Hearst Television has renewed its partnership with PolitiFact, the fact-checking website of the Tampa Bay Times, for a second year.

“Conventional wisdom may hold that television stations relax political news coverage during non-election years, but the reality is different,” Hearst Television chairman and CEO David Barrett said in a statement. “These latest efforts reflect our own continuing commitment to ensure that legislators and regulators whose decisions impact our communities will get a forum, and that their statements and activities will receive the analysis they warrant.”

Hearst has also announced a series of statewide town hall discussions, “Leaders Listen,” in New Hampshire. WMUR, Hearst’s ABC affiliate in Manchester, will live-stream the events.

The University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism has announced the 2013 winners of the Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.

KARE, Gannett’s NBC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul, won for local broadcast station. The judges cited its coverage of the marriage equality debate, calling KARE’s reporting “fair, balanced and deeply personal.” WBNS in Columbus received a special commendation for citizen engagement. Denver’s KUSA was the winner of the Cronkite/Jackson Prize for Fact Checking Political Messages, a category that was just introduced to the awards this year.

• Related, TVNewser: ABC News, CNN Win Cronkite Awards

Two reporters were honored for individual achievement at a local broadcast station. Marshall Zelinger, a content producer and presenter at KMGH in Denver, won for his “clarity of presentation” and “modern production techniques.” Tom McKee, a reporter at WCPO in Cincinnatti, received the special commendation for citizen engagement for his his extensive fieldwork. Read more

Hearst Television has announced two promotions: David J. Barrett has been named chairman and CEO and Jordan Wertlieb has been named president. Both promotions are effective immediately.

Barrett was named CEO of Hearst-Argyle Television in 2001 and continued in that role when the company was re-named Hearst Television in 2009. He joined Hearst as general manager of the company’s Baltimore radio stations in 1984.

In a statement announcing the promotions, Hearst Corporation CEO Frank A. Bennack, Jr. called Barrett “an important leader at Hearst.” Read more

WAPT news director Bruce Barkley (pictured) is moving from Jackson, Miss. to Greenville, S.C., where he will take over as news director of WYFF.

It is a move within Hearst for Barkley, who has served as WAPT’s news director since 2000. He will step into the role vacated by Justin Antoniotti, who is leaving WYFF to serve as news director for another Hearst station, WATE in Pittsburgh.

“We feel very fortunate to welcome someone of Bruce’s experience and knowledge,” WYFF general manager John Soapes said in a statement. “He has a proven track record of creating outstanding local television news programming, all while providing superior leadership and building great teams.”

Ben Hart, who has been assistant news director of WAPT since 2010, will step into the news director role at the Jackson ABC affiliate. Hart is a graduate of Mississippi State University. Read more

Hearst threw a party at Boston’s Museum of Fine arts Thursday night to celebrate two milestone events: Hearst turning 125 and WCVB, the company’s ABC affiliate, turning 40.

The event, which was attended by 250 guests, included a private screening of Citizen Hearst at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Among the attendees: musician John Legend, Hearst CEO Frank A. Bennack, Jr., WCVB general manager Bill Fine, anchor Susan Wornick, traffic reporter Dorothy Krysiuk, past general manager Paul LaCamera, reporter Liam Martin (pictured left), anchor Emily Riemer (pictured center) and meteorologist JC Monahan (pictured right).

More pictures after the jump… Read more

Toledo ABC affiliate WTVG has made three new hires, according to the Toledo Blade: Ross Ellet (left), Nichole Langley (center) and Daryl Kirkland-Morgan (right).

Ellet is a meteorologist who joined WTVG from the Ohio News Network, which shuttered earlier this year. Before that, he was a weekend meteorologist for KHBS-KHOG, Hearst Television’s duopoly in Fayetteville, Ark.

Langley, also a meteorologist, will serve as WTVG’s weekday traffic anchor and reporter and will also be an occasional weather anchor. She comes from KFBB in Great Falls, Mont., where she has been the morning meteorologist since 2010. Read more

Paige Harrison is joining WPBF as news director.  Harrison comes to the West Palm Beach ABC affiliate from WTAE in Pittsburgh where she was assistant news director.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to return to Florida and join the area’s most talented and hard-working local news team,” said Harrison. “WPBF 25 has seen historic ratings growth, and I look forward to further strengthening our commitment to the South Florida viewers.”

Harrison, who moves from one Hearst station to another, fills the empty chair vacated by Kyle Grimes’ promotion to president and general manager of Hearst Stations WPTZ-WNNE in Plattsburgh-Burlington.

Read more

Despite extending talks for more than a week past the original expiration of their retransmission consent contract, Time Warner Cable and Hearst were unable to come to an agreement by midnight yesterday, leaving 13 stations unavailable on the cable provider today.

“Time Warner Cable has reached hundreds of agreements with other broadcasters without broadcaster blackouts, but Hearst’s demand for a nearly 300% increase is way out of line,” a Time Warner statement released last night reads. “That kind of outrageous increase is unfair to our customers and unsustainable for our business.”

Hearst has statements informing viewers on each respective station’s website. Read more

Philip Stolz, who has been senior vice president of Hearst Television since 1998, will retire next year, the company announced today.

The retirement caps more than 40 years in the television industry. Stolz began his career as an account executive and sales manager at WXOW in La Crosse, WI, and eventually went on to serve as general manager for WBAL in Baltimore, WDTN in Dayton, WQOW in Eau Claire, WI, and KCRG in Cedar Rapids, IA.

“Phil’s insightful understanding of television news, programming, sales and community engagement, coupled with his sound business judgment, has contributed enormously to the success and positive reputation of our company,” Hearst president and CEO David Barrett said in a statement.  Read more