Jeff Benscoter, once a WKRC-TV executive news producer, has been named news director at WLWT-TV (Channel 5).
He comes from sister Hearst station KMBC-TV in Kansas City, where he was assistant news director for 18 months.
Benscoter replaces Mike Neelly, who was promoted by Hearst to general manager at WAPT-TV in Jackson, Miss.
His 25 years of local news experience includes nine years as a producer and executive producer at WKYT-TV in Lexington (1989-98); two years at Channel 12 (1998-2000); and six years as senior executive producer at WTHR-TV in Indianpolis (2008-2014). He also was news director at KYTV-TV in Springfield, MO (2000-2008), leading the news team to one national and two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.
At the Kansas City station, he played a key role in developing and executing the station’s strategic vision, according to the Channel 5 announcement. Benscoter helped lead the station’s coverage of the Ferguson civil unrest and the Kansas City Royals World Series championship, Channel 5 said.
Benscoter starts here the week of Jan. 18, one week after WLWT-TV debuts a half-hour 10 p.m. newscast on its Me TV digital multicast Channel 5.2. He’s the third new TV news director hired here in the last six months, following the arrival of Tim Geraghty at Channel 12 and Steve Hyvonen at WXIX-TV Channel 19.
Benscoter and his wife, Sheri, have a daughter Kamryn and son Luke.
