Haverhill Community TV Lays Off O’Neil

Mary O’Neil, director of special media production and public relations at Haverhill Community Television (HCTV), has been laid off.

O’Neil managed and coordinated all marketing, advertising and promotional activities and creating and producing programming for the government and education Channels. She accepted the position just over a year ago. The nonprofit group, now calling itself HC Media, manages channel 22, public access; channel 9, government; and channel 99, education.

“All I can say at this time is yes it is true,” O’Neil, of Haverhill, said in response to an email request from WHAV. There was no reply by deadline to an inquiry sent to HCTV Executive Director Darlene Beal.

She previously served as the regional marketing director for Steward Health Care overseeing all marketing efforts for Merrimack Valley Hospital, Haverhill; Holy Family Hospital, Methuen; and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer. From 2004 to 2006, O’Neil served as public relations coordinator for Greater Lawrence Family Health Center.

When O’Neil was hired, Beal said, “Mary has the talent, creativity and knowledge of the community that HCTV needs for this position…Along with Mary’s television production experience, we felt she was the perfect fit.”

O’Neil earned a master’s degree in media arts from Emerson College and a bachelor’s degree in communications from UMass Lowell. She studied public speaking at Haverhill High School under Edwin V. Johnson. She praised Johnson during WHAV’s 2009 dedication of the Edwin V. Johnson Newsroom.

According to HCTV’s 2013 tax return, the nonprofit received $816,266 in franchise fees paid by Comcast subscribers and $11,183 in investment income.