Former KNBC Leader Selected as Lamb’s Successor

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WEST LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — In April, he quietly exited the role of President/GM of KNBC-4 in Los Angeles, a role he’d been appointed to in September 2011.


Would Steve Carlston soon be reemerging, perhaps across town after any sort of noncompete agreement was fulfilled? The answer is now known, and it is an emphatic yes.

 

Carlston is succeeding the retiring Bill Lamb at FOX Television Stations’ L.A. duopoly.

Effective October 26, Carlston will take the role of SVP/GM of KTTV “FOX 11” and “My13” KCOP-13.

He’ll report directly to FOX Television Stations CEO Jack Abernethy, who said, “We were fortunate that someone with Steve’s exceptional track record and knowledge of L.A. was available. The fact that he worked at FOX before is also a win.”

Before his 11-year tenure at KNBC-4, a widely regarded role that saw Carlston finish at No. 4 in RBR+TVBR‘s Top Local TV Leaders rankings for 2021, he previously served as VP/GM of KUTV-2 in Salt Lake City. That role was his second in the market, as earlier in his career he led FOX-affiliated KSTU-13.

Carlston has also been the EVP of Affiliate Relations and Marketing for the UPN Network and served as the Chief Operating Officer for SF Broadcasting, where he managed FOX stations as part of the then-Savoy/FOX partnership. Additionally, Carlston is a former Executive Director for Buena Vista Television Syndication.

Carlston started his broadcasting career in sales for Katz Communications as an Account Executive and later, served as a Sales Manager, and then served as both National and Local Sales Manager for Hearst’s WTAE-4 in Pittsburgh, an ABC affiliate.

“I am thrilled to be joining Jack and the team at KTTV to continue the station’s tradition of excellence and build upon its legacy of news and programming,” Carlston said.

Block, who announced his retirement one month ago, came to KTTV on July 5, 2019, after spending 20 years as Block Communications VP of Broadcast Operations and WDRB-41 in Louisville GM. In a note to station staff, Block wrote,  “As I have said before, ‘The only constant is change.’ In that spirit, I’ve made the decision to step away from my 50-year television career. I don’t know if I’m comfortable calling it ‘retirement,’ but I do plan to spend more time with my family and my golf clubs!”