March 27, 2022
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Always pleased to report that another news director moving into the general manager’s office.
Hostetter
Today it’s KATHY HOSTETTER, who will be the next GM for CBS’s WJZ-TV in Baltimore. Here’s the news release.
Kathy’s currently the ND for CBS’s KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, a job she’s held for the past 3 1/2 years.
She’s also been an ND in Indianapolis (WTHR-TV/NBC), Louisville (WAVE-TV/NBC), Norfolk (WAVY-TV/NBC) and Ft. Wayne (WKJG-TV then NBC, now WISE-TV/CW.)
She’s also worked in San Jose/San Francisco, Grand Rapids, MI, and Moline, IL.
One other note…the Black News Channel officially filed for bankruptcy earlier this week. Details here.
And here’s the note that President/CEO PRINCELL HAIR sent to the staff last Friday announcing the shutdown. The station is airing repeats until the end of the month.
We’ll see you this weekend with our full newsletter.
regards,
Rick Gevers
Monday, March 28, 2022 UPDATE:
Greetings:
One more bit of information about the closing of the Black News Channel.
Hair
Here’s the note that President and CEO PRINCELL HAIR sent to employees last Friday.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
While there are a lot of ND moves this week, they are perhaps overshadowed by the news we first reported on Friday, and that’s the closing of the Black News Channel.
Here’s a new story from The Wall Street Journal.
230 people will lose jobs. The channel will continue to air repeat programming until the end of the month, but no new shows will air.
On to our normal business.
Another flurry of ND hires this week, with SIX jobs filled, though another FOUR opened up.
Our count of open ND Jobs stands at a more typical 33.
ONE of those open ND jobs is among our TWO Paid Help Wanted ads.
We have THREE obituaries this week, including one for a longtime ABC news executive.
In a reversal of the typical move, a ND turned GM returns to a newsroom, thanks to an ad she saw in this newsletter. Tegna names a new GM in Buffalo, and a veteran Meredith manager lands at Nexstar.
There are TWO stories this week that involve second generation broadcasters, one of them among items in Names in the News.
Have a great week.
Newly Named News Directors:
Gaito
WLNE-TV, Providence, RI…ALLISON GAITO returns to Providence as news director for this Standard Media ABC affiliate. (The station is being sold to Cox Media). Allison is currently an EP for KTRK-TV (ABC) in Houston. She previously worked for WPRI-TV in Providence. At WLNE, she replaces KELLY BOAN who spent less than a year as ND before being promoted to a corporate role.
Altenbern
KWWL-TV, Waterloo, IA…second generation newsman ANDREW ALTENBERN returns to this Allen Media owned NBC affiliate as ND. Details from GM JOHN HUFF. John’s been the Assistant ND for KFSM-TV in Ft. Smith, AR, has worked in Denver and Kansas City, and began at KWWL. His Dad JOHN is a former ND at KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids and is a longtime consultant, now at Crawford Johnson and Northcott. Andrew replaces ALLISON GIBSON who left late last year after four years as ND here.
Jones
WLBT-TV, Jackson, MS…CHARLEY JONES has been promoted to ND for this Gray TV owned NBC affiliate. He has been the Assistant News Director here since 2015, and served as the EP and Managing Editor before. Charley started at WLBT as a producer/photograpehr, went to Birmingham as a producer and then returned to Jackson. He replaces MARK LITTLE who was promoted to ND for Gray’s WMC-TV (NBC) in Memphis after four years here.
Harrell
WNDU-TV, South Bend, IN…KENT HARRELL has a new job. The veteran news director will take the helm for this Gray TV owned NBC affiliate. Kent most recently spent 4 1/2 years as ND for Weigel’s WDJT-TV (CBS) in Milwaukee. He’s also been a news director in Springfield, IL, Green Bay and Rockford, IL. At WNDU, he replaces KATE GLOVER who was promoted to ND for Gray’s newly acquired KCTV in Kansas City after 4 1/2 years.
Stack
KOAM-TV, Joplin, MO…BRIT STACK will be the next news director for this Morgan Murphy owned NBC affiliate. The move brings her closer to family in her native Missouri. She most recently was ND for KADN-KALF-TV in Lafayette, LA for about a year and has worked in New Orleans and for two stations in Johnson City, TN. At KOAM, she replaces KRISTI SPENCER who left the station a few months ago after 23 years as news director.
Walker
KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA…LETITIA WALKER returns to the news director’s office as she takes over at this Gray owned NBC affiliate. She’s been working at WWL-TV (Tegna/CBS) in New Orleans as a morning EP, but earlier had been the ND for KATC-TV (Scripps/ABC) in Lafayette, LA. At KPLC, she replaces GREG DeBROSSE who left for a job at The Weather Channel. Greg was ND here for 3 1/2 years.
New News Director Opening:
Inderhees
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL…this Tegna owned (at least for now, pending the sale to Standard Media) duopoly has a job posted for news director on its website. JOE INDERHEES had been ND there since 2019. WTLV is an NBC affiliate while WJXX is the ABC affiliate: they are branded as First Coast News.
Humber
KHNL/KGMB/KFVE-TV, Honolulu, HI…it’s not unusual for an ND to follow his/her boss to a new job, but it’s different here as the new job is at City Hall. SCOTT HUMBER will be the next communications director for the Mayor of Honolulu, RICK BLANGARDI, who had been the GM for that Gray owned tripoly. (NBC/CBS/Telemundo). Scott has been ND here since 2016 and has worked in Hawaii for 20 years. He earlier worked in Boston.
McConico
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL…MATT McCONICO has left this Nexstar operated duopoly after about 18 months as news director. He’s also been an ND in Harrisburg and Reno, and has worked in Ft. Myers, Green Bay, and Eau Claire, WI. WQRF (FOX) is owned by Nexstar, which operates Mission Broadcasting-owned WTVO (ABC) under a shared services agreement.
Stein
KULR-TV, Billings, MT…MATT STEIN has left this Cowles owned NBC affiliate after less than a year as news director. He had been ND for WAAY-TV in Huntsville, AL before coming to Billings. Matt also worked in Memphis, Salinas/Monterey, CA, Seattle, Denver, Charlotte, and Syracuse. You can learn more about this job opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted ad just below.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, KULR-TV, Billings, MT:
Executive Producer, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC:
Would you like to be a leader in a news operation with a commitment to excellence and the resources you need to succeed?
WRAL News, a multiplatform news organization in the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville market, is seeking a strong Executive Producer to oversee the presentation and look of WRAL newscasts. We are looking for a leader who will coach the producing staff, write and approve scripts, review topical and image promotion, enhance weather and sports content, and contribute to special coverage.
The ideal candidate will find new and engaging ways of presenting content in our newscasts while working closely with our graphics, promotions, and news management teams. We are looking for a person with outstanding communication and organizational skills, superb news judgment, and a creative mind. Our next EP needs to excel at breaking news and have an eye for showcasing. If you have a vision for graphics and a passion for memorable, creative, and captivating newscasts, this is the job for you.
WRAL is locally owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company, a pioneering, community advocate company that offers some of the best benefits in the business. We are based in Raleigh, NC, which is consistently named one of the best places to live in America.
Requirements include five years of experience in producing newscasts, two years of news management experience and a four-year college degree.
You must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. A pre-employment drug screening is required.
To apply, visit here:
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Digital AND, relisted 1/16/22)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 2/27/22)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 1/30/22)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 2/27/22)
WXBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 3/13/22)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 3/13/22)
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (listed 2/20/22)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (listed 2/27/22)
WDKY-TV, Lexington, KY (listed 3/20/22)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 3/27/22)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 3/27/22)
KBTX-TV, Bryan, TX (listed 2/27/22)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 3/13/22)
WAND-TV, Decatur, IL (listed 3/27/22)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 3/20/22)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (listed 3/27/22)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 2/13/22)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 2/27/22)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 3/13/22)
Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC (relisted 1/30/22)
WJZY-TV, Charlotte, NC (listed 1/30/22)
KMOV-TV. St. Louis, MO (Special Projects EP, listed 2/27/22)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (relisted 3/13/22)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (listing revised 3/27/22, see ad above!)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 2/27/22)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 3/20/22)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (Special Projects EP, listed 3/6/22)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham AL (listed 2/20/22)
WHTM-TV, Harriburg, PA (listed 3/6/22)
WGNO/WNOL-TV, New Orleans (EP Special Projects, revised 2/27/22)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 3/13/22)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 2/27/22)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/20/22)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (relisted 3/20/22)
WAFF-TV, Huntsville, AL (relisted 3/20/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, listed 1/16/22)
WTVC-TV, Chattanooga, TN (listed 1/23/22)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 1/30/22)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (listed 3/20/22)
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL (Digital EP, relisted 2/13/22)
KADN/KLAF-TV, Lafayette, LA (relisted 2/27/22)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CO (listed 2/27/22)
SUPERVISING PRODUCER:
KOMU-TV, Columbia, Mo (listed 1/30/22)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 2/27/22)
KOMU-TV, Columbia, Mo (listed 1/30/22)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 3/27/22:
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital Content Director
Listed 3/13/22:
Listed 3/6/22:
U. of Mississippi, Oxford, MS (Director of Student Media)
Listed 2/13/22:
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (Digital Director)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Assignment Desk Manager)
Relisted 2/13/22:
E.W. Scripps, Cincinnati, OH: National Director of News Platform Strategies and Special Projects
Relisted 2/6/22:
WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH: (Digital Content Director)
Listed 1/30/22:
Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, MO: (Director, Documentary Journalism Center)
Relisted 1/30/22:
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY (Assistant Professor)
Relisted 1/23/22:
New York 1, New York, NY (Sr. Producer, Mornings on 1)
Obituaries:
Westin
AV WESTIN, a longtime ABC News executive, died March 12th at 92 of cardiac arrest. He spent one year as executive producer of World News Tonight and then moved on to supervise 20/20 in 1979. He left ABC in 1987, according to this obituary in The New York Times, after distributing a lengthy memo about what he saw as th3 shortcomings of the ABC News division. Remarkably, I could not find an obituary on abc.com.
Fleming
Longtime Columbus, GA, broadcaster AL FLEMING passed away Sunday, March 13th. He was 91. Al served as the news director and anchor at was what was then called WDAK-TV (now WTVM-TV) and also worked at several other Columbus stations. He later opened several restaurants, including one called “Al Who’s Place?” More on Al’s life and career in this obituary.
George K.
GEORGE KRONSCHNABEL died February 23rd at the age of 88. He began his career in radio and later moved to Casper, WY, where he worked for 40 years until his retirement in 2005. Since he thought Kronschnabel was too long, he went by GEORGE KAY on the air. He was a newsman, sports director, and news director there. You can learn more about him by reading this obituary.
Names in the News:
Snyder
A second generation broadcaster will be the executive producer for SYMONE SANDERS‘ new MSNBC program. CATHERINE SNYDER has been the Managing Editor for WRC-TV (NBC) in Washington, has also worked for two other DC stations, and was a senior producer for CNBC. Catherine’s father was the late JIM SNYDER, who worked for CBS, was an ND for Post-Newsweek stations in Washington and Detroit, and was VP/News for Post-Newsweek.
Martinez
CBS has named JOELLE MARTINEZ as its West Coast Bureau Chief. She’s been the Deputy Bureau Chief for Vice News in Los Angeles, and previously worked for MSNBC as a producer and at NBC News as a researcher. More on her background and new job here.
Quick notes:
JEREMY SPEARMAN has been promoted to Streaming EP for WRAL-TV in Raleigh. He had been there 7:00 producer there and has also worked at WNCN-TV in Raleigh.
SAM WOOD is the new Nightside EP for Weigel’s WDJT-TV (CBS) in Milwaukee. He has been the 10:00 producer there. News Director JESSIE GARCIA’s note to the staff suggests he’s landing in the new role at a most interesting time.
General Manager News and Notes:
Vickers
Former news director turned GM DENISE VICKERS is headed back to a newsroom. She’s been named Director of the Innovation News Center at the University of Florida. That’s the newsroom for the College of Journalism at UF. Denise is the GM for Lockwood’s WFXG-TV (FOX) in Augusta, GA and has been an ND in Huntsville, AL, Charleston, SC, Montgomery, AL, and Boise, ID. Self promotion alert: I’m told that Denise learned of her new job via the ad in this newsletter.
Manders
MARK MANDERS has been promoted to General Manager for Tegna-soon-to-be-Standard-Media’s WGRZ-TV (NBC) in Buffalo, He’s been the director of sales there for the past 16 years, has held sales positions at two stations in Syracuse and one in Kansas City, and was VP of Marketing for a major furniture chain.
DePalma
Nexstar has tabbed KLARN DePALMA to be its Senior Vice President of Sales and Sponsorship. He’s a former GM for several Meredith stations and had held a number of other positions at Meredith. More details here.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, March 27, 2022.
KPIX-TV 855 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111
WTSP-TV 11450 Gandy Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
KOVR/KMAX-TV 2713 KOVR Drive, West Sacramento, CA 95605
KTVX-TV 2175 West 1700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104
WPTV 1100 Banyan Blvd. West Palm Beach, FL 33401
WTLV/WJXX-TV 1070 East Adams Street Jacksonville, FL 32202
WZZM-TV 645 3 Mile Rd NW. Grand Rapids, MI 49544
WHTM-TV 3235 Hoffman Street. Harrisburg, PA 17110
WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701
KGMB/KHNL-TV 420 Waiakamilo Rd. Suite 205, Honolulu, HI, 96817
WOI-TV 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
KOLR-TV 2650 E. Division Springfield, MO 65803
KXXV-TV 1909 S. New Rd. Waco, TX 76711
KNDO/KNDU-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave., Yakima, WA 98902
KAPP/KVEW-TV 601 N. Edison Kennewick, WA 99336
KADN-TV 1500 Eraste Landry Rd. Lafayette, LA 70506
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KRCG-TV 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
WTVO/WQRF-TV 1917 N. Meridian Road Rockford, IL 61101
KBJR-TV 246 S Lake Ave. Duluth, MN 55802
KMIR-TV 72920 Park View Dr., Palm Desert, CA 92260
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KIMT-TV 135 E William St. Albert Lea, MN 56007
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
KTAB/KRBC-TV 4510 South 14th St. Abilene TX 79605
KULR-TV. 2045 Overland Ave. Billings, MT 59102 (see ad above!)
KALB-TV 605 Washington Street; Alexandria, LA 71301
WTOK-TV 815 23rd Ave. Meridian, MS 39301
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd North, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
**: Spanish language station