TEGNA has appointed veteran broadcast executive Mellynda Hartel as President and General Manager of three television stations in Florida, bringing more than three decades of experience in local television management and advertising sales to the company.
The appointment places Hartel in charge of stations serving two of Florida’s largest television markets: She will oversee NBC affiliate WTLV (Channel 12) and ABC affiliate WJXX (Channel 25) in Jacksonville, which operate under the First Coast News brand, along with CBS affiliate WTSP (Channel 10) in Tampa.
At TEGNA, Hartel will oversee local station operations, including news programming, advertising sales and business development across the company’s Jacksonville and Tampa properties.
Hartel most recently served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Fox-owned KTVU (Channel 2) and independent station KICU (Channel 36) in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has more than 30 years of experience in television station operations, revenue development and advertising sales, with previous leadership positions in San Francisco, Phoenix, Boston and Washington, D.C.
“Mellynda is a highly respected leader in our industry, known for her strategic vision, ability to develop strong teams and track record of driving growth and innovation,” Joan Barrett, the Group General Manager for TEGNA’s Northeast and Southeast regions, said in a statement.
Barrett said Hartel’s experience would help the stations strengthen their relationships with local communities, develop audiences and create additional opportunities for advertisers.
“First Coast News and WTSP are among TEGNA’s strongest stations, with newsrooms that have earned the trust of their communities,” Hartel said in a statement on Monday. “I’m eager to help them build on that legacy by creating new opportunities for our viewers to access trusted content and new solutions for our business partners.”
Her appointment comes as TEGNA operates under an unusual corporate arrangement following its acquisition by Nexstar Media Group. TEGNA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nexstar but continues to operate independently because of an injunction issued earlier this year by a federal judge in Sacramento.
TEGNA operates 64 local television stations across 51 U.S. markets, along with digital properties that include websites, mobile applications and connected television services. TEGNA also operates Premion, an advertising technology business focused on connected television and over-the-top streaming advertising.
