December 2, 2022 UPDATE:
| We have TWO noteworthy items from top FOUR markets in today’s Update. |
| In Chicago, WMAQ’s station manager and VP/News FRANK WHITAKER will retire at the end of the year, closing out a 46 yearcareer that covered THREE Chicago newsrooms, the last 24+ at that NBC o-and-o. Here’s the note Frank sent to his newsroom. He also worked for five years at WLS-TV (ABC owned), rising to Assistant ND, and began his career at CBS’s WBBM-TV, where he worked for 16 years. Congrats to Frank, who has always been a gentleman in our interactions. |  Whitaker |
| In Philadelphia, Nexstar’s WPHL-TV (MyNet) hired market veteran BILL SHULL for its open ND job. He spent 16 years as a producer for WCAU-TV and three years at WTXF-TV (FOX) Until July, he was ND for WRDE-TV, in Salisbury, MD, an NBC affiliate. Bill replaces MATT TOAL who is taking a job out of TV after 18 months as ND here. WPHL produces its own morning newscast and airs a 10:00 newscast produced by WPVI-TV. |  Shull |
| We’ll have more ND and GM changes in our full report this weekend. regards, Rick Gevers |
November 27, 2022:
| Greetings: (Apologies again for the rudimentary look of this week’s edition. Haven’t figured out the new…but not improved…Wordpress Editor.) This week’s big story, of course, was the tragic crash of WBTV (Charlotte, NC, Gray TV/CBS) helicopter which killed meteorologist JASON MYERS and pilot CHIP TAYAG. |
 Chip Tayag – Jason Myers |
| New this edition: This email from WBTV ND MOLLY KELLHER to her staff. And details about GoFundMe pages sent up for each family. Obviously there was a lot of coverage of the accident in Charlotte media. Since any link I post might be updated by the time you read it, here are links to the major Charlotte news operations: WBTV (CBS): https://www.wbtv.com/ WCNC-TV (NBC): https://www.wcnc.com/ WSOC-TV (ABC): https://www.wsoctv.com/ WJZY-TV (FOX): https://www.qcnews.com/ Charlotte Observer: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/ Our sympathy to Chip and Jason’s families, the staff of WBTV, and friends and family. |
| On to our normal business. For a holiday week, a lot of action: TWO newly named news directors and THREE new openings. Those changes leaves 25 jobs on our list of open ND positions, none of which are featured in Paid Help Wanted ads, since there aren’t any this week. There’s an obituary for a three-time news director (twice at stations in Indiana, and once in Louisville) and more details about the health challenges facing one-time WV News Director MIKE JACKSON (far better known for his on-air career in Washington, DC, and Columbus, OH.) Read on and have a great week! |
| Newly Named News Directors: |
| KASA-TV, Albuquerque, NM…EDGARDO SANABRIA MARIANI will be the next news director for this Telemundo affiliate. Edgardo has been the Assistant News Director here since last January. More details about his background and career in this storyfrom TV Newscheck. (Spoiler alert: Most of his career has been spent at NBC owned Spanish language stations.) KAGS-TV, Bryan, TX…this post on the station’s websitetells you that MONIQUE BRAND has been named news director for this Tegna owned NBC affiliate. She’s been the managing editor of the Lampasas Dispatch Record and replaces ERIN WENCL. Erin left in July to become new director for KAPP/KVEW-TV in Kennewick, WA. We were told then the station would not have an ND but would hire an Assistant ND. Apparently someone changed their mind. |
| New News Directors Openings: |
| WWMT-TV, Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids, MI…MATT JOHNSON is leaving this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate. He posted this on social media about his next move. Matt’s been ND here for more than seven years, and was ND for Sinclair’s KRCG-TV (CBS) in Jefferson City, MO, before that. He worked for another station in the Jefferson City/Columbia market, as well as in both off-air and on-air jobs in Minneapolis, Jackson, MS, and Chattanooga. |  Johnson |
| KHGI-TV, Kearney, NE…after eleven years as news director, MATT WEESNER has left this Sinclair Broadcasting owned ABC affiliate. His Linkedin page says he is now an “Operations Manager” in the “Communication Industry” in Windsor, CO. He spent more than 15 years at KHGI, starting as a photographer before moving to chief photographer, operations manger and eventually news director. |  Weesner |
| WGFL/WNBW/WMYG-TV, Gainesville, FL..AARON ADELSON is lieaving this Sinclair operation by the end of th year. He’s been the ND here since January, 2021. It’s his first news director job: previously he’s been a reporter in Minneapolis, Lexington, and Sioux City, IA. WGFL-WNBW-WMYG-TV is a complicated operation: Mr. Wikipedia explains it all here. |  Adelson |
| Paid Help Wanted Ads: |
| Once again, there are paid help wanted ads this week. If you want to advertise your news management opening in the most targeted publication available, send me an email: rick@rickgevers.com |
| Other News Management Openings: |
| ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR: KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 11/6/22) KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 10/30/22) WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 10/30/22) KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 10/23/22) WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 11/13/22) KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22) WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (relisted 10/30/22) EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Digital EP, relisted 10/23/22) WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (EP Investigations, listed 10/9/22) KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (AM EP, relisted 10/9/22) KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 10/30/22) WTSP-TV, Tampa, FL (2 openings, PM EP & MSJ EP, revised 10/30/22) KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (Digital EP, listed 10/16/22) WOIO/WUAB-TV, Cleveland, OH (AM EP, listed 10/9/22) WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 11/20/22) WRTV, Indianpolis, IN (listed 11/20/22) KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 10/30/22) KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City (relisted 10/30/22) WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (2 jobs, Spec. Proj. & EP, modified 10/9/22) WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 11/20/22) WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 10/30/22) KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (AM EP, relisted 10/30/22) WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 11/13/22) WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (AM EP, relisted 10/30/22) WIVB/WNLO-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 11/6/22) KREM-TV, Spokane WA (listed 10/9/22) WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 10/2/22) KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22) WRBL-TV, Columbus, GA (Digital EP, listed 11/20/22) WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 10/30/22) KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (listed 10/23/22) MANAGING EDITOR: WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 10/30/22) KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 10/30/22) News Center Maine, Portland/Bangor (relisted 10/30/22) |
| Other News Management Openings: |
| Relisted 11/13/22: WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Digital Content Manager) Relisted 10/2/22: Spectrum News NY1 (Senior Producer & Senior Producer-Politics) |
| Obituary: |
| LARRY SMITH, a former news director in Louisville, South Bend, and Ft. Wayne, IN, died November 2nd. He was 78. Larry began in newspapers in Indiana, moved to radio, then TV, and interrupted his journalism career to serve as then Senator DAN QUAYLE’s press secretary. This very detailed obituary tells his full story. While I did not know him personally, friends who did always spoke glowingly of him. |  Smith |
| Names in the News (and other things): |
| We have more information on MIKE JACKSON. We told you last week the former Columbus, OH, anchor (at two stations) had lost his voice to cancer treatment. We called him a former reporter in Washington and ND in West Virginia but have since learned he was the first anchor on Newschannel 8 in Washington, and was once ND at WOAY-TV in Oak Hill, WV. Finally, his longtime WCMH-TV co-anchor and friend COLLEEN MARSHALL aired this profile on her former co-anchor. |
| General Manager News and Notes: |
| No items from this short holiday week. |
| Our List of Open News Director Jobs: |
| Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, November 27, 2022: 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 KTTV 1999 S. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles CA 90025 WPHL-TV 5001 Wynnefield Ave Philadelphia PA19131 KTXL-TV, 4655 Fruitridge Rd, Sacramento, CA 95820 KSAT-TV 1408 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, TX 78215 WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008 WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701 WSLS-TV 821 5th St. NE Roanoke, VA 24016 WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719 WJRT-TV 2302 Lapeer Rd. Flint MI 48503 KHGI-TV 1078 25 Road Axtell, NE 68924 WEHT/WTVW-TV, 800 Marywood Dr., Henderson, KY 42420 WKBT-TV 141 South 6th Street La Crosse, WI 54601 KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812 WJET-TV 8455 Peach Street Erie, PA 16509 WGFL/WNBW/WMYG-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606 KALB-TV 605 Washington Street; Alexandria, LA 71301 WBUP/WKBP-TV 1705 Ash Street Suite 5 Ishpeming, MI 49849 KTIV-TV 2929 Signal Hill Drive. Sioux City, IA 51108 WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601 KTVZ-TV 62990 O.B. Riley Rd. Bend OR 97703 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 KNOP-TV 402. S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101 **: Spanish language station |
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