3 Stations, One General Manager

Tegna has tapped longtime TV executive Mellynda Hartel to oversee a trio of its Florida stations.

Hartel is heading down to the Sunshine State to take over as President and General Manager of First Coast News (WTLV/WJXX, the NBC and ABC dual-affiliates in Jacksonville) along with WTSP, the company's CBS affiliate in Tampa.

She arrives with more than three decades of experience in the biz, most recently serving as SVP and GM of Fox’s KTVU and KICU in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over her career, Hartel has logged stops in major markets including Phoenix,Boston, and Washington, D.C.

“Mellynda is a highly respected leader in our industry, known for her strategic vision, ability to develop strong teams and track record of driving growth and innovation,” said Joan Barrett, group general manager for TEGNA's Northeast and Southeast regions. Barrett added that Hartel brings "a combination of experience, creativity and a passion for local media that will help us strengthen our connection with Florida communities, grow audiences and create new opportunities for our advertising partners.”

For her part, Hartel is ready to dive into the Florida market. “First Coast News and WTSP are among TEGNA's strongest stations, with newsrooms that have earned the trust of their communities,” Hartel said. “I'm eager to help them build on that legacy by creating new opportunities for our viewers to access trusted content and new solutions for our business partners.”

Remember when a GM job wasn’t a part-time gig at different stations?