Chris Wayland to lead NBCUniversal Local as Valari Staab retires

Chris Wayland has been named the new president of NBCUniversal Local, succeeding Valari Staab, who plans to retire at the end of the year. Wayland, who joined NBCUniversal in 2019, previously led NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston, and NBC Sports Boston.

Under Staab’s 15-year tenure, the division expanded from 10 NBC-owned stations to a portfolio of 50 media properties. This includes 11 NBC stations, 31 Telemundo stations, four regional sports networks, three national multicast networks, and 17 streaming channels, as well as LXTV Productions and Skycastle.

Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCU News Group, praised Wayland’s leadership in developing the NBCUniversal Boston Media Center and his understanding of local media. Wayland brings over 30 years of experience to the role, having previously held executive positions at Tribune Media and Sunbeam Television.