SAVANNAH, GA. — For television viewers in Georgia’s Coastal Empire, local news choices have become more competitive than ever. While Gray Television’s WTOC-11 remains the leader and most top-of-mind local TV station in this region, Hearst-owned WJCL-22 has developed an incubator for its other local news organizations across the nation. Sinclair Broadcast Group’s FOX affiliate, WTGS-28, has also gained a sizable audience.
Then there is the local NBC affiliate, owned by Nexstar Media Group thanks to its merger in 2016 with Media General. It was a property that Raycom Media, at its founding, declined to own, choosing instead WTOC.
Today, that Nexstar station, WSAV-3, is on a growth spurt, making Savannah-Beaufort-Hilton Head a thriving market for broadcast TV. Now, WSAV has a new leader.
Earning a promotion to VP/GM at WSAV, which offers The CW Network on its DT2 signal, is David Hart.
He takes the role after serving in a similar role at CBS sibling WRBL-TV in Columbus, Ga., since 2012. Hart reports to SVP/Regional Ron Romines, and will build on the momentum created over the last four years by Marc Hefner. Hefner in October departed WSAV to become VP/GM of Nexstar’s property in Dallas-Fort Worth, The CW Network-affiliated KDAF-33.
For Hart, the promotion at Nexstar brings him to DMA No. 91, from No. 127. It’s a market where local news stories of national interest, including the Ahmaud Arbery case in Brunswick, Ga., brought WSAV’s reports into the spotlight.
“David is a great choice to lead Nexstar’s broadcasting and digital operations in Savannah, and he is very deserving of this promotion,” Romines said. “He’s been extremely successful in generating audience and revenue growth at WRBL-TV and wrbl.com, and has demonstrated the ability to build strong relationships within the communities in which he has worked. He is an innovative and creative leader, and I am looking forward to working with him as he begins his new duties overseeing WSAV-TV and wsav.com.”
Prior to leading WRBL-TV, Hart served as Director of Content for several media businesses in the Florence and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area, including CBS affiliate WBTW-TV. He’s also worked at several smaller newspapers.
Hart said, “My success is a result of their hard work and commitment to making WRBL-TV the best it can be.”
