May | 2026 | Rick Gevers & Associates

May 17, 2026

Monday, May 18, 2026 UPDATE:

Greetings:

One of the mysteries from last night’s newsletter has been solved.

Hiett

Gray Media announced today that JAY HIETT will run its three stations in Louisville, WAVE-TV (NBC), WDRB-TV (FOX) and WBKI-TV (CW). Jay has been the GM for Gray’s WFIE-TV (NBC) in Evansville, IN, since 2015, and first joined the station in 2010 as sales manager. Here’s the company’s news release. Gray just closed on its purchase of WDRB from Block Communications earlier this month.

At publication last night we’d been unable to confirm reports that BILL LAMB, GM for WDRB, and JOHN O’BRIEN, GM for WAVE, had left their stations on Friday. Clearly that has now been proven true.

Additional, here’s a Saturday Louisville Courier-Journal story on the merger, written before today’s announcement, obviously.

Bremer

One more item. Director of Sales JAMIE BREMER will replace Jay as GM for WFIE. She’s been at the station for 13 years, beginning as a media executive before moving into sales management.

We’ll see you next weekend (probably on Monday due to the holiday) with our full report.

regards,

Rick Gevers

**** ***** ****

Greetings:

We did some LONG overdue checking on some of the ‘open’ ND jobs on our list, so that drops our count of ND openings to 24.

ONE of those filled jobs was actually filled this week, and it’s at a network o-and-o in a top five market.

We have an ad for the executive director’s job at a leading journalism organization.

TWO obituaries this week, including ONE of a former sports/reproter anchor who became a GM for TWO different stations.

And while details are sketchy, it appears TWO Louisville GM’s ‘left the station’ after Gray closed on its purchase of the Block Communication stations.

There’s more, of course!

A new survey says journalists must quit using ‘no comment’.
Ever want to go on TV and crap on the people who are getting rid of you? STEPHEN COLBERT is doing just that.
Gray and Scripps complete a series of station trades.
Gray names TWO new Senior VPs.
A former reporter and Assistant ND will run the West Virginia Broadcasters Association.
IRE hires a new development director.
And there are a lot of updates to our list of open management jobs.

Those stories and more below…but first! (If the networks can sell stuff during newscasts, why can’t I?)

The 110th running of the Indianapols 500 is this weekend. It’s sold out but I still have two tickets left (view below, technically Tower Terrace, section 48, row BB). If you are interested (and don’t mind sitting with a handful of retired TV types, all from top five markets except me) please let me know.

They are $140 each and I will get them to you ASAP.

Newly Named News Directors:

Gonzalez

WCAU/WWSI-TV, Philadelphia, PA…NOE GONZALEZ moves from one NBC operation to another as he’ll be the next ND for this NBC/Telemundo duopoly. Noe has been the ND for Telemundo’s stations in Phoenix and Tucson. He will report to ELIZABETH FLORES who’s the VP/News. The job opened up when ANA HERNANDEZ left to move (also within NBC) to be ND for WNBC/WNJU-TV in New York.

We did some long overdue checks on some stations that we’ve had on the ‘open’ list for FAR too long. Here are the results:

WTWO-TV, Terre Haute, IN…BRADY CALHOUN is the ND for this Nexstar owned NBC station. Here’s more on Brady.

KSWO-TV, Lawton, OK…this Gray Media owned ABC affiliate’s news director is JUSTIN ROSE. Of note: he has a doctorate in political science.

We’ll try and do a better job of keeping the list current. Your assistance in that task is always welcome.

New News Director Openings:

I’m not aware of any new openings this week.

Help Wanted Ad:

Executive Director, Investigative Reporters & Editors:

Investigative Reporters & Editors is looking for an executive director with the vision to lead the world’s largest organization supporting investigative and data journalism. The position involves overseeing a dynamic organization with more than 4,200 members internationally, 13 staff members and dozens of volunteer contributors, as well as serving as a staff member at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.

For more than 50 years, IRE — a nonprofit organization — has led the journalism industry in supporting and training journalists and college students in techniques for investigative reporting and data analysis. The organization runs the world’s biggest conferences on investigative and data journalism – known respectively as IRE and NICAR. IRE provides training and resources for journalists in news organizations of all sizes, from rural U.S. communities to cities across the globe. Its website, ire.org, offers a growing portfolio of training tools, tipsheets, video tutorials and an extensive library of resources.

The right candidate will have experience in investigative journalism, management and fundraising, and an enthusiasm for evangelizing on behalf of investigative journalism and raising funds to support that mission. IRE is located in Columbia, Missouri, where candidates may have the option of moving or working remotely. This position may include teaching two classes per year at the School of Journalism. The position also involves considerable travel, both domestically and internationally.

Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Click here to learn more and apply.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (relisted 5/17/26)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (relisted 4/22/26)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 4/19/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (listed 5/10/26)
WXOW-TV, Wausau, WI (listed 3/22/26)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, listed 5/10/26)
WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA (Digital Content EP, listed 4/26/26)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (Boston market) (listed 5/17/26)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 4/12/26)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 4/19/26)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 4/19/26)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 5/17/26)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted 5/17/26)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 4/19/26)
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 5/17/26)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 4/19/26)
WPBF-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 5/17/26)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (listed 5/17/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 5/17/26)
WBBH-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 5/17/26)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 5/17/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 3/29/26)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 4/19/26)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (Morning EP, relisted 4/19/26)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 5/17/26)
KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE (listed 3/22/26)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
WETM-TV, Elmira, NY (Digital EP, listed 5/2/36)

Other News Management Openings:

Listed 5/3/26:

WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Senior Producer, Nighttime Newscast)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Newscast Producer)

Relisted 4/19/26:

KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (Digital Director)
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (Digital Director)

Listed 4/12/26:

University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (GM of Student Broadcast Media and Instructor)

Obituaries:

John H.

JOHN HUMPHRIES, who began as a sports reporter/anchor and eventually became a GM for two stations, died May 11 at 68. He retired in 2024 as GM of Hearst’s WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC and earlier ran Hearst’s WGAL-TV in Lancaster, PA. More about John in this story. The cause of death is NOT mentioned, but reports online said he died from injuries suffered in a fall while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Clemente

Visitation will be held this Wednesday for MICHAEL CLEMENTE, whose four decades in news included jobs at ABC News, CNN, and FOX News. Michael died suddenly Thursday at his home in Garrison, NY. He was 70 years old. Michael spent 27 years at ABC, then seven years at FOX before departing in 2016. He’d been consulting news operations most recently. Click here to read the obituary.

Names in the News (and other stuff):

A new survey says journalists must retire the use of ‘no comment‘. The survey from the Reynolds Journalism Institute (in partnership with SmithGeiger) suggests it would help restore trust in journalism.

It was not a good week for CBS News.

Evening News anchor TONY DOUKOUPIL failed to get a visa to go to China to cover President Trump’s trip, so he anchored the news from Taiwan.

That screw up allowed outgoing Late Show host STEPHEN COLBERT to turn CBS News into a piñata in his cold open to the program earlier this week. (What are they going to do, fire him?)

And that wasn’t all…Colbert had DAVID LETTERMAN on the show and they resurrected an old Letterman trick, tossing stuff off the roof of the theatre. The ‘stuff’ was part of Colbert’s set. Dave called it ‘wanton destruction of CBS property, as they tossed chairs, etc., onto a CBS logo on the street below, before closing his segment with an obscenity we’ll not include here. This Variety story has it all, including a link to the segment (and the bleeped obscenity!)

Gray Media now says it has consummated all pending station deals with the completion of a series of station trades with Scripps. You should NOT be surprised to know that the trades created duopolies in every market involved. More from The Desk.net.

Gray also announced two managment moves. Company veteran JAMES FINCH has been named Senior Vice President of News Services. while JOANIE VASILIADIS joins Gray as Senior Vice President of Transformation. Joanie most recently had been VP of Content at Tegna.

LESLIE RUBIN, a former assistant ND and reporter for WCHS-TV in Charleston, WV, is the new executive director for the West Virginia Broadcasters Association.

McIlvain

Investigative Reporters and Editors filled its vacation Development Director position by hiring LYNNIE MCILVAIN. Lynnie had been the development director for InvestigateWest. More on her in this news release from IRE. The search continues for a new executive director for the organization following the sudden passing of DIANA FUENTES last March (see ad above).

General Manager News and Notes:

The Louisville Business Journal has two headlines on its website reporting that the GMs for both WDRB-TV (FOX) and WAVE-TV (NBC) left on Friday, shortly after Gray (which owns WAVE) closed on its purchase of Block Communications, which had owned WDRB. Both stories were behind paywalls so unavailable to me. My inquiry to a Gray executive was answered with “…news to me.” Hopefully we’ll have more next week.

Our List of Open News Director Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, May 17, 2026:

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

WPVI-TV 4100 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Avenue Seattle, WA 98121
KMGH-TV 2323 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80203
KSDK-TV 1001 Highlands Plaza Dr. St. Louis, MO 63110
WKRN-TV 441 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37210
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St Baltimore, MD 21211
WAVE-TV 725 S. Floyd St. Louisville KY 40203
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KREM-TV 4103 S Regal St Spokane WA 99223
WCIA-TV 509 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KCEN-TV 215 N. 3rd Street Temple, TX 76501
KKTV 3100 N Nevada Ave, Ste B, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WNDU-TV 54516 State Road 933, South Bend, IN 46637
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KRIS-TV 301 Artesian Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KIFI-TV 1915 N Yellowstone Hwy Idaho Falls, ID 83401
WLUC-TV 177 US-41 East, Negaunee, MI 49866
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901

**: Spanish language station

May 10, 2026

Thursday, May 14, 2026 UPDATE:

Greetings:

One of the TWO open ND jobs in Philadelphia has now been filled.

Gonzalez

NOE GONZALEZ moves within NBC Universal to become the next news director for WCAU-TV (NBC) and WWSI-TV (Telemundo) in the City of Brotherly Love. He’ll report to ELIZABETH FLORES, the VP/News for the duopoly. Noe is currently the news director for Telemundo’s KTAZ-TV in Phoenix and KHRR-TV in Tucson. Here’s the news release announcing his appointment.

He replaces ANA HERNANDEZ. We told you in April a few weeks ago that she was moving within NBC to be the ND for WNBC/WNJU-TV in New York.

We’ll be back on Sunday with our full report.

regards,

Rick Gevers

**** ***** ****

Greetings:

Happy Mother’s Day to all.

It’s a happy holiday for TWO people who got their first ND jobs this week. And while it’s not a new opening, the opening at a top 25 station is now an official opening. We’ll explain.

Our count of ND openings drops to 28.

We have TWO new ads for management positions at a powerhouse, family owned station in North Carolina.

We have more information on last week’s obituary of the brother of a recently retired Missouri ND.

ONE new GM to tell you about.

And we have several news items.

ABC’s new CEO is taking an aggressive stand against the FCC.
In an earnings call, Nexstar’s PERRY SOOK discusses the legal battle in the company’s attempt to buy Tega.
Gray Media closes on its deal to buy Block Communications TV stations.
IRE announces its award winners AND extends the early bird registration for its annual convention.
And CBS Sunday Morning profiles the soon-to-be extinct CBS News Radio

Those stories and more below!

Newly Named News Directors:

Machi

WAPT-TV, Jackson, MS…MIKE MACHI returns to Hearst as the next ND for this ABC affiliate. Here’s the release. For the last year, Mike has been an EP for WPLG-TV in Miami, but earlier worked for Hearst at WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. His career history is here. At WAPT, Mike replaces LEE NEELY. We told you in March that Lee was moving within Hearst to become ND for WJCL-TV in Savannah, GA.

Oliver

KSNT/KTKA-TV, Topeka, KS…congratulations to ASHLEY OLIVER who’s been promoted to news director for this duopoly. She’s been at the stations for more than four years, first as EP and later Managing Editor. She replaces JESSE FRAY who left in January after ten years for a job out of TV. Nexstar owns NBC affiliate KSNT-TV and operates KSNT-TV (ABC) under a shared services agreement with Vaughn Media.

New News Director Opening:

It’s not a new opening, but worth pointing out that Tegna has now listed the open ND job at KSDK-TV (NBC) in St. Louis. (We may have been premature in posting the opening.)

The job’s been open since TIM GERAGHTY was transferred to KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston in March. CAROL FOWLER, a Tegna Regional VP who’s based in St. Louis, is overseeing the newsroom. Of note: Tegna owns KSDK, but Nexstar owns KTVI-TV (FOX) and KPLR-TV (CW) in St. Louis, pending Nexstar’s proposed acquisition of Tegna.

Help Wanted Ads:

Senior Producer-Primetime Newscasts, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC:

Take the lead where it matters most—primetime in Raleigh, North Carolina.

As Senior Producer for WRAL’s late newscasts, you’ll own the 11:00 p.m. broadcast and help shape the 10:00 p.m., driving the stories your community relies on to close the day informed. This is more than a producing role—it’s a leadership opportunity to set the tone, elevate storytelling, and build a high-performing evening team.

You’ll guide producers, reporters, and photographers with clear editorial vision, coaching them to deliver urgent, impactful journalism. From breaking news to enterprise reporting, you’ll make real-time decisions that bring depth, clarity, and accountability to every broadcast. Your ability to pivot quickly and uncover new angles will keep coverage fresh, relevant, and ahead of the curve.

Working across TV, digital, and streaming platforms, you’ll help create a seamless multiplatform experience—ensuring WRAL’s late news is not only the most watched, but the most trusted in the market. You’ll play a key role in executing content strategy, enhancing viewer engagement, and pushing innovation in how stories are told.

If you’re ready to step into a newsroom leadership role where your decisions drive both content and culture, this is your chance to make a lasting impact—on your team, your audience, and your career—right here in Raleigh.

Click here to learn more and apply!

Newscast Producer, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC:

Step into the center of the newsroom and shape the stories your community sees first.

As a Newscast Producer at WRAL in Raleigh, North Carolina, you won’t just write the news—you’ll own it from pitch to broadcast across TV, digital, and social platforms. This is a high-impact, fast-paced role where creativity, urgency, and editorial judgment come together to inform and engage a massive audience.

You’ll produce live newscasts, craft compelling stories for WRAL.com, and drive coverage that connects across platforms—from breaking news to trending topics. With access to real-time analytics and social listening tools, you’ll make smart decisions about what matters most and how to tell it best.

Every day offers the chance to innovate, collaborate, and deliver content that stands out.

This role is built for growth. You’ll gain hands-on experience with live production, digital strategy, and cross-functional teamwork while positioning yourself for future newsroom leadership opportunities.

If you thrive under pressure, love storytelling, and want your work to make an immediate impact, this is your chance to be part of a respected, forward-thinking media organization. Add in strong benefits, career development, and access to local events—and you’ve got more than a job. You’ve got a launchpad.

Click here to learn more and apply!