Steve Carlston, who led KUTV to the top of the local television ratings, is leaving the station to take over as president and general manager of KNBC in Los Angeles.
He makes the move in October after two years at Channel 2, where he accomplished what many thought was impossible — toppling KSL from the top of the local ratings after decades of dominance.
KUTV has been Utah’s No. 1 station for the past year. It was recently announced that Channel 2, along with KMYU, is being sold to Sinclair Broadcasting as part of a $200 million deal for the Four Points Media group.
"Between his 30 years of television industry experience, dynamic leadership skills and proven track record of making stations stronger, Steve Carlston is uniquely qualified to take NBC4 to the next level," said Valari Staab, president of the NBC-owned stations group. "Steve is from Southern California and truly understands the importance of a television station serving the local community. I look forward to working with him and welcome him to the team."
Those 30 years include stints as head of affiliate relations at UPN, president of managing partner of Las Vegas Television Partners, and president and COO of SF Broadcasting in Los Angeles.
And from 1992-96, Carlston was vice president and general manager of KSTU-Channel 13 here in Salt Lake City, establishing that then-struggling station as a force in the local market.
Carlston faces a new challenge in Los Angeles. After dominating from the 1980s through the early 2000s, KNBC’s 11 p.m. newscast is now in third place.
The move to KNBC is a move home for the Orange County native who lives in Agoura Hills, Calif.
"I grew up watching NBC4 and am honored to join the rich tradition of the station and to work alongside such high quality journalists and news professionals," said Carlston. "I’m excited to build upon the recent investments in the station to make it even stronger and help NBC4 become the leading local news organization in the market."
His successor at KUTV has not yet been named.
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