As the broadcast television company warns viewers of its stations that they could face a “blackout,” by law, if they are DirecTV subscribers due to the absence of a fresh retransmission consent accord, TEGNA has moved forward with the naming of a new Director of Content for its NBC affiliate serving Atlanta.
Starting December 11, the position will be held by Carol Fowler, who will oversee the day-to-day operations of the news department at WXIA “11Alive.” Fowler will also be asked to serve as a leader in developing the strategic vision for the station’s audience growth.
Once at WXIA, Fowler will report to President/GM Kristie Gonzales. “During her more than 25-year career, Carol has led large market newsrooms to new heights,” Gonzales commented. “With her digital acumen, she has successfully created innovative newsrooms that serve the local community, no matter the platform. She is a strong believer in teamwork and her unwavering dedication to inclusive journalism is evident in her team’s award-winning work in St. Louis. We are thrilled to have a leader of her caliber in Atlanta.”
Fowler since 2019 has been in charge of content strategy at TEGNA-owned KSDK-5 in St. Louis, also an NBC affiliate. There, she managed a team of more than 90 journalists. Before joining KSDK, Fowler was an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University and a co-facilitator at the Poynter Institute.
From October 2017-December 2018, Fowler was in the print journalism business, serving as SVP of Digital News Products at the Chicago Sun-Times. However, Fowler is widely remembered in Chicago for her role as VP/News Director at WBBM-2, from September 2002 through early 2009; and at WFLD-32 in Chicago from February 2009 through January 2012. Additionally, Fowler was a News Director for WGN-9, and from May 1989 until September 1994 was a newscast producer at WLS-7.
“It’s an honor to join 11Alive in this leadership role,” Fowler said. “Our goal is to create and support a newsroom environment that brings out the very best in every journalist, all with a clear understanding of our purpose as a news organization. Reporting stories that are top of mind and highly relevant to the lives of our diverse Atlanta audience will be at the core.”
Fowler is a native of Jackson, Miss., and a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in Journalism. She and her husband, David Klobucar, are the parents of two adult daughters, Kate and Christine.
