Hearst Television’s senior vice president of technology and information services, Alvin R. Lustgarten will retire in next summer.
Lustgarten has served in his current role since 2020. He’s worked more than three decades with Hearst Television—and more than four decades in various roles within Hearst corporation.
“Al has been one of the most important common threads in the Hearst Television tapestry for over thirty years,” said Hearst Television president Jordan Wertlieb. “His leadership of the technology strategy, systems and processes, as well as his mentorship of many of our colleagues, has been instrumental in the evolution of Hearst Television from its original footprint to the significant scale of today’s company. We are all grateful for the significant contributions to our company and the industry that Al has made to position all of our businesses for success for years to come.”
Before working in his current role, Lustgarten was vice president of technology and information services—overseeing the company’s technology, information and back-office ad operation services. Lustgarten has also provided strategic leadership for many of the company’s new technology initiatives, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics; has played a critical role in overseeing Hearst Television’s cloud transformation; and has led all aspects of its information security program.
“I’ve been fortunate and privileged to spend nearly my entire career at Hearst,” said Lustgarten. “The company has afforded me incredible opportunities—such as enabling me to be a part of the team building Hearst Television into one of America’s premier local broadcast companies. I’m thankful to all those who have worked with me, mentored me and supported me; they have all contributed significantly to my success.”
Before Hearst TV, Lustgarten served in finance, accounting, and technology positions within parent company Hearst and Hearst Magazines.
Lustgarten has also held leadership roles within the television industry, especially focused on efforts to modernize business practices. He was a founding member of the TV Interface Practices (TIP) Initiative, a working consortium formed by local television broadcasters dedicated to promoting open interfaces to streamline advertising transactions for broadcasters and their media agency partners. Earlier this year, in partnership with colleagues from Gray Television, Graham Media and CoxReps, Lustgarten was instrumental in Hearst Television’s investment in a Media Sales Gateway named Admiral, a sell-side tool that provides both the infrastructure and workflows to automate converged advertising sales.