April 28, 2019
Greetings:
We have an interesting development topping our moves this week…as a Sacramento/Tegna news director heads to Denver to become Chief Content officer for Rocky Mountain Public Media.
That’s one of several moves in this week’s report, which leaves our list of open ND jobs at 31. ONE of those 31 jobs is among our TWO paid help wanted ads this week.
We have a few news managers on the move in this week’s Names in the News section, ONE new GM to share, and it’s awards seasons….LOTS of winners announced this week.
All that and more below!
Newly Named News Directors:

Cohen
Rocky Mountain Public Media, Denver, CO…SAMTHANA (SAM) COHEN will be the next Chief Content Officer for the PBS news operation. CEO AMANDA MOUNTAIN (perfect last name, don’t you think?) sent this email to the staff on Friday. Sam’s been the Director of Content for KXTV (Tegna/ABC) in Sacramento for the last two years. (Alert: Flagrant self-promotion ahead: I’m told she learned of the opening from the paid ad in this newsletter.)
New News Director Openings:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA…we told you above that SAM COHEN is leaving this Tegna owned ABC affiliate. She’s off to Denver to become Chief Content Office for Rocky Mountain Public Media. Sam first joined KXTV as Executive Producer of Digital and Social in 2015 before becoming Director of Content in July, 2016, She previously worked for another Sacramento station as well as in Salt Lake City and Milwaukee.

Mello
WSEE/WICU-TV, Erie, PA…TIM MELLO will leave this Lilly Broadcasting owned NBC and CBS duopoly in a few weeks. I’m told he wants to stay in Erie and is looking for something out of the business. He’s been ND here for about five years and first joined the station in 2010 as an MMJ, rose to sports anchor/reporter, then assistant ND. You can learn more about this opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted Ad just below.

Tegels
Finally, it’s not an opening but KNBJ-TV (CBS/FOX) in Jonesboro, AR, and WNBJ-TV (NBC/CW) in Jackson, TN has eliminated the news director position at these stations owned by Waypoint Media. I’m told that news people will report to the GM there. That leaves veteran news director LON TEGELS looking for his next opportunity. If you have something that might be a fit, you can reach him at: lontegels@gmail.com
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WSEE/WICU-TV, Erie, PA:
Lilly Broadcasting is conducting a search for a news director to lead Erie News Now in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The successful candidate must be an outstanding journalist with at least three years of news management experience who leads, coaches and inspires team members to achieve continuous improvement.
Erie News Now produces news on NBC and CBS affiliates in Erie, multiple digital and OTT platforms and for One Caribbean Television and Lilly’s ABC and CBS affiliates in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This is an exciting opportunity to live in beautiful Northwest Pennsylvania and work for a family-owned company with a “viewers first” philosophy.
Interested candidates should reply to Brian Trauring, VP of News, Marketing & Content Development, Lilly Broadcasting at: btrauring@lillybroadcasting.com
Assistant News Director, WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY:
WHEC-TV (News10NBC), Rochester, NY a Hubbard Broadcasting station which is a family owned business, is looking for an Assistant News Director. You must be passionate and have a strong desire to teach, lead and learn with our award winning News Team. Previous experience as an Executive Producer in a Top 40 market preferred. You must be good with multitasking and prioritization in order to meet deadlines. As Assistant News Director, you will help direct and manage overall efforts of the news department and be part of a dynamic news team.
We produce 5 1/2 hours of news each weekday on television. Our television and digital content is marked by outstanding breaking news coverage, living our First Alert Weather brand, and reporters who dig, producing investigative reporting as a part of our daily journalism. Our digital team consistently ranks #1 in viewer engagement, attributable to strong story-telling. Candidate should have strong producing and writing skills.
We have built a team that is driven by excellence in journalism across all platforms. This year News10NBC won the national Edward R, Murrow Award for Best Newscast.
As a Hubbard Rochester, NY employee, you are surrounded by opportunities for growth while working with some of the very best talent in the industry. A welcoming hometown and a high performance workplace awaits at News10NBC. Rochester, NY is home to premier colleges and universities, and is a culturally lively community that offers a wonderful place to live.
To view the detailed posting and apply go to https://hubbardbroadcasting.com.
No phone calls please. EOE.
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (relisted 2/3/19)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 3/17/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 3/3/19)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/3/19)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 4/21/19)
KARK-TV, Little Rock, AR (listed 4/14/19)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 4/21/19, see ad above!)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 3/10/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 3/10/19)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (listed 3/24/19)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 3/31/19)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 3/31/19)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 4/21/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 3/10/19)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Digital EP, listed 3/10/19)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Nightside EP, listed 3/31/19)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/31/19)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 3/3/19)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (relisted 3/10/19)
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (listed 3/3/19)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/31/19)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 3/10/19)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (new listing this week)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 3/24/19)
KEYT-KCOY-KKFX-TV, Santa Barbara, CA (listed 3/31/19)
WQOW-TV, Eau Claire, WI (listed 3/24/19)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (relisted 3/31/19)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 4/21/19:
WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital Executive Producer)
Listed 4/21/19:
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 3/31/19:
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital Content Executive Producer)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 3/17/19:
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 3/10/19:
WKRG, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 3/3/19:
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV Digital Executive Producer)
Names in the News (and other items):

Hubbard
KGO-TV, the ABC owned station in San Francisco, has hired JOSH HUBBARD as Assistant News Director. ND TRACEY WATKOWSKI told the staff in this email. Josh has held the same job at Tegna’s KHOU-TV in Houston for the past four years. He’s no stranger to the west coast…he interned at Tech TV in San Francisco and worked in Sacramento for six years. He’s also worked in Denver, Syracuse, and Plattsburgh, NY.

Kachinsky
NOELLE KACHINSKY joins Spectrum News Charlotte as its new executive producer. She’s been an EP at WAVY-TV in Norfolk for the past year and has worked in a number of different stations as described on her Linkedin page.
At WQOW-TV in Wausau, Eau Claire, WI…anchor STEPHEN KELLY has added executive producer responsibilities to his anchor assignment for that Quincy owned ABC affiliate. He’s worked there since 2006 and anchors the 10:00 PM news.
Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone announces award winners at the same time? For instance:
The Peabody Award winners for news were announced. KING-TV in Seattle and WAGA-TV in Atlanta were (if my scrutiny of the list is correct) the only local TV station winners.
RTDNA revealed its regional Edward R. Murrow Awards this week.
And SPJ released the names of winners of the Sigma Delta Chi awards honoring exceptional professional journalism produced in 2018. Delighted to share with you that my long-time client CHRIS HALSNE and his team at KDVR/KWGN-TV in Denver were honored for large market investigative journalism.
General Manager News and Notes:
JOHN COCHRANE will be the next GM for WCAV-TV (Charlottesville, VA) once the company completes the purchase from Gray TV.
And apologies to JIM DOTY, the new GM for KERO-TV in Bakersfield, CA, whose first name I screwed up in reporting his appointment last week.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 28, 2019:
It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these may have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KXTV 400 Broadway Sacramento, CA 95818
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KGW-TV 1501 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97201
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
KULX-TV 314 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 **
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WSPA-TV 250 International Dr. Spartanburg, SC 29303
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfield Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33407
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WHBQ-TV 485 S. Highland. Memphis, TN 38111
WOWK-TV 350 Quarrier St, Charleston, WV 25301
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
WROC-TV 201 Humboldt St. Rochester, NY 14610
WGME-TV 81 Northport Drive. Portland, ME 04103
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
WECT-TV 322 Shipyard Blvd, Wilmington, NC 28412
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WICU/WSEE-TV 3514 State St. Erie, PA 16508 (see ad above!)
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd Gainesville, FL 32606
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
WJMN-TV 3165 Wright Street, Suite 101 Marquette, MI 49855
**: Spanish language station