40/29 names new president and GM
by July 24, 2020 10:36 am 759 views
New York City-based Hearst Television has plucked a market-leading news director from South Carolina to be the new president and general manager of ABC affiliate KHBS/KHOG, Channels 40/29, and its sister station Arkansas CW in Northwest Arkansas.
Bruce T. Barkley will start his new job effective July 20. He succeeds Shawn Oswald, who was recently appointed president and general manager of KETV-TV, Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate in Omaha, Neb.
Since 2012, Barkley served as news director of WYFF-TV, Hearst Television’s market-leading NBC affiliate serving the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson, S.C., and Asheville, N.C., television market.
In addition to South Carolina, Barkley has held posts in North Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi. As a news director at three different stations, he guided newsrooms to multiple regional Edward R. Murrow, Associated Press and Emmy wins, according to a news release.
“For the last 20 years, Bruce has excelled at stewarding news teams to positions of leadership in two of our markets by focusing on great journalism that serves the local community,” Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb said in a statement. “He knows first-hand how a local television station can make a difference in the lives of the viewers. We know he and the outstanding team at KHBS/KHOG/Arkansas CW will do a great job building upon Shawn’s outstanding tenure.”
In 2016, Barkley oversaw the launch of “WYFF News 4 at 4pm,” which has led its time period since inception. In 2019 he spearheaded an innovative partnership to open the station’s Clemson University news bureau on the school’s campus. The arrangement allows students to work alongside professional journalists on a regular basis.