NBC Tower Chicago

The creation of two new positions in the WMAQ-Channel 5 newsroom marks an ambitious expansion of the management team at the NBC-owned station.

At a time when others are cutting back on news resources, the latest postings for managing editor and news production manager reflect the commitment of parent company Comcast/NBCUniversal to strengthen their local operations, according to NBC 5 bosses.

“We are investing in these new positions to make sure our newscasts and digital products are great, both editorially and technically,” said Frank Whittaker, station manager and vice president of news at NBC 5. “Our goal is to provide even more support to our already strong team, to make sure we win on big coverage, breaking news and investigative journalism.”

Whittaker said he hopes to identify top candidates for both positions in the next few weeks.

The managing editor will oversee all aspects of newsgathering, including daily coverage and major events, work with reporters in the field, and drive convergence with digital platforms and Telemundo Chicago sister station WSNS-Channel 44, Whittaker said. The news production manager will be responsible for managing day-to-day production of newscasts, and work with the investigative team and special event coverage.

Before the management restructuring, the title of managing editor had been held by the assignment manager. The new managing editor position is more strategically focused.