PROVIDENCE – David Jones has been named news director at WLNE-TV ABC 6. Standard Media Group LLC, which owns the local station, said Jones will take over the post on Aug. 31.
He replaces Kelly Johnston, who served as the station’s news director from 2016 to July 2020. Neither the station nor Standard Media immediately responded to requests for comment on Johnston’s status with the company and why she has been replaced.
Prior to taking the helm at WLNE-TV, Jones served as news director at WNYT-TV in Albany, N.Y. and at WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, Pa., where he was both news director and assistant news director. He has also held key newsrooms positions in Charlotte, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. No details were released regarding the term of his contract.
“David’s proven track record of success leading local news teams makes him a great fit for our Providence operation. We’re very excited to have him on board,” Deborah McDermott, Standard Media Group’s founder and CEO, said in an Aug. 19 news release.
Jones will manage WLNE-TV’s news staff and its operations, while overseeing the content and audience development for the station’s broadcast, mobile, social and digital media platforms.
“I look forward to leading southern New England’s trusted news source and its talented news team in this critical endeavor,” said Jones in a news release. “At the core, our mission as journalists is to shine a light on the communities that we serve, illuminating the stories that matter most to our audiences. This is more important now than ever before.”
Standard Media is a broadcast and digital media company based in Nashville, Tenn. The company purchased WLNE-TV in Providence/New Bedford and KLKN in Lincoln, Neb., on May 16, 2019.
Cassius Shuman is a staff writer and researcher at PBN. You may reach him at Shuman@PBN.com.
