It is one of most popular features of the year among readers of the Radio + Television Business Report. Now, it has been enhanced for our upcoming Fall 2026 magazine as an improved reflection of the individuals driving live and local TV across the U.S.. For the seventh consecutive year, RBR+TVBR has opened its nomination window for its 2026 Top Local TV Leaders list.
These local individuals are the captains of news organizations and important free-to-air channels that have emerged as important and essential information and entertainment sources, with journalists offering reports from around the world and across the street as live sports draws more and more viewers back to where it all began — broadcast TV. Add in prime-time fare and sprinkle Spanish-language offerings into the mix, and it's clear that no-cost over-the-air television has proven resilient. With NEXTGEN TV still awaiting viewers, these local TV leaders are playing their part to keep the engines revved for years to come.
Nominations are being accepted through Wednesday, September 9. Please be sure to vote today! The official Top Local TV Leaders of 2026 list will be exclusively released in the Fall 2026 RBR+TVBR Special Report, distributed digitally on November 9 and in print at Forecast 2027 on November 12, 2026, at the Harvard Club in the City of New York.
The Top Local TV Leaders list began in 2020 and expanded in 2021 to 20 honorees. With the 2026 list, we are no longer ranking these in-market superstars as we salute their leadership and accomplishments. Reader nominations will fuel a curated A-Z list finalized by the RBR+TVBR editorial team.
Make your nomination NOW!
To make your nomination, please follow RBR+TVBR’s guidelines:
1. The persons you nominate must be actively in a top leadership position at a broadcast television station or group in the U.S. or Puerto Rico and have a minimum of five years’ experience in broadcast media.2. Nominations can come from any department of a radio or television station or parent company; media brokers; communications attorneys; and programming distributors and suppliers.
3. HURRY! You may submit your nomination by our deadline of Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 5pm Eastern/2pm Pacific. Please submit only one ballot.