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The vacant position at the top of the Channel 4 newsroom is going to Todd Mokhtari, who has been at KIRO-TV in Seattle but is a former managing editor at KNBC. He starts next Monday.
From the NBC 4 release.
Mokhtari, who brings more than 20 years of broadcast television experience to the role, will report directly to Steve Carlston, president and general manager of NBC4 Southern California. Mokhtari begins his new post on June 11, 2012. Mokhtari comes to NBC4 Southern California from KIRO-TV in Seattle. Since 2007, he served as news director and web manager, directing all news gathering operations, digital and social media strategies for the station. During his time there, he invigorated the social media team and deployed Facebook and Twitter tactics to increase followers, bringing the station to number one in social media engagement in the market. Under Mokhtari’s leadership, the station has enjoyed an upward trend in its ratings during the evening and mid-day newscasts. In 2006, Mokhtari served as managing editor at NBC4 Southern California. In this role, he managed the day-to-day coverage and editorial direction of the news department. “I am thrilled to welcome back Todd to the NBC4 team,” said Carlston. “Todd’s knowledge of the Southern California market, combined with his experience in producing high-quality content for broad audiences, will greatly contribute to our newscasts.” “Returning to NBC4 Southern California at this time is a tremendous opportunity,” said Mokhtari. “The station is moving aggressively to differentiate itself through high-quality enterprise stories, and I am humbled to join NBC4’s highly respected news team in this role.” From 2002 to 2006, he served as the assistant news director for the NBC owned and operated station, KNTV-San Jose. From 1997 to 2002, Mokhtari was the news director for the FOX affiliate in Seattle, KCPQ-TV. Known for his ability to navigate and motivate staff during transitions, he successfully led the KCPQ-TV news team to become more competitive in the marketplace. Mokhtari began his career at NBC’s affiliate, KCRA-TV in Sacramento, CA. Starting as an intern, he quickly moved into a writer and producer position for the station’s morning newscast. Later, he produced the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, which were consistently top-rated and considered the most respected in the region. Mokhtari is a graduate of University of California, Davis. He holds degrees in Political Science and Rhetoric and Communications. An avid golfer and local traveler, he is married and has a five-year-old son.
