Darrel Lieze-Adams has been promoted to president and general manager of WBBH-TV and WZVN in Fort Myers and Naples.
Lieze-Adams joined the stations as a news director in 1997, then under Waterman Broadcasting.
He added the title of vice president of news, digital, marketing, and production in 2019.
Lieze-Adams has led the team as it expanded the number of newscasts for both stations.
In recent years, he oversaw the major construction of a new studio and newsroom for WBBH and the recreation of the WZVN/ABC7 studio and set with multiple production innovations. He was promoted to vice president and station manager in 2021.
Under Lieze-Adams’ leadership, the stations have received countless awards. Nine times with the prestigious national Murrow Awards for Best Newscast, Investigative Reporting, Innovation, News Series, Writing and Breaking News. WBBH/WZVN was also honored with a 2024 national Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast in a Small Market – marking the station’s fifth national Murrow since 2022.
"Darrel knows the Gulf Coast intimately and has been instrumental in helping build WBBH and WZVN into the respected brands they are today," Michael J. Hayes, Hearst Television president, said.
"His leadership, especially in times of crisis, has demonstrated through severe weather events in recent years, distinguishes him as an invested executive serving the Gulf Coast and our teams in Southwest Florida."
In the community, he serves as an Executive Committee Board Member of The Foundation of Lee Public Schools; he also serves on the board of Home Base SWFL, a program of the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital which supports veterans and service members in need, and on the Advisory Board of Florida Repertory Theatre. He was named a person of the year by the Southwest Florida-based magazine Gulfshore Life.