BOSTON, Mass.—Hearst Television has named Kevin Kalia director of engineering for WCVB Channel 5, Hearst Television’s flagship station. Kalia will assume the new post on July 10. 

“Kevin is an extremely talented broadcast executive who has been an invaluable member of the Hearst Television team for many years,” said Kyle I. Grimes, WCVB president and GM. “Kevin’s diverse leadership experience in the broadcast industry allows him a unique vantage point, and his dedication to mentorship perfectly aligns with WCVB’s commitment to public service. We are excited to welcome Kevin to WCVB’s management team and know he will be a tremendous addition to the Channel 5 family.”

Kalia joins WCVB from WGAL, Hearst Television’s market-leading property in Lancaster, Pa., where he served for four years as the director of engineering managing all broadcast engineering operations as well as the station’s facilities and platforms. Kalia helped lead the station through the uncharted waters of the pandemic by innovating and adapting technologies while simultaneously launching and executing the largest renovation project in the history of the station, the company reported. 

Long dedicated to advancing the media industry and mentoring future professionals, Kalia also worked to build relationships with regional universities and high schools providing resources to media students. Kalia led the charge and successfully secured an unprecedented grant from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters to fund all new equipment for the broadcast program at McCaskey High School serving as a beta for future high school grants in the state. 

Before WGAL, Kalia was the assistant chief engineer at WYFF, Hearst Television’s Greenville, S.C. station. While at WYFF, Kalia helped manage all aspects of the newsroom’s renovation. He also managed all technical logistics for the station’s special events including two Clemson National Championship parades, total solar eclipse coverage, and a Gubernatorial Debate. Before WYFF, Kalia was Digital Content Manager at Hearst’s WTAE in Pittsburgh, Pa. where he first was a producer in WTAE’s News Department. He began his broadcasting career at WTAJ in Altoona, Pa. as a news producer.  

Kalia, a member of The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies/Film & Television from Pennsylvania State University.

BOSTON—How might television news be reimagined if it were to tell stories with new forms of animation, graphics and data visualization? That’s the question a pair of television stations, the Northeastern University School of Journalism and the Stanton Foundation are setting out to answer.

Under the banner of the Video News Research Project, WLS-TV in Chicago and WCVB-TV in Boston along with the university and foundation will create year-long, paid fellowship positions at each station to explore innovative new visual storytelling techniques.

Led by Mike Beaudet, an Emmy-winning investigative reporter and Northeastern professor, as well as John Wihbey, head of the journalism graduate programs and director of the new Co-Laboratory for Data Impact, the project will draw on research previously conducted by the university about the future of local TV news.

“We will work in partnership with these new Visual Content Producers and their news teams to assess how innovative storytelling approaches might perform in the real world, based on testing and a variety of metrics,” said Beaudet, also a reporter at WCVB.

“We want to help ensure that local news attracts new audiences both on-air and online, finds innovative ways to engage the general public with hard news and ultimately maintains its vital civic and educational purpose long into the future.”

John Idler, president and GM of WLS-TV, ABC 7 Chicago, said the station is eager to work with the Visual Content Producer. “We believe the new Visual Content Producer working in tandem with the top news team in Chicago will help us continue to modernize and engage with the next generation of news viewers,” he said.

The Stanton Foundation, formed by former CBS President Dr. Frank Stanton, is supporting the academic-industry partnership with a grant of nearly $500,000, an amount in addition to the $150,000 grant it awarded Northeastern researchers to conduct a national study testing experimental videos done in partnership with six TV stations, including WLS-TV.

The study found audiences want in-depth, hard-news video storytelling delivered in a compelling manner. “Enhancing its [local television’s] ability to deliver important news is critical to increasing public understanding,” the foundation said in a statement.

The two positions are full-time, salaried roles with benefits. WLS and WCVB will make hiring decisions. They will employ the producers, who will also act as industry liaisons with the Northeastern faculty.

A job description of the positions say the Visual Content Producers will be responsible for planning, pitching and executing small and large concepts in various styles using programs like Autodesk Maya and Adobe After Effects. Skills in 2-D and 3-D animation are required as well as proficiency in the Adobe Suite and Autodesk Maya. Interested parties should send their CVs and work samples to: reinventingtvnews@gmail.com.