CBS Stations in Pittsburgh has announced a significant leadership transition. Chris Cotugno, general manager for the group's Pittsburgh properties, will retire in April 2025. His departure marks the end of a long and successful career, which included his role at KDKA since 2002, progressing from advertising sales director to general manager in 2019. He also oversees WPKD, the independent station known as KDKA+.
Taking the reins will be Julie Eisenman, who will assume the role of general manager on April 7, 2025. Eisenman joins from WNEP in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where she served as president and general manager. A Western Pennsylvania native, she boasts a rich background in news, having worked at Pittsburgh NBC affiliate WPXI, and served as news director at WICU (Erie, Pennsylvania), WJCL (Savannah, Georgia), and WLTX (Columbia, South Carolina). She's been with the Tegna-owned ABC affiliate WNEP since 2021.
According to an interview with TribLive, Cotugno, 60, is retiring by choice to pursue personal goals and spend more time with family, including his first grandchild. During his tenure, KDKA launched a 7:30 p.m. and an 8 p.m. newscast on KDKA+. The station also added "Talk Pittsburgh," an afternoon talk and lifestyle show, and a weekend sports broadcast. He also played a key role in transforming WPKD from a CW affiliate to an independent station under the “plus” branding in 2023, following the sale of The CW Network to Nexstar Media Group. The station subsequently updated its branding to remove the “CW” reference.