Nexstar’s ‘The Hill’ heads to New York to broaden advertising relationships
“The Hill” typically focuses on policy and politics in Washington. But last week, some newsroom and business leaders made a point of putting New York in the spotlight.
At a meeting with advertising agencies and potential sponsors, Bill Sammon, a senior vice president of Washington content for The Hill and NewsNation, said; Cherie Grzech, president of news and politics at The Hill and NewsNation; and Adam VerCammen, senior vice president of revenue at The Hill, discussed the reporting likely in the coming weeks, when the 2026 midterm election cycle will become more hectic. They were joined by journalists such as Chris Stirewalt, Amie Parnes, Blake Burman and Sylvan Lane. Major TV owner Nexstar Media operates both The Hill and the cable news channel NewsNation.
The goal was to remind New York agencies that work with so-called “advocacy” clients, or people who want to convince decision makers to support or reject a particular cause or issue, of “The Hill,” which VerCammen says is “unbiased and brand safe,” two qualities advertisers look for when targeting news sites. In recent years, advertising campaigns were overseen by people in Washington, VerCammen says, but more and more New York agencies became involved.
Executives emphasized the publication’s coverage of Congress and the White House, as well as its focus on healthcare, finance and technology, Sammon said. They also pointed to an increase in web traffic. According to data from ComScore, “The Hill” recorded 1.24 billion page views in 2025, a 7% increase compared to 2024.
“We hope this can continue,” says Sammon.
One way to do that is an annual event that managers hope will draw more attention. A “Hill Nation Summit” is “our nerd Super Bowl,” Sammon says. “We bring Democrats and Republicans into the same location and ask them, ‘What is your plan to fix America?’” Some invitees bring news that resonates far beyond the immediate gathering, he says.
