Oklahoma City – After more than four decades in television and 27 years at the helm of KOCO‑5, Hearst Television President Michael J. Hayes confirmed that R. Brent Hensley will retire at the end of this year. Hensley, who first joined KOCO in 1983, has been the longest‑serving general manager in Hearst’s history and one of the longest‑tenured station leaders in the Oklahoma City market.
Career highlights and community impact
During Hensley’s tenure, KOCO‑5 earned over 110 major awards for journalism and community service, including three National Headliner Awards (two first‑place wins in 2025), eight regional Emmy Awards, eight regional Associated Press Awards, and six regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. The station’s breaking‑news coverage of the 2024 tornado season earned the only regional Murrow award for an Oklahoma outlet that year.
KOCO‑5 also received the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters’ Best of Show three times in the past five years and has accumulated 84 OAB honors since Hensley arrived in 1999. Community‑service recognitions include the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation Guardian Award (1999) and a Hearst Gives Back Service Award in 2025. Since 2020, the station has helped raise $25 million for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
Leadership during crises
Hensley’s leadership was tested early on when KOCO‑5 broadcast 27 hours of nonstop coverage of devastating tornadoes in 1999, coordinating a relief drive that filled twelve semi‑trailers with food and clothing for victims. That same year the station launched WeatherWarn, a pager‑alert system that warned mobile customers of imminent severe weather, and later created a statewide weather‑convergence effort with five radio stations and the Oklahoma News Network.
In 2001, KOCO‑5 secured the only local interview with Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, providing a written Q&A that added to the historical record of the tragedy.
Commitment to civic service
Beyond the newsroom, Hensley has been active in numerous community organizations. He serves on the board of United Way of Central Oklahoma and has held board positions with the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, chairing each organization for two terms. He also chaired the Children’s Hospital Foundation and served on the Oklahoma University Children’s Hospital Operations Council.
“I’ve been blessed with a career that I could not have dreamed of as a 1980 graduate of Oklahoma State University,” Hensley said. “I’m grateful for the privilege of serving Oklahoma viewers and look forward to spending time with my kids and grandkids and traveling in retirement.”
Future of KOCO‑5
Hearst Television has not yet named Hensley’s successor, but Hayes emphasized that the station will continue its mission of reliable news, weather and community service. “Brent’s steady leadership and deep commitment to service have strengthened KOCO as an indispensable local resource,” Hayes added. “Oklahoma City has been, and always will be, home for Brent; his legacy of investing in the people around him will endure.”
KOCO‑5 remains a vital source of information for Oklahomans, especially during severe weather events that are a way of life in the region. The station’s continued focus on accurate reporting, public safety and community outreach aligns with the values of families and faith‑based viewers who rely on trustworthy local media.
Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
