Sarah Smith will take over as president and general manager of Hearst-owned duopoly KMBC-KCWE — the Kansas City ABC and CW affiliates, respectively — on September 6. She replaces Wayne Godsey, who announced his retirement in June after more than 40 years in the business.
Smith stays within Hearst even as she changes jobs — she has been president and general manager of Hearst-owned KETV, the ABC affiliate in Omaha, since 2007. Under Smith’s leadership, KETV has excelled, leading its competitors across every newscast.
“The station is Omaha’s local news leader, with an outstanding reputation for journalism excellence and service to the community,” Hearst president and CEO David Barrett said in a statement. “And KETV’s consistently strong revenue and profit performance attests to her impressive business credentials.”
Smith has worked at eight stations nationwide, including as the VP-GM of both KRCR in Chico, CA and KAEF in Eureka, CA. Hearst has not yet announced a replacement for her at KETV.