AU grad retires after nearly 50 years in the broadcast television industry
It didn’t take long for Dave Howitt to use what he learned at Ashland as a radio/TV major, starting a job at WUAB-TV in Cleveland shortly after his May 1976 graduation.
He has used that knowledge ever since, with nearly 50 years in the broadcast television industry, including the past 30-plus years with Sinclair Broadcast Group, a diversified media company.
After hitting some personal and professional milestones in late 2024, Howitt said he felt it was time to retire, which he will officially do March 31 as Sinclair’s senior vice president of programming.
Howitt said he has always been thankful for the part Ashland University (Ashland College when he attended), played not only in his long and successful professional career but also his personal life.
“I met my wife at Ashland, Judy (Sutherin) Howitt,” he said. “Judy is also a 1976 Ashland graduate.”
Great classroom and hands-on experience in the Radio/TV department with multiple instructors who previously had worked in the broadcast industry, including the late Larry Hiner, were some the many things Howitt said he enjoyed about his time at Ashland and how it helped his career.
“Throughout my career, I’ve had a front-row seat to the evolution of television, particularly in broadcast syndication, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunities this industry has provided,” Howitt said in a recent news release from Sinclair announcing his retirement. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible people at Sinclair stations, program distribution companies and networks.”
In addition to WUAB-TV in Cleveland, Howitt also had roles at other TV stations, including WTTV-TV in Indianapolis before coming to Sinclair.
“Howitt has been a cornerstone of Sinclair’s programming operations, focusing on the acquisition of syndicated programming and program scheduling, overseeing syndicated programming efforts for 43 markets and 90 stations,” according to a company statement in the news release, which also included a few comments about Howitt from Arthur Hasson, Sinclair’s acting chief operations officer for programming.