Walt DeHaven, VP and general manager of KCNC Denver, marks his last day on the job July 30. He has spent 20 years atop the CBS-owned station, and 14 more with other stations in the CBS group, including ones in Chicago and Boston. The longest-serving general manager in the CBS Stations group, DeHaven has spent 34 years with the Viacom and CBS groups.
DeHaven said his plan is to “leave things in as good a shape as I can, then get out of the way.”
No successor has been named yet.
Wendy McMahon, president and co-head, CBS News and Stations, saluted DeHaven in a note to KCNC staffers. “Walt’s importance to our organization has been defined not only by his longevity, but also by his leadership, poise and the passion he has for caring about the communities we serve, our clients and all of you,” she said.
DeHaven will remain active in non-profit organizations in and around Denver. He is president and treasurer of Take Note Colorado, which provides musical instruments and education to schoolchildren, and vice chair at Swallow Hill Music, which provides music education to underserved communities.
Asked about career highlights, DeHaven responded that the biggest, most memorable stories are often tragedies, and not exactly highlights. He mentioned seeing the KCNC team coalesce amidst wildfires and mass shootings. “The very worst brings out the very best in the people in our organization, in our community,” he said.
Mark Cornetta, KUSA’s president and general manager, called DeHaven “a great partner,” whether it was educating the market on the digital transition in 2009, or on the four-station helicopter share. “Walt is a great competitor and I’ll be sorry to see him go,” said Cornetta.
DeHaven said his 20 years at KCNC, and 40 in broadcast, seemed like good numbers to end on. “I loved my time in the business,” he said. “It just seemed right.”
