For nearly two decades, Russ Nelligan has served as the creative services director at Hearst Television-owned WCVB (Channel 5) in Boston. This week, Nelligan was awarded a major promotion that will see him develop marketing initiatives for the entire company.
On Monday, Hearst Television said Nelligan was named to the role of Vice President of Marketing, a move that will see him relocate from Boston to New York City later this year. Nelligan will continue to report to Kyle Grimes, the Vice President of Hearst Television’s New England broadcast business; he succeeds Suzanne Grethen, who announced her intention to retire last month.
“WCVB is among the nation’s most honored and respected commercial television stations and that impeccable reputation has only been burnished during Russ’s time there; his creativity, energy, enthusiasm, managerial talents and strategic execution have made him an instrumental player in the station’s continued market leadership and ratings success,” said Michael J. Hayes, the President of Hearst Television. “Additionally, he is recognized as a leading marketing voice in the industry, advancing the efforts to evolve the local-TV marketing model. Russ is the ideal person to succeed Suzanne, with whom he’s collaborated closely, and to continue and build upon her great work.”
A spokesperson for Hearst Television credited Nelligan with helping to secure WCVB’s position as the market leader in local news, community service and industry recognition. During his time at WCVB, the station earned 11 regional Emmy Awards for marketing and promotional initiatives.
Nelligan started his broadcast TV career at WICZ-TV (Channel 40), the Fox affiliate serving the Binghamton, New York market, where he worked as an intern while pursuing his degree at Binghamton University. He moved to WPTZ (Channel 5), the NBC affiliate serving the Burlington, Vermont market, which is now owned by Hearst, where he initially worked as a news photographer before evolving into the promotion manager for WPTZ and then-sister station WFFF (Channel 44, Fox).
His last stop before Boston was Baltimore, where he served as the assistant creative services director — and, later, as the lead creative services director — for Hearst’s powerhouse East Coast NBC affiliate WBAL-TV (Channel 11). In 2006, he moved full time to WCVB.
