Hearst Taps Justin Antoniotti as GM for Stations in Kansas City

Justin Antoniotti (Image credit: Hearst Television)

Hearst Television named Justin Antoniotti president and general manager of its stations in Kansas City, KMBC-TV, and KCWE-TV, effective Jan. 1.

Antoniotti, previously GM at Hearst’s WGAL-TV in the Lancaster-Harrisburg, Lebanon, York, Pennsylvania, market, succeeds Sarah Smith, who announced plans to retire at the end of the year. Before WGAL, Antoniotti ran Hearst’s stations in the Burlington, Vermont-Plattsburgh, N.Y., market.

“Justin has achieved terrific success in each of his roles with Hearst Television,” said Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb. “Having managed at a variety of television stations, including some of the company’s heritage properties, he has a keen understanding of the impact Hearst stations have in the communities they serve. This, coupled with his experience running our duopoly in Burlington-Plattsburgh, including launching the market’s first full power CW station, makes him the ideal executive to lead KMBC and KCWE.”

Before Burlington, Antoniotti was a news director at Hearst’s WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh and WYFF-TV, Greenville, S.C., and assistant news director at WISN-TV, Milwaukee. Prior to joining Hearst, he did time in Houston, Memphis, Biloxi and Columbia, Missouri.

Antoniotti’s father Steve was also in the television business, first in news, later as the GM of stations including WADL-TV, Detroit. ■

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.