Candy Altman, Hearst Television VP of news, will retire in June. The move will wrap up a 35-year career at Hearst that saw the broadcaster win a Peabody Award and nine consecutive USC Annenberg Walter Cronkite Awards.
Altman will teach journalism leadership at Boston University this fall.
“Candy has been an important architect and voice of Hearst Television’s industry-leading news brand and commitment to community service,” said Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb. “Her leadership in the formation of our award-winning Commitment initiative set an industry benchmark for political coverage by local television groups; her vision and dedication to investigative journalism have positioned Hearst stations as trusted destinations for viewers seeking accountability from their community leaders. More recently, her efforts in helping launch Hearst Television’s State of Addiction project to address the nation’s opioid crisis have exemplified her contributions to the important and nationally recognized work of local TV journalism.”
Altman became Hearst Television’s VP of news in 2001. From 1993 to 2000, she was VP and news director at Hearst’s WCVB Boston. She joined WCVB in 1983 as executive producer of the station's 11 p.m. newscast, and was the station’s Political Unit director for the 1992 election period.
Altman joined WCVB from WPRI Providence, where she was executive news producer. From 1979 to 1981, she held a variety of news-production positions at WPLG Miami. She began her career as a reporter at KOMU in Columbia, Missouri.
“Candy may be most proud professionally of the lives she’s touched and the news leaders she’s helped to develop,” said Barbara Maushard, Hearst Television senior VP, news. “Whether she’s executing on internal training programs for young journalists or lending her talents to various industry organizations, Candy placed great value on mentoring the future leaders of our industry. She also implemented our successful producer fellowship program–named for our mentor Fred Young, Hearst Television’s retired senior VP, news, with whom she worked for most of her career. It’s no surprise that one of the first things Candy will do after she ‘retires’ is teach journalism leadership at Boston University in the fall.”
Altman has served as VP of the Associated Press Broadcast Advisory Board, as a member of the National Advisory Board of the Poynter Institute, and as president of the ABC News Affiliate Advisory Board. She has served on the boards of The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund and The Kids Clothes Club. She is a Trustee of the A-Plus Scholarship Fund at WCVB.
