Parsons named WTAE news director

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jim Parsons wasn’t exaggerating when he described his career as having “unusual and unorthodox twists and turns.”

On Monday, Hearst Television named Mr. Parsons WTAE’s news director. His appointment comes three years after he was promoted from longtime investigative reporter to the ABC affiliate’s assistant news director.

“I am absolutely thrilled,” said Mr. Parsons, who has been with WTAE for 18 years.

He was, technically, management straight out of the University of Dayton at age 22. Three weeks after starting work at WKRT in Cortland, N.Y., as a radio newsman, the news director quit. Mr. Parsons was put in charge of the three-man operation. He then had to hire a replacement for his old job.

Two years after transitioning to TV, he was made a news anchor at WROC in Rochester, N.Y. Not long after that, in Indianapolis, he suddenly became an investigative reporter.

“I say ‘Yes’ to a lot of things,” he said.

“Jim’s strong news instincts, passion for journalism and knowledge of Pittsburgh make him uniquely prepared to take on this important position,” station president and general manager Charles Wolfertz III said in a statement. “I have no doubt Jim will build on WTAE Channel 4’s many accomplishments and lead the way in delivering quality news coverage to our viewers.”

Multiple platforms, including social media, are playing a big part beyond the scheduled TV and web broadcasts: “It’s all about the strategies for doing that,” Mr. Parsons said.

At WTAE-TV, the challenge to improve ratings includes “delivering news to where people are, so they can expect the news to find them on their mobile device.”

Mr. Parsons’ promotion takes effect immediately. He follows Justin Antoniotti, who left earlier this month to become president and general manager of Hearst’s NBC affiliates (WPTZ, WNNE) in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and Burlington, Vt.