Newscast, as well as Emmy awards for best newscast four years in a row.