International Women’s Month The Wesleyan Way-Kelly Frank ’96

Kelly Frank ’96 is the President and General Manager of CBS News and Stations’ Philadelphia duopoly of KYW-TV (CBS) and WPSG (The CW). Under her leadership, CBS Philadelphia has thrived, winning multiple awards, including seven Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmy Awards in 2023, with back-to-back recognition for Overall Excellence in 2023 and 2024.

With over 25 years in the media industry, Kelly has held pivotal roles at major media outlets, including the CBS News affiliates in Columbus, Ohio and Tampa, Fla., where she spearheaded content initiatives, boosted audience engagement, and led high-performing teams.

Prior to these roles, Kelly served as Executive Producer, U.S. Operations at CNN, where she oversaw high-profile shows like CNN Newsroom with Kyra Phillips and Ali Velshi. She also executive produced special programming with Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Soledad O’Brien and Christiane Amanpour. Her tenure at CNN earned her several accolades, including Peabody Awards for coverage of the Gulf Oil Spill, Arab Spring and presidential election coverage. She also was recognized as one of CNN’s top performers.

Kelly’s media journey began with a public relations role in Washington, D.C., but her passion for production and broadcast media ignited when she worked with her father on the syndicated show Forever Young. After learning the finer points of production, she then followed in her big sister’s footsteps and converted that knowledge to a career in broadcast journalism. Throughout her career, she has developed expertise in broadcast, digital, streaming, and social media, managing large teams and driving innovative content strategies that have earned her widespread recognition.

In addition to her professional achievements, Kelly is a passionate advocate for charitable causes, particularly research for pediatric cancer and supports breast cancer awareness in honor of her sister’s successful triumph over the disease.  Kelly proudly serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Police Athletic League working to keep kids off the street and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters.

A proud graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan, Kelly was named Outstanding Young Graduate in 2011 and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017 for her achievements in softball, where she was a three-time All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection and a champion with the 1994 KWC softball team.

Her remarkable career continues to set a high standard for leadership, innovation, and community engagement in the media industry.

Keep an eye out as we continue highlighting more amazing KWC alumnae throughout #WomensHistoryMonth! This year, we honor nearly 135 years of female alumnae, as KWC was one of the first co-ed higher education institutions in the Commonwealth, welcoming female students since the early 1890s.