Soapes Named GM Of WYFF Greenville

John R. Soapes, who for 10 years has been general sales manager of Hearst Television’s WKCF, the CW affiliate in Orlando, Fla., has been named president and general manager of Hearst’s WYFF, the NBC affiliate in Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville, S.C. (DMA 36).

Soapes succeeds Michael J. Hayes, who recently was named president-GM of Hearst’s WTAE, the ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh.

Soapes’ promotion is effective May 1. Soapes became WKCF’s general sales manager in July 2001. Hearst Television acquired the station from Emmis Communications in August 2006, forming — along with co-owned WESH, an NBC affiliate — a duopoly in Orlando-Daytona-Melbourne.

Previously, Soapes was WKCF’s local sales manager, leaving briefly to serve as national sales manager at WJZY-TV in Charlotte, N.C., before returning to WKCF in his most recent position. He began his career as an account executive at WTAT Charleston, S.C., moving on to Blair Television’s Atlanta office, also as an account executive, prior to his first move to WKCF.

He attended the University of South Carolina at Columbia.