As president, ABC Owned Television Stations, Chad Matthews oversees the number 1 station in the country, New York City’s WABC, as well as stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and other huge markets. He also supervises ancillary programs like Localish, Live With Kelly and Mark, and On the Red Carpet.

All that responsibility may sound stressful, but as Matthews recounts, it’s a blast. He describes his practical endeavors as reaching audiences hungry for local news and utilizing streaming platforms like Hulu and Amazon Fire TV. His more creative pursuits of the job include encouraging his stations to cover cultural events like Juneteenth, Lunar New Year, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and various Pride festivals. Matthews’s data journalism team has also launched initiatives resonating with audiences, like the Neighborhood Safety Tracker and the Equity Report, a concise repository of information on housing, health, education, policing, and the environment.

In his position, Matthews is witness to a lot of scary events. Unlike some in journalism, though, he refuses to grow embittered.

“As someone who started in the news industry, I have a front row seat to the stories of discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people,” Matthews says. “But I also have the incredible opportunity to hear stories of hope, strength, and resilience. There was a story from WABC earlier this year profiling people who have been on the front lines of the fight for equal rights, and I remember activist [and fellow Out100 honoree] Randy Wicker talking about his work and how if you’re willing to go out and fight, you can make a difference. He’s credited with organizing the first known gay rights demonstration, and look where we are now — there is always hope.” @chadmatthews