Gray TV Names New Omaha GM, Sends Rochester GM to S. Carolina

Gray TV has named a former Omaha and Waterloo general manager to lead its Omaha station, while its Rochester, MN, GM is headed to South Carolina.

The company announced Tuesday, as part of a series of leadership announcements, that Jim McKernan will take over as GM of NBC affiliate WOWT/6 (Omaha). McKernan’s resume includes 20 years in Omaha leadership positions, including as station manager of FOX affiliate KPTM/42, GM of Journal Broadcasting’s radio group, and GM of CBS affiliate KMTV/3.

More recently, McKernan was GM of NBC affiliate KWWL/7 (Waterloo) for 11 years until the station’s divestiture as part of Gray’s purchase of Quincy Media in August, when he moved to NBC/ABC affiliate WEEK (Peoria, IL). McKernan was also Quincy’s regional vice president for NBC affiliates during his time at KWWL.

At WEEK, McKernan will be replaced by current station manager Peter Russell.

The announcement came a day after Gray announced that current WOWT GM Andrew Stewart is moving to Kansas City to lead CBS affiliate KCTV and MNT affiliate KSMO, which Gray is buying from Meredith. Stewart had been at WOWT for three years.

Meanwhile, Gray also announced Monday that the current GM of its NBC/FOX operation in Rochester, MN, is headed to South Carolina. Bryce Caldwell will be the new GM of FOX affiliate WHNS in the Greenville-Spartanburg market.

Caldwell had been at NBC affiliate KTTC, which runs FOX affiliate KXLT, since 2019. No replacement was immediately announced.