Rick Gevers & Associates

April 23, 2017

Greetings:

We’re a few hours early this week as I’m in Las Vegas for the BEA and NAB conventions.

RTDNA will hold what’s become an annual get-together this week at NAB. It’s Tuesday night at 9:00 at the Parasol Down bar at the Wynn Hotel and Casino. RTDNA leaders will be there along with other news types in down for the convention. I’m planning on being there, too.

On to our normal business…we have THREE newly named news directors in this week report, and the ONE new ND opening was created by a promotion to a larger market. That leaves 20 stations with ND openings. ONE of those jobs is among four FOUR paid help wanted ads this week.

We also have obituaries for a news director and anchor turned Congressman, and for a groundbreaking Latina journalist.

In Names in the News, we’ll tell you the next step for a former Tegna ND who had to leave his job in Austin, TX, for family reasons. Also, a former ND returns to her former station…but just for one month. The University of Minnesota renames its School of Journalism, and we’ll tell you about one station that won EIGHT Headliner Awards.

Have a great week…

New News Director Openings:

WSAW-TV, Wausau, WI,…congratulations to JESSICA LASZEWSKI who moves up with in Gray TV and is off to WNDU-TV in South Bend, IN, as news director. More on that move below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Trauschke

WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC…you know (because we told you on Tuesday) that ED TRAUSCHKE is the new news director for this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate. He’s been the interim ND here since ANDREA PARQUET-TAYLOR left to become ND for KTVT-TV in Dallas/Ft. Worth in January. Ed’a been an ND in Tulsa, Little Rock, and Orlando. Earlier in his career Ed worked for WRAL-TV in Raleigh as Managing Editor. He’s a former reporter in Orlando.

Dodd-Taylor

Spectrum News, San Antonio and Austin…JENNIFER DODD-TAYLOR will oversee the news department for these two cable news operations. She’s a former news director for stations in Tyler and Victoria, TX, and worked as the Assistant News Director for KENS-TV in San Antonio. Jennifer replaces MICHAEL PEARSON who left in February after seven years as ND there and 17 years at the operation, where he was the Assistant ND for ten years.

Laszewski

WNDU-TV, South Bend, IN…as mentioned above, JESSICA LASZEWSKI has been promoted to news director for this Gray Television owned NBC affiliate. She’s been the ND for Gray’s WSAW-TV in Wausaw, WI, for the past three years. The move is Jessica’s first job outside of Wisconsin, where she’s worked in Madison, Green Bay, and Eau Claire. Jessica replaces C.J. BEUTIEN who is retiring after ten years as ND here. He’s a former ND in the Quad Cities, Toledo (where he replaced me at WTOL-TV) and in Evansville. C.J. also worked in Chattanooga on-air.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KTVA-TV, Anchorage, AL:

KTVA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska is seeking a dynamic news director to lead a team of experience broadcast and digital journalists. The ideal candidate has a vision for optimizing content across digital platforms, and driving viewers to our morning and evening broadcasts.

We’re looking for an experienced news manager to implement strategies to set our newscasts apart through dynamic storytelling, enterprise journalist and effective promotion. The preferred candidate inspires constant innovation, fosters buy in from staff on the station’s brand, and enforces consistency of newsroom performance with a commitment to increase viewership.

KTVA offers a large market look and feel with the quality of life of a small market. We are owned and operated by Alaska’s largest telecom provider, with remote capability unsurpassed anywhere in the country, allowing us to cover the largest geographic area in America.

Job Duties:

Manage all aspects of KTVA’s broadcast and digital news operations.
Recruit, train and coach a superior news staff, providing consistent feedback.
Set news department budget with GM, and manage efficiently.
Work closely with Promotions Department to establish and ensure brand consistency

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, communications or related field preferred. A combination of relevant work experience and/or education sufficient to perform the duties may be substituted for the degree on a year-for-year basis.

7 years’ experience at a media organization in a leadership role such as a News Director, Assistant News Director or similar, including five years in a managerial role with proven experience building and leading strong teams.

Click here to apply and learn more.

Senior Producer, Morning News, KRIV-TV, Houston, TX:

Fox 26 KRIV, the Fox O&O in Houston, TX is seeking a Senior Producer to join our morning news team. This candidate will be responsible for oversight of the daily production of multiple newscasts. Key responsibilities and duties include, the final product on all news and information platforms being used during the assigned work shift. Make editorial decisions and/or changes in the control room while the newscast is on the air. Supervise and oversee the associate producers assigned to the shift. Assign writing ideas to Associate Producers. Edit Associate Producer scripts and provide feedback. Attend and participate in department meetings. Provide suggestions for news related stories and participate in post-production critiques. Thorough knowledge of social media and how to manage social media engagement. Must possess a superior command of grammar and broadcast news-writing style. Must have exceptional editorial judgment; strong writing, copy editing, and video editing skills. Must be innovative, finding new ways to present information in a creative and compelling manner. Must be able to work under pressure and strict deadlines. Ideal candidate must be able to use newsroom computer systems, including AVID iNews and AVID search, video editing and graphics programs. Must be able to solve problems and make decisions. Must be flexible and able to handle pressure and meet deadlines.

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism or related field required. Minimum of 5 years’ experience producing on a local or national news broadcast, management experience preferred.

To apply, click here:

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. EOE/M/F/Veteran/Disabled

Digital Executive Producer, WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL:

WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, FL is looking for a Digital Executive Producer to lead our digital platforms and coordinate coverage of stories on-air and on-line. We need an experienced media veteran to help manage digital producers and newsroom staff. We are looking for a strategic thinker who can identify digital and social trends. The Digital EP must be able to take charge, is calm under pressure and has experience with breaking news. You will also help create and coordinate digital content for daily stories, sweeps and other projects. The Digital EP is the main contact with other departments when it comes to supporting digital needs. NOTE: All essential functions of this position are not necessarily described in this posting.

Qualifications:

This is a great opportunity for a digital veteran or for someone with a TV background who understands the evolving role of digital in a newsroom. Prior EP experience is a plus. Prefer at least three years of experience. You will be on-call as needed. Expect to work long hours, weekends and holidays as needed.

Prefer college degree in journalism or communications.

Email resume and link to the WJXT-TV News Director: kbonfield@wjxt.com

No phone calls.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 3/12/17)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 4/2/17)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (relisted 4/9/17)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
KSNT-TV, Topeka, KS (listed 3/26/17)
KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK (relisted this week)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KRIV-TV, Houston, TX (Senior AM Producer, listed 4/16/17, see ad above!)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (PM EP, listing revised 4/16/17)
KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (PM EP, listed 2/19/17)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 4/2/17)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (AM EP, listing revised 4/2/17)
KPTV, Portland, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listing revised 3/26/17)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, relisted 4/9/17)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, relisted 3/19/17)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/26/17)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Digital EP, listing modified 4/16/17, see ad above!)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (PM EP, new listing this week, see ad above!)
WCSC-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 3/12/17)
WPTA-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 3/12/17)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted this week)

ASSISTANT CONTENT DIRECTOR:

WTVD-TV, Raleigh/Durham, NC (listed 3/26/17)

Obituaries:

Mathis

News Director and Anchor turned Congressman DAWSON MATHIS died this week at the age of 75. Dawson died just a few days after the loss of his son. He left his job as ND/Anchor for WALB-TV in Albany, GA in 1970 for a successful run for Congress, where he served five terms. He left Congress for an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate in 1980.

Alvear

CECILIA ALVEAR died this week of breast cancer at the age of 77. She worked for several Los Angeles stations before joining NBC as its Mexico City bureau chief. Cecilia went on to hold a number of jobs at the network. She also served as President of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. More details about her life and career in this obituary from the Los Angeles Times.

Names in the News:

Redding

We have an update on MIKE REDDING, the former ND for Tegna’s KVUE-TV in Austin, TX. We told you last week that he was leaving after just nine months for family reasons. Tegna’s has kept him in the company, hiring him at WUSA-TV in Washington. The details of his exact role there are still being finalized. He’s also been an ND at the Tegna station in Portland, ME, and has worked in Charlotte and Springfield, MO.

Tompkins

If you missed our UPDATE earlier this week, veteran Poynter faculty member AL TOMPKINS is one of two finalists for the job of director of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at his alma mater, Western Kentucky University.

One time KPVI-TV (Pocatello, ID) ND and anchor BRENDA BAUMGARTNER STANLEY is returning to the station for the month of May, anchoring to cover a maternity leave.

The University of Minnesota is renaming its journalism school after the Hubbard family, longtime broadcasters based in the Twin Cities. It will now be called the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Congratulations to Hearst’s WCVB-TV which won eight Headliner Awards this week. Here’s the news release and the complete list of winners.

General Manager News and Notes:

I’m not aware of any changes this week.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, April 23, 2017.

If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

KSTS-TV 2349 Bering Dr. San Jose, CA 95131 *
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
WSMV-TV 5700 Knob Rd, Nashville, TN 37209
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
WDJT-TV 809 South 60th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214
KVUE-TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Dr, Cranston, RI 02920
WNYT-TV 715 N Pearl St, Albany, NY 12204
KGUN-TV 7280 E Rosewood St, Tucson, AZ 85710
WICS-TV 2680 East Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WCBD-TV 210 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Drive New Bern, NC 28560
KWQC-TV 805 Brady St, Davenport, IA 52803
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Road, Ghent, WV 25841
KVAL/KMTR-TV 4575 Blanton Rd, Eugene, OR 97405
WSAW-TV, 1114 Grand Ave, Wausau, WI 54403
KBJR-TV 246 South Lake Ave. Duluth MN 55802
KCBD-TV 5600 Ave. A, Lubbock, TX 79404
KTVA-TV 1001 Northway Drive St. 202. Anchorage, AK (see ad above!)
KRTV P.O. Box 2989, Great Falls, Montana, 59403

April 16, 2017

Tuesday, April 18, 2017 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Once again, we have two items for you this afternoon.

Trauschke

First, WNCN-TV, the Nexstar owned CBS affiliate in Raleigh, has named ED TRAUSCHKE as its next news director. Ed’s been the interim ND there since ANDREA PARQUET-TAYLOR left to become ND for KTVT-TV in Dallas.

Ed’s no stranger to Raleigh: he was the Managing Editor for WRAL-TV for 2+ years in the late 90s. Ed most recently was the ND for KOTV in Tulsa. He’s also been an ND in Orlando and Little Rock, and began his career as a reporter.

Tompkins

Also, veteran Poynter faculty member AL TOMPKINS is one of two finalists for the job of Chair of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at Western Kentucky University. That’s Al’s alma mater. The other finalist is TIM POLLARD, chair of the department of telecommunications at Ball State University.

More details about the job and the search are yours by clicking here, although Al tells me the position is Chair of the Department, not Dean, as the article says.

As always, more details on both these stories in our full newsletter later this week.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

It’s a busy week, with FOUR new ND openings, THREE newly named news directors, and lots of other interesting news. Those changes leave our count of ND openings at 21.

TWO of those news director openings are featured among our FOUR Paid Help Wanted Ads.

There’s lot of items in Names in the News. Included are several new jobs for veteran news managers, and links to several articles I found of interest, covering such topics as the possible decline in the use of news helicopters, details about the role a one-time local news producer played in the rise of ratings for a late night show, and a major market news director comes to the defense of BILL O’REILLY. And we also have an unusual request.

We also have TWO obituaries…one of a longtime NBC employee, and the other of a newsman whose career spanned NBC News, sports jobs in markets small and large, and a long run as an Assistant News Director in Kansas City.

If you’re going to NAB next week, I hope to see you there.

Until then, read on!

New News Director Openings:

Brogden-Miller

WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO…we told you Friday that TRACY BROGDEN-MILLER is ascending to the General Manager’s role for this Tribune Media owned FOX Affiliate. She’s been the ND here for 3+ years. She’s also been an ND for another Kansas City station, worked as a consultant, and held a variety of news management jobs. She’ll replace CHERYL McDONALD who’s worked here for 33 years, the last 14+ as GM.

It wasn’t all good news this week at WDAF, though, as longtime Assistant News Director GEORGE MILLS died. Details in our obituary section below.

Redding

KVUE-TV, Austin, TX…MIKE REDDING is leaving this Tegna owned ABC affiliate after just nine months as news director. This story suggests he’s taking another job within Tegna. I’m been told he has family reason to return to the East Coast. He had been the ND for the Tegna station in Portland, ME, for almost four years. Mike began his career as a reporter, working in Springfield, MO, and Charlotte before moving into management in Roanoke and Greensboro, NC.

Rudman

KTVA-TV, Anchorage, AL…this Denali Media Holdings owned CBS affiliate is looking for a new ND to replace BERT RUDMAN. Bert tells me he resigned to take care of his late mother’s estate, but will have an announcement soon about his next move. He’d been the ND here for four years. Bert began his career on air as an anchor/and reporter before moving to behind the camera, first as a producer for WSB-TV in Atlanta, and then for several networks. More on that here. You can learn more about this opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted Ad below.

KRTV, Great Falls, MT…this CBS affiliate is advertising for a new news director. It’s owned by Cordillera Communications.

Newly Named News Directors:

Eikel

KTVU-TV, San Francisco/Oakland, CA…we also told you on Friday that AMBER EIKEL has been promoted to news director. KTVU is a FOX o-and-o, but was owned by Cox when Amber first joined the station as Managing Editor from then-sister COX station KIRO-TV in Seattle, where she was the EP. That was in 2013: Amber later became the Assistant ND. She replaces DANA McDANIEL (HAHN) who left the station in February to deal with family matters.

Bradley

KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX…congratulations to VICKI BRADLEY who moves within Tegna to become the ND for this CBS affiliate. It’s Vicki’s first ND job. She’s spent the last two years as the EP and then the Assistant ND for Tegna’s WFMY-TV in Greensboro, NC. Vicki’s also worked for the Weather Channel, for another station in the Greensboro/High Point market, and in Wilmington, NC. In Tyler, she replaces JENNIFER DODD-TAYLOR who left the station late last year.

Paras

WGFL-TV, Gainesville, FL…ANDY PARAS is the new news director for this Sinclair Broadcasting operated CBS affiliate that’s owned by New Age Media. Andy most recently was the Content Manager for WCIV-TV in Charleston, SC. That was his first TV job: he began as a reporter and later became Social Media Editor for the Charleston newspaper. He replaces ANDREA CLENNEY who left earlier this year after about eight months as ND.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KTVA-TV, Anchorage, AL:

KTVA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska is seeking a dynamic news director to lead a team of experience broadcast and digital journalists. The ideal candidate has a vision for optimizing content across digital platforms, and driving viewers to our morning and evening broadcasts.

We’re looking for an experienced news manager to implement strategies to set our newscasts apart through dynamic storytelling, enterprise journalist and effective promotion. The preferred candidate inspires constant innovation, fosters buy in from staff on the station’s brand, and enforces consistency of newsroom performance with a commitment to increase viewership.

KTVA offers a large market look and feel with the quality of life of a small market. We are owned and operated by Alaska’s largest telecom provider, with remote capability unsurpassed anywhere in the country, allowing us to cover the largest geographic area in America.

Job Duties:

Manage all aspects of KTVA’s broadcast and digital news operations.
Recruit, train and coach a superior news staff, providing consistent feedback.
Set news department budget with GM, and manage efficiently.
Work closely with Promotions Department to establish and ensure brand consistency

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, communications or related field preferred. A combination of relevant work experience and/or education sufficient to perform the duties may be substituted for the degree on a year-for-year basis.

7 years’ experience at a media organization in a leadership role such as a News Director, Assistant News Director or similar, including five years in a managerial role with proven experience building and leading strong teams.

Click here to apply and learn more.

Senior Producer, Morning News, KRIV-TV, Houston, TX:

Fox 26 KRIV, the Fox O&O in Houston, TX is seeking a Senior Producer to join our morning news team. This candidate will be responsible for oversight of the daily production of multiple newscasts. Key responsibilities and duties include, the final product on all news and information platforms being used during the assigned work shift. Make editorial decisions and/or changes in the control room while the newscast is on the air. Supervise and oversee the associate producers assigned to the shift. Assign writing ideas to Associate Producers. Edit Associate Producer scripts and provide feedback. Attend and participate in department meetings. Provide suggestions for news related stories and participate in post-production critiques. Thorough knowledge of social media and how to manage social media engagement. Must possess a superior command of grammar and broadcast news-writing style. Must have exceptional editorial judgment; strong writing, copy editing, and video editing skills. Must be innovative, finding new ways to present information in a creative and compelling manner. Must be able to work under pressure and strict deadlines. Ideal candidate must be able to use newsroom computer systems, including AVID iNews and AVID search, video editing and graphics programs. Must be able to solve problems and make decisions. Must be flexible and able to handle pressure and meet deadlines.

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism or related field required. Minimum of 5 years’ experience producing on a local or national news broadcast, management experience preferred.

To apply, click here:

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. EOE/M/F/Veteran/Disabled

Digital Executive Producer, WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL:

WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, FL is looking for a Digital Executive Producer to lead our digital platforms and coordinate coverage of stories on-air and on-line. We need an experienced media veteran to help manage digital producers and newsroom staff. We are looking for a strategic thinker who can identify digital and social trends. The Digital EP must be able to take charge, is calm under pressure and has experience with breaking news. You will also help create and coordinate digital content for daily stories, sweeps and other projects. The Digital EP is the main contact with other departments when it comes to supporting digital needs. NOTE: All essential functions of this position are not necessarily described in this posting.

Qualifications:

This is a great opportunity for a digital veteran or for someone with a TV background who understands the evolving role of digital in a newsroom. Prior EP experience is a plus. Prefer at least three years of experience. You will be on-call as needed. Expect to work long hours, weekends and holidays as needed.

Prefer college degree in journalism or communications.

Email resume and link to the WJXT-TV News Director: kbonfield@wjxt.com

No phone calls.

News Director, WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI:

CBS-58 seeks a News Director to lead our newsroom as we innovate and grow. We have a commitment to storytelling and digging deeper on local content at a time when viewers depend on our content on-air and online more than ever. We seek a dynamic team leader who is comfortable in a fast-paced environment, who brings excellent judgment and assures high ethical standards and practices, and who has demonstrated success in driving coverage of breaking news and severe weather. Must be a driven individual able to plan strategically, manage and nurture people, handle hiring, contracts and budgets. Our managers work as a team in a collaborative environment. You should be passionate about social media and skilled in using it to complement our broadcast and digital offerings. Candidate needs 7-10 years of professional journalism experience with at least 5 years in a progressive management capacity.

Weigel Broadcasting Co. maintains an Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for all applicants and employees. We give fair consideration to all qualified persons and afford all our employees opportunities for advancement according to their individual abilities, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age or sex, or other protected categories. No opportunities for promotion, transfer or any other benefit of employment will be diminished through discriminatory practices. Employees or prospective employees have the right to notify an appropriate local, state or Federal agency if they believe they have been discriminated against.

Interested? Please click here to submit a Cover Letter, Resume and Portfolio.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (relisted 4/9/17)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 3/12/17)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 4/2/17)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (relisted 4/9/17)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
KSNT-TV, Topeka, KS (listed 3/26/17)
KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK (relisted 2/19/17)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KRIV-TV, Houston, TX (Senior AM Producer, new listing this week, see ad above!)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (PM EP, listing revised this week)
KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (PM EP, listed 2/19/17)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 4/2/17)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (AM EP, listing revised 4/2/17)
KPTV, Portland, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listing revised 3/26/17)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, relisted 4/9/17)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, relisted 3/19/17)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/26/17)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (PM EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Digital EP, listing modified this week, see ad above!)
WCSC-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 3/12/17)
WPTA-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 3/12/17)

ASSISTANT CONTENT DIRECTOR:

WTVD-TV, Raleigh/Durham, NC (listed 3/26/17)

Obituaries:

Mills

We mentioned above the passing of GEORGE MILLS, the longtime Assistant News Director at WDAF-TV in Kansas City. George was 75 and died of complications from lung cancer. He worked at WDAF for more than 20 years, but began his career in radio in Enid, OK, after graduation from the University of Missouri. He worked in sports in Ft. Wayne and Miami (where we worked together). George then went to NBC News as head of Skycom, the predecessor to NBC News Channel. He later held ND jobs in Montana and Yuma, AZ, before moving to Kansas City. More about his life, family, and memorial plans here.

Elbert

Another longtime former NBC News employee, TED ELBERT, also died this week. Ted had a variety of jobs at the network, from the Chicago bureau, to head of the Paris and Frankfurt bureaus, to a number of positions domestically. He began his career at CBS before moving to NBC. I recommend that you take a few minutes to enjoy this interesting obituary about an interesting man.

Names in the News:

Thomas

SANDRA THOMAS is the new Director, News of Mexico and Central America Region for Telemundo. We told you earlier this month that she had stepped down as ND for the company’s Dallas station, KXTX-TV, to take this new role.

TRACIE McKINNEY joins WXYZ-TV in Detroit as the Assistant ND. She’s held the same job for WTSP-TV in Tampa for the last three years. She’s also worked in St. Louis, Norfolk, and Roanoke.

Gibson

BRADY GIBSON joins Nexstar owned CW affiliate WISH-TV in Indianapolis as morning executive producer. Brady spent 17 years working down the street (literally, in this case) as an executive producer at Scripps’ ABC affiliate, WRTV. He’s also worked in Evansville. In addition to being happy about his new job, I’m guessing he’s happy that his beloved St. Louis Blues have a 3-0 lead in their playoff series against the Minnesota Wild.

Speaking of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Business Journal takes a look at what it sees as the decline in use of news helicopters.

The New York Times looks at the rise of STEPHEN COLBERT’s Late Show and the role played by CHRIS LICHT in that transformation. Chris is a former local news producer who helmed CBS This Morning before moving to Colbert’s show.

Longtime newsman STEVE COHEN, currently in his tenth years as ND for KUSI-TV in San Diego, has written an impassioned column supporting his friend and former colleague BILL O’REILLY.

Finally, an unusual request. (I’m asking for a friend as they say.) Does anyone know where I might be able to find the Sept 5, 2005 issue of Broadcasting and Cable magazine? Email me at rick@rickgevers.com

General Manager News and Notes:

In addition to the appointment of TRACY BROGDEN-MILLER to GM for Tribune’s WDAF-TV in Kansas City, (covered above) there’s also news that JEFFREY GUY has been named GM of Nexstar’s WJTV in Jackson, MS.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, April 16, 2017.

If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

KSTS-TV 2349 Bering Dr. San Jose, CA 95131 *
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
WNCN-TV 1205 Front St. Raleigh, N.C., 27609
WSMV-TV 5700 Knob Rd, Nashville, TN 37209
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
WDJT-TV 809 South 60th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214 (see ad above!)
KVUE-TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Dr, Cranston, RI 02920
WNYT-TV 715 N Pearl St, Albany, NY 12204
KGUN-TV 7280 E Rosewood St, Tucson, AZ 85710
WICS-TV 2680 East Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WCBD-TV 210 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
WNDU-TV 54516 IN-933, South Bend, IN 46637
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Drive New Bern, NC 28560
KWQC-TV 805 Brady St, Davenport, IA 52803
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Road, Ghent, WV 25841
KVAL/KMTR-TV 4575 Blanton Rd, Eugene, OR 97405
KBJR-TV 246 South Lake Ave. Duluth MN 55802
KCBD-TV 5600 Ave. A, Lubbock, TX 79404
KTVA-TV 1001 Northway Drive St. 202. Anchorage, AK (see ad above!)
KRTV P.O. Box 2989, Great Falls, Montana, 59403

* Spanish language station

April 9, 2017

Friday, April 14, 2017 UPDATE:

Two items of note for you this afternoon.

We’re always happy in this space to tell you about a news director getting promoted to General Manager, and that’s what happened today at WDAF-TV in Kansas City.

Brogden-Miller

That’s where TRACY BROGDEN-MILLER was promoted to General Manager today. She’s been the ND for this Tribune owned Fox affiliate since 2013. Tracy’s entire career background (including a stint as ND for another Kansas City station) is outlined on her Linkedin page.

She replaces CHERYL McDONALD who is retiring.

Eikel

And congratulations to AMBER EIKEL who was also promoted, in her case to news director for Fox’s KTVU-TV in San Francisco-Oakland, CA. She’s worked here for almost four years, first as Managing Editor and, for the last 2+ years, as the Assistant ND. She’s also worked as an EP in Seattle and Las Vegas. Read more about her background here.

Amber replaces DANA McDANIEL (HAHN) who stepped down in February to deal with family matters.

Much more on both these stories and all this week’s news in our full newsletter later this weekend.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

THREE newly named news directors top this week’s report, with just ONE new opening, created when a Milwaukee news director resigned to take an Assistant ND job in Chicago.

Our list of open ND openings shrinks to just 20 such positions…the lowest that count has been in a while.

ONE of those openings is featured in one of our TWO help wanted ads this week.

We have obituaries for two former news director, one who worked in THREE major markets, and the other who worked in ONE medium market for 35 years.

In Names in the News…we’ll tell you about THREE stations who received prestigious Peabody Award nominations this week…and we’ll tell you which one of the three received TWO nominations. We also have a story on a top ten market ND who’s now teaching high school. And there’s news on TWO new general managers.

New News Director Opening:

Davis

WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI…TRACY DAVIS is leaving this Weigel Broadcasting owned CBS affiliate to become the Assistant News Director for Chicago’s NBC o-and-o, WMAQ-TV. She was the ND here about two years, and spent two years as the Assistant ND before her promotion. Tracy also spent two years as ND for WFFF/WVNY-TV in Burlington, VT, and worked there for four years as a News Manager before being promoted. She’s also worked in Lafayette, IN. You can learn more about this opportunity in the paid help wanted ad below.

One correction from last week. I used the wrong call letters in describing an opening in Tucson. It is at KGUN-TV, the Scripps owned ABC affiliate there. Apologies.

Newly Named News Directors:

Sanchez

KDEN-TV, Denver, CO…ALFREDO SANCHEZ will be the next news director for this Telemundo station. He’s been an Assistant ND for sister Telemundo station KXTX-TV in Dallas. He replaces PEDRO CALDERON who moved to San Diego to launch news on a Telemundo channel there. More from Media Moves.

Stewart

KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK…WARREN STEWART is the new news director for this Scripps/NBC affiliate. He’d been the acting ND there since MICHAEL McCARDELL left in March after about 18 months on the job. Warren previously worked at Scripps’ WEWS-TV in Cleveland as an executive producer, as an assistant news director in New Orleans, and as a producer in Orlando.

Peterson

WTOK-TV, Meridian, MS…PAT PETERSON joins this Gray Television owned ABC affiliate as only its second news director in 32 years. That’s because he’s replacing JOHN JOHNSON who retired late last year after that long in that role. Pat comes from WKRG-TV in Mobile there he worked for 16 years. WTOK aired this story about its new boss.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI:

CBS-58 seeks a News Director to lead our newsroom as we innovate and grow. We have a commitment to storytelling and digging deeper on local content at a time when viewers depend on our content on-air and online more than ever. We seek a dynamic team leader who is comfortable in a fast-paced environment, who brings excellent judgment and assures high ethical standards and practices, and who has demonstrated success in driving coverage of breaking news and severe weather. Must be a driven individual able to plan strategically, manage and nurture people, handle hiring, contracts and budgets. Our managers work as a team in a collaborative environment. You should be passionate about social media and skilled in using it to complement our broadcast and digital offerings. Candidate needs 7-10 years of professional journalism experience with at least 5 years in a progressive management capacity.

Weigel Broadcasting Co. maintains an Equal Employment Opportunity Policy for all applicants and employees. We give fair consideration to all qualified persons and afford all our employees opportunities for advancement according to their individual abilities, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age or sex, or other protected categories. No opportunities for promotion, transfer or any other benefit of employment will be diminished through discriminatory practices. Employees or prospective employees have the right to notify an appropriate local, state or Federal agency if they believe they have been discriminated against.

Interested? Please click here to submit a Cover Letter, Resume and Portfolio.

Executive Producer, WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH:

WBNS-TV, Central Ohio’s News Leader, seeks a dynamic Executive Producer with a proven track record. The successful candidate will be responsible for the production, execution and overall presentation of our daily newscasts, while providing leadership in the newsroom, managing producers and associate producers, ensuring writing meets station standards, coordinating with other departments for daily multiplatform news production and assisting in development of news department strategy.

10TV strives to succeed and is looking for someone with passion and enthusiasm to join our strong team! We have all of the tools you need to succeed in our new state of the art newsroom! This position requires at least six years’ experience in local television news as a Producer and Executive Producer (with at least two years as EP or similar). The candidate must have excellent news judgment and communication skills, proficient comprehension of digital and social platforms and above average writing and storytelling skills. The ideal candidate should have the ability to manage and influence a large group and to work effectively in often stressful situations required. Experience in investigative journalism and digital platforms are a plus.

Please be sure to include your news philosophy and link to a recent newscast in your cover letter or resume. WBNS 10TV is a first-class, family owned company that takes pride in quality, not quantity.

Please apply at www.dispatchbroadcast.com

WBNS 10TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (relisted this week)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (relisted this week)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 3/12/17)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 4/2/17)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (relisted this week)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
KSNT-TV, Topeka, KS (listed 3/26/17)
KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK (relisted 2/19/17)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (PM EP, listing revised 4/10/17)
KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (PM EP, listed 2/19/17)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 4/2/17)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (AM EP, listing revised 4/2/17)
KPTV, Portland, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listing revised 3/26/17, see ad above!)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, relisted this week)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, relisted 3/19/17)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/26/17)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (PM EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 3/26/17)
WCSC-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 3/12/17)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 2/5/17)
WPTA-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 3/12/17)

ASSISTANT CONTENT DIRECTOR:

WTVD-TV, Raleigh/Durham, NC (listed 3/26/17)

Obituaries:

Kelly

Sadly DAVE KELLY died last Sunday, the same day we asked you to wish him well as his 90th birthday approached. He’s a former ND in Pittsburgh (two stations), Detroit, and Washington. Details on his life and career are in this obituary.

Butler

Veteran Kentucky newsman TOM BUTLER also died this week. He spent 35 years at WPSD-TV in Paducah, rising to VP/News and Anchor before retiring in 1997. More here from the local newspaper and this story which aired on WPSD.

Names in the News:

Congratulations to KNTV in San Jose/San Francisco, KXAS-TV in Dallas/Ft. Worth, and WTHR-TV here in Indianapolis for Peabody Award nominations this week. Of note: WTHR actually received TWO nominations. The complete list of nominees and details about the programs that were nominated are in this news release.

Shelley

We told you earlier this week that DAN SHELLEY will be the next executive director for RTDNA/RTDNF. Dan’s a former board chair and longtime board member. More details on his appointment are here, and his Linkedin page has his full career history.

PAUL IRVIN has had an interesting career. He began as a firefighter in Alexandria, VA and moonlighted as a photographer for WRC-TV in Washington, where he quickly moved up the ranks. Later, he became news director for Washington’s WUSA-TV. And now, he’s teaching high school social studies where he has added ‘fake news’ to his coursework.

General Manager News and Notes:

STEVE WATT, who began his career as a reporter in the Quad Cities and Des Moines, has been named general manager for  Scripps’ KSHB/KMCI-TV in Kansas City, where he’ll replace BRIAN BRACCO. Steve most recently has been GM for WKRN-TV in Nashville. Details about his career path after leaving news…and more on his new job…are here.

WKRG-TV in Mobile has a new general manger. It’s JESSE GREAR who had been a GM in Montgomery. More in this news release.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, April 9, 2017.

If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

KTVU-TV 2 Jack London Square NW Oakland, CA 94607
KSTS-TV 2349 Bering Dr. San Jose, CA 95131 *
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
WNCN-TV 1205 Front St. Raleigh, N.C., 27609
WSMV-TV 5700 Knob Rd, Nashville, TN 37209
WDJT-TV 809 South 60th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214 (see ad above)
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Dr, Cranston, RI 02920
WNYT-TV 715 N Pearl St, Albany, NY 12204
KGUN-TV 7280 E Rosewood St, Tucson, AZ 85710
WICS-TV 2680 East Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WCBD-TV 210 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
WNDU-TV 54516 IN-933, South Bend, IN 46637
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Drive New Bern, NC 28560
KWQC-TV 805 Brady St, Davenport, IA 52803
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Road, Ghent, WV 25841
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323. Tyler, TX 75701
KVAL/KMTR-TV 4575 Blanton Rd, Eugene, OR 97405
KBJR-TV 246 South Lake Ave. Duluth MN 55802
KCBD-TV 5600 Ave. A, Lubbock, TX 79404
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606

* Spanish language station

April 2, 2017

Wednesday, April 5, 2017 UPDATE:

Shelley

RTDNA has named former chair and longtime board member DAN SHELLEY to be its next executive director. He’s replacing MIKE CAVENDER in that role.  Here’s the news release.

Dan’s a longtime radio and online executive. His full background is here on his linkedin page.

Some other updates:

In Sunday’s newsletter, we told you about former Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Washington news director DAVE KELLY, who was in poor health. Sadly, Dave died Sunday, just two days before his 90th birthday.

And in Sunday’s full newsletter I had the wrong call letters for a Tucson news director opening. That opening is at KGUN-TV, not at KOLD-TV as I reported.  Apologies to all.

We’ll have much more in our full newsletter later this week.

regards,

Rick Gevers

**** ***** ****
Greetings:

It’s opening day for baseball, tomorrow is the last day for college basketball, and both hockey and basketball are nearing playoffs. It’s a great time of year if you’re a sports fan.

And it’s a great time of year (I’m really stretching here, as you can see) for THREE people who took new news director jobs this week. TWO jobs became open, thus leaving our list of open news director jobs at 22.

We welcome back a frequent advertiser, WeatherMetrics, who returns with some ads promoting its booth at NAB. And we have SEVEN paid help wanted ads in a wide range of markets.

In Names in the News, there are some large market management moves, life after the Associated Press for a longtime employee, and a chance for you to raise the spirits of an ailing long-ago news director…and more.

We also have an obituary for a longtime Atlanta newsman, and news about THREE general managers, two of them former news directors.

Read on, and have a great week.

New News Director Openings:

KSTS-TV, San Jose/San Francisco, CA…FREDDY OLDENBURG is leaving this Telemundo o-and-o to become ND of the company’s Dallas station, KXTX-TV. More on that below.

Burke

KGUN-TV, Tucson, AZ…TOM BURKE has left this Scripps owned ABC affiliate after almost four years as news director. Tom’s also been an ND in Sacramento, Fresno, Pittsburgh, Columbus, OH, and Columbus, GA, and has worked in Detroit, Greenville, NC, and Presque Isle, ME.

Newly Named News Directors:

Oldenburg

KXTX-TV, Dallas, TX…FREDDY OLDENBURG moves from Telemundo’s station in San Jose (KSTS-TV) to become news director for this Telemundo o-and-o. Freddy had been at KSTS since 2014, and earlier worked in Los Angeles. In Dallas, he replaces SANDRA THOMAS who left for as yet undefined managerial role at the Telemundo network.

Bardach

KOTV, Tulsa, OK…this Griffin Communications owned CBS affiliate has promoted JEFF BARDACH to Director of Content (old-timers would call that news director). Here’s the announcement from Griffin Director of Content TODD SPESSARD. Jeff has been the acting news director since ED TRAUSCHKE left earlier this year. Jeff had worked at KOTV before moving to sister station KWTV in Oklahoma City almost six years ago. He’s also worked in Kansas City.

Ritter

WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC…BERNIE RITTER will be the next news director for this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate. For the past three years, he’s been the EP for News 12 New Jersey. He’s also worked for Al Jazeera, ESPN, and for local stations in Pittsburgh (two stations) Cleveland, and Memphis. At WNCT, he replaces STEPHANIE SHULTZ who left the station in December after 2 1/2 years to return to Roanoke as the Assistant News Director at WDBJ-TV.

Finally, apologies to newly promoted KSNW-TV (Wichita) News Director RACHEL SOMMERFELD whose name I misspelled in reporting her promotion last week.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

Executive Producer, WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL:

WFLA-TV, News Channel 8 in beautiful Tampa is seeking an Executive Producer to manage day-to-day news coverage. We want someone who places a high value on original reporting and investigative journalism in an aggressive On Your Side brand. We want someone who pays attention to detail and is willing to hold our journalists to high standards. The Executive Producer must possess high ethical standards and strong news judgment.

Job Skills:

This person must be an experienced news manager of at least 5 years. This position requires someone with superior news judgment, strong organizational skills, and the ability to effectively supervise staff on a daily basis, with the end-product being content that clearly and effectively illustrates our On Your Side brand. You will have a positive attitude to elevate and inspire others to continue on strong and aggressive coverage and brand development.

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s Level Degree – Journalism Preferred

Minimum Experience:

5 yrs. of experience. The superior candidate will have Executive Producer experience, possibly in a smaller market than Tampa. If not, this candidate will have had at least Executive Producer or other news management experience at a strong station in another market. And you must be able to work long or odd hours depending on news coverage importance.

Qualified applicants can apply online at www.nexstar.tv

EOE M/F/D/V ~ Background check and drug screen required.

Assistant Content Director, WTVD-TV, Raleigh/Durham, NC:

WTVD, ABC-11, the ABC owned station in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (24) is seeking an Assistant Content Director. We want someone who places a high value on original reporting and investigative journalism. We want someone who pays attention to detail and is willing to hold our journalists to high standards. The Assistant Content Director must possess high ethical standards and strong news judgment and a passion for on air and online platforms.

This position requires someone with superior news judgment, strong organizational skills, and the ability to effectively supervise staff on a daily basis.. You will have a positive attitude to elevate and inspire others to continue on strong and aggressive coverage and brand development.

The ideal candidate must have top market experience, a proven record of ratings success, strong leadership/mentoring skills and excellent news judgment. At least 5 years of local news management experience is mandatory. You must be able to work long or odd hours depending on news coverage importance. The role also requires expertise in digital content strategies, long term planning, and experience hiring.

To apply, please log onto www.disneycareers.com and search for requisition #434440BR.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

WTVD-TV, an owned station of ABC, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Female-Minority-Veteran-Disability-Sexual Orientation-Gender Identity

Executive Producer, WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH:

WBNS-TV, Central Ohio’s News Leader, seeks a dynamic Executive Producer with a proven track record. The successful candidate will be responsible for the production, execution and overall presentation of our daily newscasts, while providing leadership in the newsroom, managing producers and associate producers, ensuring writing meets station standards, coordinating with other departments for daily multiplatform news production and assisting in development of news department strategy.

10TV strives to succeed and is looking for someone with passion and enthusiasm to join our strong team! We have all of the tools you need to succeed in our new state of the art newsroom! This position requires at least six years’ experience in local television news as a Producer and Executive Producer (with at least two years as EP or similar). The candidate must have excellent news judgment and communication skills, proficient comprehension of digital and social platforms and above average writing and storytelling skills. The ideal candidate should have the ability to manage and influence a large group and to work effectively in often stressful situations required. Experience in investigative journalism and digital platforms are a plus.

Please be sure to include your news philosophy and link to a recent newscast in your cover letter or resume. WBNS 10TV is a first-class, family owned company that takes pride in quality, not quantity.

Please apply at www.dispatchbroadcast.com

WBNS 10TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Executive Producer, WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL:

WBRC Fox6 in Birmingham, AL, has a rare opening for an experienced afternoon/evening Executive Producer.

We need an experienced and independent leader who can execute research-based strategy, aggressively pursue breaking news, coach a team of eager and experienced producers, and deliver measurable ratings growth.

You are a candidate if you have:

two-years’ experience as an Executive Producer
five-years’ experience as a producer
superb news judgement
passion, perseverance and grit

And you must:

be able to work flexible hours
possess the creative, critical eye of a “show doctor” who can deliver visually compelling, distinctive and well-paced shows
know the importance of delivering highly promotable stories with strong viewer benefit
be a coach, not a “fixer”
understand the importance of maintaining high journalistic and ethical standards
work with our other news managers to lead aggressive enterprise news coverage and breaking news on air and on all digital/social platform

Please apply online by clicking here and submit your cover letter and resume.

No phone calls please. EOE-M/F/D/V

Executive Producer, WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL:

WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Florida is looking for an Executive Producer to help lead a strong newsroom in a fast-paced competitive environment. Excellent news judgment, storytelling and showcasing skills required. You will help manage anchors, reporters, producers, photographers and editors. Must be able to identify good stories, create leads, create urgency and create memorable moments. You will help oversee web and social media content. We need someone who can execute strategic plans while leading the presentation of content on air, online and in the world of evolving media. NOTE: All essential functions of this position are not necessarily described in this posting.

Qualifications: Prior EP experience is a plus, but this is also a good move for an excellent newscast producer with at least five years of experience. You will be on-call as needed. Expect to work long hours, weekends and holidays as needed.

Requirements: Prefer college degree in journalism or communications.

Contact: Send resume to: Kathryn Bonfield/News Director, WJXT-TV, 4 Broadcast Place, Jacksonville, FL 32207 kbonfield@wjxt.com Fax: (904) 393-9822

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

Graham Media Group (GMG) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In addition to complying with the requirements of federal law, GMG will comply with applicable state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a background check and pre-employment drug screen.

Assistant News Director, KSNT-TV, KTKA-TV, KTMJ-TV, Topeka, KS:

Are you a show doctor? Like to coach new producers and reporters to success? Want to lead a team to the top?

Check out this exciting opportunity to join a thriving company and station in the heart of the country. A perfect job for a producer looking to enter management or a small market manager looking to take the next step.

We produce 35 hours of news a week on the local NBC, ABC and FOX stations, and we’re looking for a hands on manager with an aggressive style to help drive the ship.

The successful candidate will lead, train, supervise and motivate news employees. Must have excellent news judgment and have a thorough understanding of digital and social media. Passion for breaking news, strong organizational skills and solid leadership skills are a must.

Apply online at ksnt.com/jobs and send application materials to Jesse Fray, news director, at jfray@ksnt.com.

Responsibilities:

– Manage content delivery on multiple platforms
– Work closely with news director to lead philosophy and direction
– Review daily newscasts to ensure quality and provide feedback to all staff

Requirements:

– Understanding of journalistic ethics, libel, and privacy laws
– Ability to manage multiple hours of newscasts on multiple stations
– Excellent communication skills
– Strong writing and storytelling skills
– Ability to work in stressful situations
– Journalism degree and a minimum of five years’ experience in local TV news

KSNT is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 3/19/17)
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (listed 1/22/17)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (relisted 2/5/17)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 3/12/17)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (new listing this week)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (relisted 2/5/17)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
KSNT-TV, Topeka, KS (listed 3/26/17, see ad above!)
KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK (relisted 2/19/17)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (AM EP, relisted 3/26/17, see ad above!)
KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (PM EP, listed 2/19/17)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (new listing this week)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (AM EP, listing revised this week)
KPTV, Portland, OR (relisted 2/26/17)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listing revised 4/5/17, see ad above!)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, listing modified 2/5/17)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, relisted 3/19/17)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/26/17, see ad above!)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (PM EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 3/26/17, see ad above!)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 1/22/17)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (AM EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 1/8/17)
WCSC-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 3/12/17)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 2/5/17)
WPTA-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 3/12/17)

ASSISTANT CONTENT DIRECTOR:

WTVD-TV, Raleigh/Durham, NC (listed 3/26/17, see ad above!)

Obituary:

Miles

Longtime Atlanta newswoman STEEN MILES died this week of cancer at the age of 70. She worked both in front of and behind the camera during a career that included stops in South Bend and Cincinnati. Steen later turned to politics, serving one term in the Georgia State Senate and running unsuccessfully for other offices. More in this obituary.

Names in the News:

CHAD MATTHEWS returns to New York as Assistant ND for WABC-TV. He’d been the Senior EP there before leaving in 2012 to become Assistant ND at WTVJ-TV in Miami, the NBC o-and-o there.

Speaking of New York, DAVID SHENFELD joins WPIX-TV there as Morning News EP.

At WFAA-TV in Dallas, SHEENA SMITH has been promoted to morning news EP from producer. She’s also worked in Albuquerque and Lansing.

KMOV-TV in St. Louis has hired BRYANT PITCHER as nightside EP. Bryant had been working at KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City as an EP, and has also worked in Dallas, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi.

Nexstar has appointed GREGORY RAIFMAN to a new role as President of Nexstar Digital.

Poynter offers this look at what IRE and other organizations are doing amid fears that government data may become more difficult to find and save.

Perryman

Many of us have had several different careers in broadcasting. That’s also true of longtime AP staffer LEE PERRYMAN. After 35 years at AP, he returned home and is the principal behind the company that owns his first radio station, WYEA. It was just named Alabama’s Radio station of the year! Congrats, Lee. Old friends can wish Lee well via email: lperryman@wyea.net

Finally, a chance to send well wishes to an industry pioneer who’s facing some health challenges. DAVE KELLY was a news director for two stations in Pittsburgh, as well as Detroit and Washington in a career that began at the Washington Post in the late 40s. Along the way he hired LOU PRATO and they remain close friends. Lou passed along this note:

Dave Kelly is a senior facility near his Crystal River, Florida home and his health is not good. My wife, Carole and I visited with him last week. Dave couldn’t do much talking but we did reminisce about the old times we had professionally and personally. Despite his condition he still has his sense of humor. As he said to me, “we burned a lot of bridges.” He still loves Pittsburgh-“it was a great city and still is,” he said– and misses his old companions. He isn’t up to taking phone calls. However, his 90th birthday is April 4th. I am sure he and his kids would appreciate a few birthday cards from his media friends. Here is his address:

Health Center at Brentwood
Room 609
2333 N Brentwood Cir
Lecanto, FL 34461

UPDATE 4/3/17:

Sadly, Dave Kelly died Sunday, April 2nd.  More in next week’s newsletter.

General Manager News and Notes:

Cohen

BRUNO COHEN announced he’ll retire from his job as General Manager for KPIX-TV in San Francisco when his replacement is hired. He’s been there five years, has also been a GM in both Chicago and Sacramento, a news director at KPIX and in New York, and has worked for Buena Vista Productions and CNBC, among others.

Vann

LES VANN is moving to WHNS-TV in Greenville, SC, to become GM of that Meredith owned FOX affiliate. Les is leaving WFTX-TV in Ft. Myers, where he’s been GM just six months. He explains the move in this note to his staff. He’s also been a GM in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Asheville, Binghamton, Savannah, Cedar Rapids, and Champaign. Les started his career in news and eventually became ND in Springfield, IL.

JIM DODRILL has been promoted to GM for Nexstar’s WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, WV. He had been the GSM there.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, April 2, 2017.

If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

KTVU-TV 2 Jack London Square NW Oakland, CA 94607
KSTS-TV 2349 Bering Dr. San Jose, CA 95131 *
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
KDEN-TV 2851 S. Parker Road Suite 1130 Aurora, CO 80014 *
WNCN-TV 1205 Front St. Raleigh, N.C., 27609
WSMV-TV 5700 Knob Rd, Nashville, TN 37209
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Dr, Cranston, RI 02920
KJRH-TV 3701 S Peoria Ave. Tulsa, OK 74105
WNYT-TV 715 N Pearl St, Albany, NY 12204
KGUN-TV 7280 E Rosewood St, Tucson, AZ 85710
WICS-TV 2680 East Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WCBD-TV 210 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
WNDU-TV 54516 IN-933, South Bend, IN 46637
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Drive New Bern, NC 28560
KWQC-TV 805 Brady St, Davenport, IA 52803
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Road, Ghent, WV 25841
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323. Tyler, TX 75701
KVAL/KMTR-TV 4575 Blanton Rd, Eugene, OR 97405
KBJR-TV 246 South Lake Ave. Duluth MN 55802
KCBD-TV 5600 Ave. A, Lubbock, TX 79404
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606
WTOK-TV 815 23rd Ave. Meridian MS 39301

* Spanish language station