Pat Costello named ABC15 News Director

PHOENIX - Patrick Costello has been named news director of ABC15 (KNXV) in Phoenix, Arizona after an extensive nationwide search.   

ABC15 General Manager Anita Helt made the announcement in Phoenix, stating that Costello would officially join the station effective January 7, 2013.

For the past four years, Costello served as the vice-president/station manager of KING-TV, KONG-TV and NorthWest Cable News in Seattle, Washington. 

Before serving as vice-president/station manager, Costello served as executive news director for those stations for six years. Under his leadership, KING has dominated ratings in the Seattle television market.  In the past two years, the station received the prestigious Peabody Award, the duPont Award for investigative journalism, four National Edward R. Murrow Awards, was named National Press Photographers Association Station of the Year and received multiple local Emmy Awards, including the Emmy for station excellence in the Seattle market. 

“Pat’s background in award-winning journalism, his experience helping lead some of the nation’s best news organizations and his passion for great storytelling make him a perfect fit to lead our newsroom into the future,” said Anita Helt.  “We know Arizona and ABC15 will benefit from his experience, his leadership and his deep commitment to community."

Prior to his time in Seattle, Costello served as news director at WBBM-TV in Chicago and KUTV-TV in Salt Lake City.  He also held news management positions at stations in Baltimore and Indianapolis.  He began his career as a news photographer.  

Costello received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.  He is also a graduate of the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business Executive Development Program.