BATON ROUGE – National media trade publication Broadcasting and Cable recognized retiring WBRZ General Manager Rocky Daboval as among the best in the business this week.

“This is more of a Lifetime Achievement award for the legendary executive,” the magazine wrote of Daboval, adding his management legacy is “all about relationships.”

Daboval joins a select group of television station managers honored for being the best in the country.  The magazine has followed the broadcasting industry since it started publishing in 1931.  It’s a go-to resource for television executives.

The publication highlighted Daboval’s nearly five-decade career at WBRZ, the only family-owned and locally-owned television news station in South Louisiana. 

“I’ve had many opportunities to go places… [but] WBRZ provided me with the opportunity that I could help people, hire people, watch people grow and try new things.”

Daboval will retire in January after nearly 20 years as the head of the television station.

His affection for WBRZ, its family owners and the entire Baton Rouge community was heard when he announced his retirement in mid-2022: “I cannot imagine a better television station. Frankly, there is not one. There is not a station that cares as much about our community and what we are doing than the Manship family,” Daboval said.

WBRZ previously announced Trey Schmaltz as its next general manager.

About Rocky Daboval, Richard Manship, the station’s President/CEO, said: “Rocky has led us through important moments – both at WBRZ and in our community. We’ve been lucky to have Rocky guide our industry.”

About the recognition in Broadcasting and Cable published this week, Manship added: “It’s always been crystal clear to us that Rocky’s got an uncanny ability to lead and leads by example.  It’s gratifying the rest of our industry recognizes what we’ve known for five decades.”

The Manship family owns WBRZ, WBRZ Plus and WBTR in Baton Rouge along with KRGV TV in Texas.

WBRZ programs the most amount of local news and local content in Baton Rouge: Newscasts are seen from 5 a.m. - nine a.m. M-F; Noon-1 M-F; Weeknights at 4, 5, 6-7, nine and 10; Weekends at nine a.m. and Saturday evenings at 6 and 10; Sunday evenings at 5:30 and 10:00.