Broadcasters Will Honor Hearst Digital Executive in 2026
The award highlights how senior media leaders are modernizing traditional broadcast stacks into multi-platform businesses.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in People
The National Association of Broadcasters will present its 2026 Digital Leadership Award to Hearst Television executive Michael Rosellini on April 21, 2026. The honor recognizes leadership in evolving traditional broadcast models into multi-platform digital operations.
Why it matters
The recognition reflects a broader industry shift where legacy broadcast companies must integrate streaming and data-driven advertising to remain competitive. This transition requires significant investment in product engineering and internal technical architecture.
The Digital Leadership Award was established in 2015 to identify leaders in the broadcasting sector. The selection honors an executive overseeing teams in product development, engineering, and data.
The players
Michael Rosellini
As senior vice president of digital services at Hearst Television, he oversees product development, engineering, data, and operations.
National Association of Broadcasters
This trade association represents radio and television broadcasters in the United States and sets standards for industry excellence and advocacy.
Hearst Television
A major American television station operator that manages a portfolio of stations and the Very Local streaming platform.
The details
Michael Rosellini, senior vice president of digital services at Hearst Television, is credited with building a proprietary suite of OTT and CTV applications in-house. His work focuses on the modernization of digital video, data, and advertising technology stacks, which are essential for converting broadcast audiences into digital users. By managing these technical operations directly, broadcasters can better control their delivery infrastructure and monetization tools.
Timeline
The Digital Leadership Award was first established in 2015.
Michael Rosellini began his current role as senior vice president in 2023.
The award ceremony will take place on April 21, 2026, in Las Vegas.
Market Landscape
The recognition follows the precedent set by the National Association of Broadcasters Digital Leadership Award to honor executives who accelerate digital transformation. This nomination marks the 2026 continuation of industry efforts to highlight successful multi-platform broadcast models.
Operators should monitor how peer media firms are structuring their technical teams to handle proprietary OTT and CTV application development. Prioritizing in-house modernization of data and advertising stacks remains a key strategy for scaling digital revenue.
The takeaway
The move toward in-house, multi-platform media development is a necessary evolution for traditional broadcasting businesses. Operators should evaluate whether their current technology stack allows for the same level of agile, integrated control over their digital video assets.
What happens next
The We Are Broadcasters Awards Ceremony is scheduled for April 21, 2026, in Las Vegas.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership and personnel shifts, visit People.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 4RFV.
