CBS Atlanta’s News Operations Will Debut in September with a Focus on Community Journalism Serving Greater Atlanta

ATLANTA – Aug. 6, 2025 –CBS Stations today announced the senior leadership team for its owned station CBS Atlanta. The station will be led by Tom Canedo, the president and general manager for what was previously WUPA, now known as CBS Atlanta. Shawn Hoder will serve as vice president and news director, and Barbara Roeder will be vice president of sales. The appointments come as CBS prepares to transition its network programming in Atlanta beginning Aug. 16 to WUPA Channel 69.

Canedo, a veteran broadcast executive with more than 25 years of experience in the Atlanta market, has been leading WUPA as an independent station. He now steps into the joint leadership role of president and general manager for CBS Atlanta and will continue to oversee CBS’ independent stations in Tampa and Seattle. He reports to Jennifer Mitchell, president of CBS Stations and CBS News and Stations Digital.

Hoder will relocate to Atlanta from Pittsburgh, where he currently serves as vice president and news director for CBS Pittsburgh (KDKA-TV & KDKA+), a CBS-owned-and-operated station. His first day in Atlanta will be Aug. 18, and he will report to Canedo.

Hoder previously spent seven years in the Atlanta market at WXIA-TV and has held newsroom leadership roles in Orlando, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Columbus, Tampa and Pittsburgh. His work has earned multiple Peabody Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards and more than 50 regional Emmy Awards.

Roeder rejoins CBS after serving as director of sales for FanDuel Sports Network, where she led multiplatform sponsorship sales for the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks. She previously spent 15 years at WUPA. She brings nearly 30 years of experience in the Atlanta media market. Her first day at CBS Atlanta will be Aug. 18, and she will report to Canedo.

“Launching CBS Atlanta represents a significant investment in local journalism and community connection,” Mitchell said. “Tom, Shawn and Barbara each bring deep experience and strong ties to the Atlanta market. Their leadership will be essential as we build a station that reflects the voices of the community and delivers trusted, impactful news and content.”

“Shawn’s editorial leadership and Barbara’s strategic sales expertise are exactly what we need to jumpstart this process as we build a station that’s responsive to our viewers and rooted in the community,” added Canedo.

CBS announced earlier this summer that WUPA Channel 69, a CBS-owned-and-operated station, will become the new CBS network outlet in Atlanta beginning Aug. 16, as CBS Atlanta. The owned station will deliver CBS’ entertainment, news and sports programming. The station’s news operation will debut in September.

For more details on the transition, read the full announcement here.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Elita Fielder Adjei, vice president of communications for CBS Stations

Elita.adjei@paramount.com