On November 12, a veteran media executive with more than four decades of industry and leadership experience who today oversees both NBC and Telemundo-branded owned stations and the NBC Sports Regional Networks will be honored with the 2026 RBR+TVBR Lifetime Leadership Award. Now, the Forecast conference presentation of this award will have deeper meaning — Valari Dobson Staab’s post-retirement successor as Chairman of NBCUniversal Local has been named.
This means a leadership transition will conclude before the end of 2026.
Be in the room as Valari Staab is honored for her career accomplishments! Limited seating remains for Forecast 2027 at the Harvard Club of the City of New York on Thursday, November 12. Click here for all of the details.
Earning the role held by Staab, who joined NBCUniversal in 2011 as President of NBC Owned TV Stations following a tenure at ABC Owned Television Stations, is Chris Wayland.
Wayland, a local television industry professional with more than 30 years of experience, presently serves as President/GM of WBTS-TV “NBC Boston” and WNEU-TV “Telemundo Boston,” in addition to the NBC Sports Boston regional sports network. He has held the role since 2020, one year after joining NBCU.
With Wayland already working alongside Staab to ensure a smooth transition in leadership, he’ll eventually oversee NBCU Local, part of NBCU News Group. It is comprised of 50 local, regional and national media properties, including 11 NBC-owned and 31 Telemundo-owned stations, four RSNs, three national multicast networks, and 17 streaming channels, as well as LXTV Productions and Skycastle.
In a note to staff shared on Monday (10/5), NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde commended Wayland for “building an integrated, multiplatform operation, a high-performing team and a strong culture closely connected to the audiences and communities they serve.”
Conde also singled out Wayland for being “instrumental in the growth of NBC10 and was a key leader in the development and launch of the NBCUniversal Boston Media Center. Chris understands the power and importance of local media, and I know he will be an outstanding leader for NBCUniversal Local.”
Conde confirmed that Wayland and Staab will work closely together over the coming weeks, with the transition taking place before the end of the year.
Conde also took a moment to recognize “the extraordinary legacy” Staab leaves behind. “Over a remarkable 46-year career in local television and journalism — including more than 15 years at NBCUniversal — Val has been a tireless champion of local journalism and the communities we serve. Under her leadership, what began as 10 NBC-owned stations grew into NBCUniversal Local’s nationwide, multiplatform portfolio of 50 media properties.”
Adding a personal note, Conde said, “I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside Val. She is a leader of enormous integrity and conviction, a trusted colleague and friend, and a mentor to countless people across our company and our industry. Her impact can be seen not only in the organization she helped build, but in the generations of broadcasters and leaders she has supported and developed along the way.”
That next generation of leadership will be handed to a defenseman — Wayland played collegiate hockey at Elmira College, graduating in 1993.
After three years as Director of Sales for Comcast Spotlight, Wayland in June 2007 joined the Ansin family-owned Sunbeam Television, serving as General Sales Manager for WHDH-7 in Boston. After 16 months, he rose to VP/GM for WHDH — then an NBC affiliate — and for sibling WLVI-TV in Boston. In September 2014, a promotion to Executive VP/GM for all of Sunbeam Television in Boston was seen.
In September 2016, a change in venue came for Wayland as he was named VP of Group Operations at Tribune Media. He would later serve as Sr. VP/GM for former flagship property WPIX-11 in New York, and arrive at NBCU Local in 2019 as Sr. VP/Station Manager for the Boston properties.
