WCPO Hires Chip Mahaney As News Director

Scripps-owned ABC affiliate WCPO Cincinnati (DMA 36) today named Chip Mahaney, veteran journalist with both broadcast and digital news experience, as the station’s news director. The station said Mahaney’s 35 years in the media industry, the last eight of which were within the E.W. Scripps Co., made him “ideally suited to step in to lead the 9 On Your Side newsroom, effective immediately.”

Mahaney has previous experience as a news director and “fully understands the necessity of integrating digital strategy into all aspects of news coverage,” the station said.

Mahaney is leaving the Scripps corporate office where he was the company’s first national director of news recruitment. In that role, he was working with Jeff Brogan, WCPO VP-GM, to fill the news director position. Mahaney spent more and more time at the station in a news consultant role, the station said, and dedicated November to working in the newsroom to provide editorial guidance during a critical time with both Election Day coverage and the high profile Ray Tensing trial. 

“We scoured the country and spent a lot of time searching for the right person to lead our newsroom,” said Brogan. “The more time Chip spent with us during the interim of our search, we both began to realize that he was the best person. It’s a perfect match — his many years of TV and digital experience combined with the station’s reputation for quality journalism and for innovation. He understands what makes Cincinnati a great place while also recognizing the challenges we face in this community.”

Mahaney joined Scripps in 2008 as one of the charter members of what is now the digital division. He spent seven years in digital, as director of digital content, senior director of local operations and regional general manager.

He has worked in news management roles for CBS News and TV stations in Austin, Texas, Tulsa, Okla., Oklahoma City and Dallas. In 2008, as news director at WTVR Richmond, Va., the station earned a regional Edward R. Murrow award for Overall Excellence. His newsroom years included significant experience in news, sports and severe weather.

Mahaney is a nationally-recognized trainer on journalism ethics, newsroom operations, digital and social media.  He is active with the Radio Television Digital News Association, where he serves on the board and the executive committee.  He is a long-time judge of the Murrow Awards and the Scripps Howard Awards. He has served on three occasions as Visiting Faculty for The Poynter Institute. He currently serves on the Professional Advisory Board for Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Over the past two decades, Mahaney has mentored hundreds of student journalists, early-career professionals and news managers. 

He graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, with degrees in communications and political science.