Fox stations lures Robert Lydick from Tegna for engineering, ops and tech SVP role

Fox Television Stations has named Robert Lydick senior vice president of engineering, operations and technology, overseeing technical operations across the station group.

Lydick will report to FTS CEO Jack Abernethy and assume the role July 13, 2026. He succeeds Tim Joyce, who retired at the end of June 2026.

Lydick joins Fox from Tegna, where he spent spent 15 years at Tegna in engineering, technology and operations roles, most recently serving as vice president of station operations and technology.

“Robert has been a key player at Tegna for over a decade and is a great fit for this role,” Abernethy said in a statement. “He has tremendous knowledge of our core stations business and a deep understanding of how to manage engineering and technology operations. He is a terrific addition to an already strong FTS bench of executives.”

He began his media career more than 24 years ago at USA Today, then part of Gannett, where he held roles including information analyst, project and planning analyst, and project and planning manager.

“Joining the Fox Television Stations is an exciting opportunity,” Lydick said. “I’m looking forward to working with an amazing team on some of local journalism’s biggest technical challenges. I’m humbled to be in the role and can’t wait to get started.”

Lydick is a graduate of the University of Lynchburg, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Joyce’s retirement

Joyce had served as senior vice president of engineering, operations and technology for FTS since January 2026. Before that, he was senior vice president of media and broadcast engineering for Fox Corp. for nearly three years.

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It was not clear why Joyce only held his latest role for about six months. 

Before that, his Fox tenure also included roles as senior vice president of technology business relations for Fox Networks Group in Los Angeles and vice president of broadcast operations for Fox Networks Group in Europe and Africa. He also spent six years as vice president of operations and production services for National Geographic Channels International after beginning his career as a senior editor for Fox Latin American Channels.

“Tim is an incredibly talented executive with experience across multiple roles and has been a vital part of transforming and advancing our engineering and technology systems,” Abernethy said. “His intelligence, energy and leadership skills have impressed me since his first day here, and we wish him all the best on a well-deserved retirement even as we regret seeing him go.”

“After 27 years at Fox — from Fox Latin American Channels to National Geographic, Fox International Channels Europe, Fox Tech and Fox Television Stations — I’ve learned that while companies evolve and technology changes, it’s the people who make the journey unforgettable,” Joyce said. “Thank you for being the best part of mine.”

FTS owns and operates 29 full-power television stations in the U.S., including stations in nine of the 10 largest DMAs and duopolies in 11 markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.