Kathleen Choal, VP and general manager of KSHB Kansas City, has an unusual entry in her LinkedIn profile. In between news director jobs at WGCL Atlanta and KVOA Tucson, she spent two years as a police officer in Surprise, Arizona.
“At the end of the day, both journalists and cops want to make their community a better place,” Choal, B+C's GM of the Year for markets 26-50, said.
Broadcaster of the Year: Debra OConnell, President of Networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution
Station Group of the Year: ABC Owned Television Stations
GM of the Year, Markets 1-25: Tony Canales, KTMD Houston/KASA Albuquerque
GM of the Year Markets 51-Plus: Rocky Daboval, WBRZ Baton Rouge
News Director: Dana McDaniel, KFMB San Diego
Multiplatform Broadcaster: Hearst Television
Unsung Hero: Julie Griffin, KTRK Houston
News Anchor, Meteorologist and Sports Anchor of the Year
E.W. Scripps Co. VP of operations Ed Fernandez, who hired Choal to be GM at NBC affiliate KSHB, said the composure she developed as an officer contributed to her performance at Scripps’ San Luis Obispo station KSBY. “She never loses her cool,” Fernandez said.
KSHB’s staff follows her lead. “She’s helped bring a calm and a direction and a fortitude to the station,” Fernandez said. “She has a strong mind and a good heart. She always credits the team, even though I know she’s the one who led the effort.”
Choal faced a tough task at KSHB, which had been sued for race discrimination by Black news staffers. She had to rebuild the station’s culture and improve its performance in the community. Now it’s a model for Scripps stations, Fernandez said.
“There were good people who work here and we had to utilize their strengths and get them moving in the same direction,” Choal said.
The station had openings at news director, creative services director and sales director. She also added a community relations director. After making those hires, they focused on what kind of news station they wanted to be. KSHB replaced its decades-old Action News branding with simply KSHB 41 News and a tagline of “KHSB 41: A Voice for Everyone.”
“Our focus became depth, community and positivity,” Choal said.
Choal also spearheaded community programs, notably the Gift of Sole Gala, which invites viewers to donate money to buy sneakers for children whose families are struggling.
KSHB’s local content does a better job these days of reflecting its community. “We wanted to be that station that had real authentic people on the anchor desk who were out in the field reporting,” Choal said. “The goal is to help our community be a better place by shining a light on problems but also on the people who are doing good things.” ▪️
