Jim Leva
Alvin R. Lustgarten has served as Hearst Television’s senior vice president, technology and information services, since 2020. He was previously the company’s vice president, technology and information services and, before that, manager of information services.
Lustgarten oversees the company’s information technology function and advertising operations. He provides strategic leadership for many of the company’s new technology initiatives, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics; has played a critical role in overseeing Hearst Television’s cloud transformation; and has lead all aspects of its security program.
During his tenure at Hearst Television, Lustgarten played instrumental roles in the development of the company’s sales and financial reporting systems and its IT and communications infrastructures. Lustgarten also has held leadership roles within the television industry, especially focused on efforts to modernize business practices. He was a founding member of the TV Interface Practices (TIP) Initiative, a working consortium formed by local television broadcasters dedicated to promoting open interfaces to streamline advertising transactions for broadcasters and their media agency partners.
In 2022, in partnership with colleagues from Gray Television, Graham Media, and CoxReps, Lustgarten was instrumental in Hearst Television’s investment in a Media Sales Gateway named Admiral — a sell-side tool that provides both the infrastructure and workflows to automate converged advertising sales.
Lustgarten serves on numerous industry and Hearst corporate advisory committees and boards, representing the interests of Hearst Television’s technology, security, and ad operations, and has been a frequent speaker at industry and partner conferences. In 2022, he was named among “Broadcast Media’s Top Tech Leaders” by Radio+Television Business Report
Prior to Hearst Television, Lustgarten served in several finance, accounting, and technology positions within Hearst. He first joined the company in 1981, in the Hearst Magazines accounting and finance department.
Lustgarten received his undergraduate degree from the University of Hartford and holds a master’s degree in business from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is a member of the Fairleigh Dickinson Silberman College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.