OKLAHOMA CITY — He’s served as President/GM of Hearst Television‘s ABC affiliate serving Oklahoma’s capital city since 1999 and before that ran the company’s twin ABC stations serving Fort Smith and Fayetteville, Ark., due east of this reenergized metropolis. At year’s end, retirement will come, putting the wheels in motion for a successor at KOCO-5.
R. Brent Hensley‘s career is dominated by his time with Hearst. At KOCO, he’s been the leader since 1999. And, his tenure makes him the longest-serving GM within Hearst Television and among the longest-tenured TV stations leaders in the history of the Oklahoma City market.
“Brent has devoted his career to local television and to the people of Oklahoma,” said Hearst Television President Michael J. Hayes, who will appear at the Forecast conference in New York as part of a closing session with four executives. “For more than two decades, he has guided KOCO-5 through some of the most consequential moments in the state’s history. In a market where severe weather is a way of life, he has made sure Oklahomans could count on KOCO to keep them informed and safe. His steady leadership and deep commitment to service have strengthened KOCO as an indispensable local resource. Oklahoma City has been, and always will be, home for Brent; he leaves a legacy of investing in the people around him and serving the community that shaped him. I’m proud to call Brent a colleague and a friend.”
Hensley first joined KOCO in 1983 as an account executive, moving to KSLA-TV in Shreveport, La., as National Sales Manager in 1984 and returning to KOCO in 1985. He quickly rose through the sales leadership ranks to NSM, LSM and ultimately VP/GSM.
In 1997, he moved to KHBS/KHOG in Fort Smith-Fayetteville, Ark., as President/GM before returning to KOCO for that role.
As President/GM, Hensley distinguished himself in his new role; later that year KOCO broadcast 27 hours of non-stop coverage of devastating area tornadoes, later coordinating a drive filling 12 semi-trailers with food and clothing for victims. Using the station’s prominent weather-forecasting brand, KOCO also that year launched the innovative WeatherWarn service, to notify mobile customers of looming weather events via pager alerts, and in 2002 it created a statewide weather “convergence” news effort, in concert with five area radio stations and the Oklahoma News Network. In 2001 the station news team secured the only local interview, a written “Q&A,” with Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bomber Timothy McVeigh.
Hensley commented, “I’ve been blessed with a career that I could not have dreamed of as a 1980 graduate of Oklahoma State University. I couldn’t possibly thank all the people who have supported me through my career leading to this day. In 1999, I was given the chance of a lifetime by Hearst Television to come home and run the station where I grew up, personally and professionally. I’m grateful for all those I’ve had the privilege of working alongside; it is because of their work that I have enjoyed such a gratifying run. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to lead a team in service to the viewers of Oklahoma, and I’m looking forward to continuing to serve my community in retirement, spending time with my kids and grandkids, and traveling.”
Brent Hensley has participated in the Hearst Management Institute, Hearst’s executive leadership development program, and completed executive leadership training programs with The Center for Creative Leadership and the National Association of Broadcasters.
