October 11, 2026
Greetings:
There are TWO new news directors in this week’s report, including ONE at a network owned station in a top ten market.
Ironically, both the new news directors are moving within their same state AND staying with their same company.
As I am not aware of any new openings, our list of open ND jobs drops to 27.
Also this week:
- A change at the top of NBC’s local media operations.
- And a longtime ABC employee, a former ND turned GM, is retiring.
- Two obituaries, ONE for a former owner of multiple TV stations (and LOTS of other businesses, many in sports), and the other for the mother of a longtime news executive.
- HANK PRICE says CNN has a reprieve…for now.
- And will Skydance hang on to its owned CBS stations or sell them to reduce debt load?
That and more below…
Newly Named News Directors:
Dan R.
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA…DAN RASMUSSEN moves with ABC and within California to become the next VP/News for this ABC o-and-o. He’s been the Assistant ND for ABC’s KABC-TV in Los Angeles for the last 5 1/2 years and worked there for 13. We have the memos from KGO GM DAVID WURTZEL and KABC ND PAM CHEN. Dan replaces TRACEY WATKOWSKI who left in June after 14 years.
Klein
KCEN-TV, Temple/Waco, TX…RANDY KLEIN moves within Tegna and Texas to become the next news director for this NBC affiliate. He’s currently the story desk manager and digital director for Tegna’s KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston, where he was worked for more than a decade, part of that time in a regional digital role. At KCEN, he replaces JIM HICE who left in February after 12 years as ND.
New News Director Openings:
I am not aware of any news openings this week. If I’ve missed something, please let me know via email: rick@rickgevers.com
Help Wanted Ads:
No ads this week, but if you have a news management opening, there’s no better place to advertise it. Email me for details: rick@rickgevers.com
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WUPA-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 8/30/26)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (Morning AND, listing revised 9/27/26)
WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 9/13/26)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 8/9/26)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 10/4/26)
KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 9/7/26)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, relisted 9/13/26)
WSB-TV, Atlanta, GA (Digital EP, listed 9/27/26)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/13/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 8/9/26)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 9/13/26)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 9/13/26)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (relisted 9/27/26)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital EP, relisted 10/4/26)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 9/13/26)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (Digital EP, listed 8/30/26)
KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 9/13/26)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 9/13/26)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (relisted 9/20/26)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (listed 9/13/26)
WPBF-TV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 9/13/26)
WGAL-TV, Lancaster, PA (AM EP, listed 9/13/26)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (Senior EP, listed 9/13/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 7/26/26)
WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 9/7/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 9/13/26)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 9/13/26)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 7/26/26)
WJCL-TV, Savannah, GA (listed 9/13/26)
KFSM-TV, Fayetteville, AR (listed 9/7/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 9/27/26)
KWES-TV, Midland/Odessa, TX (listed 9/13/26)
WVNS-TV, Ghent, WV (Digital Content EP, listed 10/4/26)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 9/13/26)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (relisted 8/30/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Relisted 10/11/26:
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Director of Multiplatform Content)
Listed 10/11/26:
KVEO/KGBT-TV, Brownsville, TX (Digital Media Manager)
Listed 9/27/26:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Story Desk Manager)
KING-TV, Seattle, TX (Story Desk Manager)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (Executive Reporter)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (Story Desk Manager)
WOI/KCWI-TV, Des Moines, IA (Story Desk Manager)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (Digital Media Manager-Newsroom)
Relisted 9/20/26:
KSAT-TV, San Antonio, TX (Mgr. of Coverage and Content)
Listed 9/13/26:
KLBK-TV, Lubbock, TX (Digital Media Director)
Listed 8/16/26:
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (Executive Reporter)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (Executive Reporter)
Listed 8/9/26:
WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (Digital Media Director)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Executive Reporter)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Executive Reporter)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Multi-Media Managing Editor)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Multi-Media Managing Editor)
Listed 8/2/26:
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (Story Desk Manager)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Story Desk Manager)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Director of Multiplatform Content)
Obituaries:
Gillett
GEORGE GILLETT, Jr., owned lots of things. The Vail ski resort. The Montreal Canadiens hockey team. The Harlem Globetrotters. And TV stations. Lots of them, over the years. He died in late September at the age of 87 of complications of Alzheimers. The New York Times obituary has some details, while his Wikipedia page goes into much more detail about his broadcast holdings.
Young
JACQUELINE ‘JACKIE’ YOUNG, mother of longtime broadcaster KERRY OSLUND, died Tuesday. She was 87. Many of you know Kerry, who is currently VP New Business Development for Scripps, and has worked for Tribune, Schurz, Gannett, and served as ND in several markets. His mother’s obituary is interesting: she was a pioneer in infant water safety. You can send a kind note to Kerry by clicking here.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
Lots of questions remain following the close of the Skydance-Paramount-Warner Bros. deal.
Among them: HANK PRICE looks at what he calls CNN’s reprieve with the news that MARK THOMPSON will stay on to run the cable network.
And TIM HANLON wonders if the new company will continue to own its portfolio of CBS local stations.
General Manager News and Notes:
Staab
After 15 years with NBC, and a long career at ABC, VALARI STAAB will retire at the end of the year as President of the NBC’s local media operations. She’ll be replaced by CHRIS WAYLAND, currently the GM for NBC’s Boston properties. He’s a former GM in New York and an executive with Sunbeam Televison, which owns WSVN-TV (FOX) in Miami and WHDH-TV (independent) in Boston. At ABC, Valari earlier ran WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham…which leads us to…
Elmore
The current GM for WTVD-TV, ROB ELMORE, who will retire as the general manager of WTVD next month. Rob’s been the boss there since early 2020, moving back to WTVD from Los Angeles, where he was ND for KABC-TV for five years after 16 years as ND at WTVD. Here’s the note Rob sent his staff earlier this week. He’s also been an ND in Rochester, NY and began his career as a reporter.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, October 11, 2026:
It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these m have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com
KYW-TV 1555 Hamilton Street Philadelphia, PA 19130
WJBK-TV 16550 W 9 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI, 48075
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Miami, FL, 33178-2301 **
KTXL-TV 4655 Fruitridge Road Sacramento, CA 95820-5299
KTNV-TV 3355 S Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102
WGAL-TV 1300 Columbia Avenue. Lancaster, PA 17603
WZZM-TV 645 3 Mile Rd NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49544
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E. McKinley Ave., Fresno CA 93727
KOLD-TV 7831 N. Business Park Dr. Tucson AZ 85743
WOI-TV 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WCHS-TV 1301 Piedmont Road, Charleston, WV 25301
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
KLKN-TV 3240 South Tenth Street, Lincoln NE 68502
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WMAZ-TV 1314 Gray Highway, Macon, GA 31211
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
WQOW-TV 5545 State Highway 93, Eau Claire, WI 54701
KNOE-TV 1400 Oliver Rd., Monroe, LA 71201
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KTIV-TV 2929 Signal Hill Drive. Sioux City, IA 51108
KNBN-TV 510 North Cambell Suite 8. Rapid City, SD 57701
WHSV-TV 50 North Main Street Harrisonburg, VA 22802
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station