Hearst Television on Thursday said it will appoint Michael Solakian to serve as the new bureau chief of its Washington, D.C.-based newsroom.
Solakian steps into the role on February 1, when he will succeed Wendy Wilk, who is stepping down to take on a new position with the Hearst Foundations. Solakian will report to David Hulburt, the Director of Special Projects and Group Initiatives at Hearst, and will be based in Washington.
Solakian is currently the assistant news director at Hearst’s ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, WTAE (Channel 4), where he has worked since 2021.
“Hearst Television’s continued support for and investment in a presence in our nation’s capital underscores the importance of localism in every facet of our relationship with our communities; it helps distinguish us in our more than two dozen media markets around the country,” said Barbara Maushard, the Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer at Hearst Television. “Mike’s leadership and station experience will prove invaluable to guiding the bureau’s core mission: examining and explaining the impact of actions in Washington to the communities we serve.”
In addition to his work at WTAE, Solakian served in news positions at two other Hearst-owned stations: WBAL (Channel 11, NBC) in Baltimore and WLKY (Channel 32, CBS) in Louisville. He started his career at KOMU (Channel 8, NBC), the local TV station owned by the University of Missouri.
The Hearst D.C. news bureau was established in 1988, and provides breaking news and stories of interest from the nation’s capital to Hearst’s local television stations across the country.
