Rita Scott

Station manager and broadcasting executive Rita Scott was born on February 2, 1951, to Dorothy and Ervin Moore in High Point, North Carolina. Scott attended Griffin Elementary School and graduated from William Penn High School in 1969. Scott then attended High Point University, where she studied speech and business, and went on to receive her B.A. degree in broadcasting with a business minor from Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina.

In 1978, Scott joined WGHP-TV in High Point, North Carolina as an account executive in local sales before becoming an account executive in regional sales for WJW-TV in Cleveland, Ohio in 1980. In 1984, she was hired as an account executive in national sales for ABC Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. Scott subsequently joined WBTV-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1989 where she held several positions, including local sales manager before being made national sales manager. In 1994, she joined WCSC-TV as a national sales manager in Charleston, South Carolina. Scott later served as general sales manager for WCSC in 1998 and was named vice president and general manager the following year. This appointment made her the first African American woman general manager at a local television station. Scott served as vice president and general manager until her retirement in 2016.

Scott has served on numerous boards throughout her career, including the boards of Trident United Way Women’s Leadership Council from 1996 until 2013, Spoleto Festival USA from 1998 to 2013, the International African American Museum beginning in 2000, Regional CEO Council from 2000 to 2012, The Nielsen Alliance from 2005 to 2015, the Southeastern Virtual Institute for Health Equity and Wellness, The Sophia Institute, and the Charleston Police Fund. Scott has also been honored by the City of Charleston, South Carolina with the naming of Rita Littles Scott Day in October of 1999. She was later awarded the Legacy Award by Charleston’s Post and Courier newspaper in 2015.

Scott lives with her husband, Leon Scott, in Charleston, South Carolina. She has two adult sons, Darren and Travis Littles.

Rita Scott was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on November 12, 2021.