CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hearst Television Senior Director of Advertising Operations Marc Mekler will retire at the end of 2026, concluding a 43-year career spent entirely with the company.

Mekler began at WCVB-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, as an advertising traffic specialist. He later helped consolidate Hearst’s advertising operations for stations in 27 markets into a centralized Charlotte hub.

FROM PAPER TRAFFIC LOGS TO ADDRESSABLE ADVERTISING

During Mekler’s tenure, television advertising operations moved from paper-based scheduling and manual traffic systems toward digital workflows, centralized inventory management and addressable advertising. His career therefore spans one of the most consequential operational transformations in local television.

Hearst also credited Mekler with mentoring employees across the company. The next leadership transition will matter because advertising operations now sit at the intersection of broadcast inventory, streaming distribution, audience data and increasingly complex campaign measurement.

Source: Radio & Television Business Report.