Updated at 11:30am
Jordan Wertlieb, the highly respected President of Hearst Television who has held the role for a decade, is earning a promotion.
Effective May 1, Wertlieb will rise to the corporate-level post of EVP/Chief Operating Officer of Hearst.
The promotion comes after the announcement that, after 17 years at the multimedia company, Mark Aldam is stepping down.
What does this mean for Hearst Television? The individual who is presently its Chief Operating Officer will succeed Werlieb, and it is someone who began his career in broadcast TV at WISH-8 in Indianapolis.
Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb served as TV Chair of Forecast 2023, Broadcast Media’s most prestigious leadership conference. Don’t miss your chance to secure a seat at Forecast 2024 on November 15, 2023. Register now!
Once Wertlieb rises to EVP/COO of Hearst, Michael Hayes will rise to Senior VP of Hearst and President of its Hearst Television arm. He is presently Hearst Television’s COO and Deputy Group Head, a role he earned in January 2022.
Commenting on the upcoming changes, Hearst President and Chief Executive Officer Steven R. Swartz said, “Jordan’s 10 years atop Hearst Television have produced record operating results and journalism of great distinction. He has established himself as an outstanding leader both at Hearst and within the television industry, and he will be a great partner to me and to all of our Hearst colleagues in the next stage of our company’s growth.”
Wertlieb moved to the company’s New York headquarters in January 2011 as an Executive VP. Before that, he excelled on the station level, serving as President/GM, rising from General Sales Manager, of WBAL-11 in Baltimore. He joined Hearst as Sales Manager of flagship WCVB-5 in Boston, some 30 years ago.
Wertlieb began his television career in 1986 and held research and sales positions at Katz
Communications before joining Hearst. He will be receiving the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Foundation First Amendment Leadership Award on Thursday, March 2.
The Michigan Wolverine is also a graduate of the NAB Broadcast Leadership Training program.
Today, Wertlieb is the immediate past chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters Joint Board of Directors and was previously Chairman of its television board. He also serves as a Vice Chair of the Broadcasters Foundation of America and is a past president-chairman of the NBC affiliates board.
“I couldn’t be more excited to work more closely with Steve, the Hearst executive team and our company’s outstanding business leaders,” Wertlieb said. “Hearst has been a staple of my life and my family’s life for nearly 30 years, and each day, its creativity, community leadership and customer focus make me proud.”
Commenting in Hayes, Swartz said, “Mike has continuously distinguished himself through more than two decades of leadership positions at Hearst Television and is a fitting successor to Jordan and other great Hearst Television leaders, including Hearst trustees David Barrett and John Conomikes.”
Wertlieb also spoke highly of Hayes, adding, “Throughout his entire career, Mike has been an important voice in our company and an instrumental thought leader during his tenure in corporate leadership and specifically over the last year as Hearst Television’s chief operating officer. In every assignment, he has exemplified the Hearst culture. His unparalleled leadership, commitment to localism and focus on the advancement and growth of individuals throughout the company have positioned him perfectly to lead Hearst Television into the future.”
Hayes said, “Working with each of these impactful leaders over the years shaped my affection, appreciation and understanding of Hearst Television, our culture and our values. All over the country, our talented teams produce best-in-class content as they reflect and serve their diverse communities. Their work — and commitment to excellence in all facets of what we do —defines local broadcasting. The future of the industry is bright. I look forward to working with Steve and Jordan to continue capitalizing on our success and the extraordinary opportunities ahead.”
Before coming to New York, Hayes served as President/GM at Hearst-owned ABC affiliate WTAE-4 in Pittsburgh, beginning in March 2011. Before that, he was President/GM of Hearst’s WYFF-4, the NBC affiliate in the Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.-Asheville, N.C., DMA. He held that role from 2003-2011. Before that, Hayes spent 7 years as GSM of WLWT-5 in Cincinnati, the market’s NBC affiliate. He began his broadcast television career as a sportscaster and producer at WISH-8 — at the time the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, and today an affiliate of The CW Network owned by DuJuan McCoy’s Circle City Broadcasting.
Hayes is the immediate past chairman of the ABC Television Affiliates board of governors. He previously served as a Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and was the first chairman asked and elected to a second term of the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, which, in 2022, inducted him into its Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, Aldam, whose tenure includes six years as President of Hearst Newspapers, will remain with Hearst — first as an executive vice president to help with the transition
until November 1, then as executive at large and special advisor to the CEO, continuing to
oversee “the e-commerce and data innovations he championed as COO,” the privately held company said.
Swartz commented, “In his 17 years at Hearst, Mark has led our newspaper company, pioneered numerous innovations, including those in technology and e-commerce, and brought many talented individuals into our Hearst family,” said Swartz. “We thank him for all he has done for our company, and we are quite pleased that we will continue to benefit from his guidance going forward.”
Aldam shared the reasons behind his decision to relinquish his current role. “After lengthy reflection, I’ve concluded it is the right time to step back and prioritize other
purpose-directed interests,” he said. “It has been an honor to serve alongside such a
talented group of mission-resolute leaders, and I am thrilled to be staying at Hearst to support the recent investments we’ve made in e-commerce and data innovations.”
