Valari Dobson Staab

Valari Dobson Staab serves as Chairman of NBCUniversal Local. In this role, she oversees more than 50 local, regional and national media properties, including 11 NBC and 31 Telemundo owned stations, four regional sports networks, three national multicast networks – COZI TV, TeleXitos and American Crimes – 16 free, ad-supported streaming TV channels, as well as LXTV Productions and Skycastle.

Under Staab’s leadership, NBCUniversal Local has earned a position as a leading innovator dedicated to serving its audiences and making a meaningful impact on its communities across the nation. She has led the growth and investments that have transformed the division into a multiplatform media powerhouse that continually enhances the content, platforms and community programs across its properties.

The portfolio Staab oversees delivers comprehensive English- and Spanish-language linear, live and on-demand streaming video, and multimedia digital content across a growing collection of television, streaming and connected platforms, and best-in-class desktop, mobile and OTT products – including 15 24/7 NBC and Telemundo local and regional news streaming channels.

Through the NBC Owned Television Stations and Telemundo Station Group, Staab oversees the production of nearly 1,000 weekly hours of English- and Spanish-language local news, weather, investigative and consumer reporting, lifestyle content and event coverage serving 30 U.S. markets and Puerto Rico – including each of the top 10 U.S. DMAs and the top 20 U.S. Hispanic DMAs.

During Staab’s tenure, the NBC- and Telemundo-owned stations have greatly expanded the high-value, exclusive content they deliver. This progress has been enabled by her leadership in creating the largest local bilingual newsrooms across top 10 markets, establishing extensive investigative and consumer units, developing one of the nation’s largest radar networks and adopting innovative weather technology, and implementing the most-advanced newsgathering resources and storytelling capabilities.

Through the NBC Sports Regional Networks, Staab oversees the production of more than 700 NBA, NHL and MLB games annually, along with extensive news, analysis, commentary, original programming, and multimedia content. These leading properties serve more than 16 million homes across major U.S. markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and Philadelphia.  

A veteran media executive with more than four decades of industry and leadership experience, Staab joined NBCUniversal in 2011 as President of NBC Owned TV Stations. In 2013, she added oversight of the Telemundo Station Group – which has grown to include 31 stations – and in 2021, the NBC Sports Regional Networks joined what is now NBCUniversal Local. She was named Chairman in 2022.

Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Staab held leadership roles with ABC Owned Television Stations, most recently as president and general manager of KGO-TV in San Francisco. During her tenure, KGO received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Northern California Emmy for Station Excellence and a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence.

Previously, Staab led ABC stations WTVD in Raleigh, N.C., and KFSN in Fresno, Calif., as president and general manager after a decade at WPVI in Philadelphia, where she was director of creative services and director of marketing and research. Previously, she worked in marketing and research for KPRC in Houston and KLTV in Tyler, Texas, where she started her broadcast career as a student.  

Staab has earned numerous accolades and honors for her work at NBCUniversal. In 2024, she was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and was was recognized as a ‘Giant of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation in 2023. She was also the recipient of the 2022 National Association of Television Programming Executives’ Iris Award.

A Texas native, Staab earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler, which honored her with their Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012, and a master’s in business administration from Baylor University. She resides in New York with her husband, R.C.