Scripps Adds Siegel As News Strategy Dir.

The E.W. Scripps Co. is preparing for the addition of Journal Communications’ television stations by adding talent to its TV news operations that will help the company meet the evolving needs of the information consumer.

Bill Siegel will join Scripps as director of news strategy on Jan. 14. Siegel has extensive experience with transforming newsrooms to focus on investigations and digital storytelling.

“I had the privilege of working with Bill at KMOV in St. Louis in 2007 when he was an executive producer,” said Sean McLaughlin, VP of news for the Scripps TV division. “He possesses a great sense of what drives local news viewing. Most recently as news director at WWL in New Orleans, Bill was able to modernize and motivate a powerhouse station. Under Bill’s leadership, WWL has returned to market dominance. He’s built a modern day multi-platform newsroom that focuses on quality enterprise journalism.”

Since his arrival as executive news director at WWL in 2011, Scripps says, Siegel has grown viewership in key demographics and built a large social media following.

Prior to WWL, he was the assistant news director at WISN Milwaukee. In addition to his experiences at KMOV, he worked as producer and executive producer at KENS San Antonio, Texas. He started his career at KESQ Palm Springs, Calif.

Siegel is a graduate of the University of Iowa and has a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University. Scripps expects to close on its merger with Journal Communications in the first half of this year.