Mike Solakian

About

I currently serve as Bureau Chief for the Hearst Television Washington Bureau. I've worked for Hearst Television my entire career, since 2010. I spent 3+ years as Assistant News Director at WTAE in Pittsburgh, helping lead an amazing team of journalists through some of the biggest stories of my career; the Fern Hollow bridge collapse, the East Palestine train derailment, the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump, the consequential 2024 election, and so much in between. Before Pittsburgh, I spent almost 10 years at WBAL in Baltimore, as both a news producer and executive producer. I learned my management skills from some great mentors and through some grueling news coverage, like the death of Freddie Gray, multiple deadly workplace shootings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a Super Bowl run to name a few. I started my career as a weekend morning producer at WLKY in Louisville. That's where I honed my skill and approach as a news producer, while also falling in love with some big event special projects, like the Kentucky Derby and Thunder Over Louisville. It all started at the University of Missouri. I fell in love with Mizzou when my sister (7 years older) attended. Once I knew I wanted to go to Mizzou, I then fell in love with broadcast journalism, and the rest is history.