Shawn Oswald Named President and General Manager of WISN-TV, Milwaukee

NEW YORK, N.Y., and Milwaukee, WI, December 3, 2024 – Longtime Hearst Television executive Shawn Oswald has been named president and general manager of WISN-TV, Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He succeeds Jan Wade, who is retiring at year-end.

Since 2020, Oswald has served as president and general manager of KETV, Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska; before that, he was president and general manager of KHBS-TV/KHOG-TV and The Arkansas CW, the Hearst Television ABC and CW affiliates, respectively, serving the Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas, television market. Today’s announcement marks a return for Oswald to WISN, where he was the national sales manager from 1998 to 2000.

“Shawn is an experienced Hearst Television leader who brings a record of success with him back to WISN,” said Michael J. Hayes, Hearst Television president. “He draws from a diverse background in complex and competitive markets. Over the last decade, his teams have consistently delivered in news, sales, and community service initiatives.”

Among many accomplishments, Oswald continued KETV’s legacy of success in Omaha. In 2024 alone, KETV earned the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Station of the Year Award, four regional Edward R. Murrow awards, and the prestigious National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Service to America Award, for its news coverage, as well as the NAB Leadership Foundation’s Celebration of Service to America Award for its “Voices of Gen Z” teen summit.

At KHBS/KHOG, Oswald directed numerous developments including the highly successful premiere of the market’s MeTV affiliate, using one of the stations’ digital channels, and the launch of local newscasts on the stations’ CW affiliate, The Arkansas CW. He oversaw a newsroom build-out, nearly tripling the space dedicated to newsgathering, while also leading a rejuvenation of the stations’ sales, marketing, and promotion strategies. The stations achieved ratings growth and numerous journalism awards; KHBS/KHOG-TV’s 40/29 News earned several regional Emmy awards for news and weather, among other categories, as well as regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for Sports Reporting and its Website. Oswald also nurtured and expanded several community-service efforts including the annual holiday Turkey Drive with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and a back-to-school backpack giveaway, which is now in its 12^th year.

Prior to returning to Hearst Television in 2014 at KHBS/KHOG, Oswald held industry sales and general management positions in Fort Myers, Florida, and Wichita, Kansas. Oswald currently serves on the Board of Counselors for University of Nebraska Medical Center, and as a board member for the Omaha Chamber of Commerce and Omaha Crimestoppers. He is on the Executive Committee for the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and the Salvation Army. Oswald previously served on the boards of the Arkansas Broadcasters Association and the Kansas Broadcasters Association.

Oswald is a graduate of the Hearst Management Institute, an executive training program facilitated by Northwestern University. He earned a broadcasting degree from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas where he played on the men’s tennis team.

About Hearst Television

Hearst Television owns and/or operates 35 television and two radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states reaching over 24 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over more than 120 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MYNetworkTV, MeTV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Its Hearst Media Production Group unit produces original programming across linear and streaming platforms for domestic and international distribution. Its Very Local app, free to download on household OTT devices and available across popular streaming services, offers 24/7 access to local news, weather and an array of local and regional programming. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry’s premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.