Michael J. Hayes

Michael J. Hayes was promoted to chief operating officer and deputy group head of Hearst Television in January 2022. He was named an executive vice president and group head of Hearst Television in 2017, with operational oversight over a portfolio of Hearst Television markets. After two decades of success in numerous leadership positions, he came to the New York corporate office in 2013 as a senior vice president and group head.

Before that, Hayes served as president and general manager at Hearst Television’s WTAE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, beginning in March 2011. During his tenure at WTAE, Hayes led a rejuvenation of the station, enhancing sales and customer service initiatives in the Pittsburgh market as Channel 4 Action News returned to first place in morning and late news time periods.

Prior to moving to WTAE, Hayes was president and general manager of Hearst’s WYFF-TV, the NBC affiliate in the Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, television market, from 2003-2011. During his tenure, the station was honored with a Peabody Award for an episode of its Chronicle newsmagazine program, as well as a National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Service to America Award, a Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) National Edward R. Murrow Award, 44 Southeast Regional Emmy awards, including three for Best Newscast, as well as four consecutive South Carolina Station of the Year awards from the South Carolina Broadcasters Association.

Hayes spent seven years as general sales manager of WLWT-TV, Hearst’s NBC affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio, after serving in several sales and management positions across the country in St. Louis, Missouri, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Austin, Texas, and Peoria, Illinois. He began his broadcast television career as a sportscaster and producer at WISH-TV — at the time, the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Hayes holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from Indiana University Bloomington and serves as a board member at the Indiana University Media School. He has participated in NAB’s Broadcast Leadership Training program and trained at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management as an NAB Professional.

Among various industry and civic activities, Hayes is the immediate past chairman of the ABC Television Affiliates board of governors. He previously served as a director of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and was the first chairman asked and elected to a second term of the South Carolina Broadcasters Association. Hayes is also a past chairman of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce and also served as vice chairman of the United Way of Greenville County and the Urban League of the Upstate.