Bruce Barkley was named president and general manager of KHBS-TV and KHOG-TV, Hearst TV’s stations in the Fayetteville-Fort Smith, Ark. market.
Barkley, who had been news director of WYFF-TV, Hearst’s NBC affiliate in Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson, S.C., assumes his new post effective July 20.
He succeeds Shawn Oswald, who became GM at KETV, Hearst’s station in Omaha. Barkley’s replacement will be named at a later date, the company said.
“For the last 20 years, Bruce has excelled at stewarding news teams to positions of leadership in two of our markets by focusing on great journalism that serves the local community,” said Hearst Television president Jordan Wertlieb. “He knows first-hand how a local television station can make a difference in the lives of the viewers. We know he and the outstanding team at KHBS/KHOG/Arkansas CW will do a great job building upon Shawn’s outstanding tenure.”
With Barkley in charge, WYFF was the market's news leader, expanding its newscasts and winning a regional Murrow Award for overall excellence.
Before WYFF, Barkley was news director at WAPT-TV, Jackson, Miss. He also was a news director at Columbia, S.C. He began his career as a reporter in Greenville, N.C.
