Rick Gevers & Associates

December 15, 2012

Greetings:

FIVE new ND openings this week, with THREE newly named NDs in our weekly report.

By my very unofficial count, that means there are  26  news director openings around the country.

You can learn more about  THREE  of those open jobs via paid Help Wanted ads below. And we have  TWO  other ads, one for a producer at a powerhouse North Carolina station, and another for an EP job at a strong station in Florida.

In Names in the News, details about several news managers on the move, and three new GMs around the country.

All that and more after this week’s changes:

New News Director Openings:

Schwartz

WFLD-TV, Chicago, IL…you know from our earlier report that PHYLLIS SCWARTZ is leaving this FOX o-and-o after less than one year as ND. She’s returning to California where her family remained. She’d been operating a consulting firm that, but previously was the GM for KNSD-TV, the NBC o-and-o there. Phyllis also been ND for NBC’s WMAQ-TV in Chicago before moving to California. She also spent time as ND for WLS-TV and worked for WBBM-TV, too. Her replacement will be the fourth ND here in seven years.

WGME-TV, Portland, ME…MIMI STRAWN is leaving this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate after two years as ND. She’s also been an ND in Tulsa, Huntsville, and New Orleans, and also worked in Baton Rouge.

KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO…MICHAEL SIPES is leaving this NPG-owned ABC affiliate after five years as ND to help care for an ailing family member. He’s also been an ND in Kansas City, Louisville, and Jackson, MS.

Burke

WTVM-TV, Columbus, GA…veteran ND TOM BURKE has left this Raycom-owned ABC affiliate. Tom tells me that he’s looking for another news management position in a larger market (while continuing to work on a screenplay project). He’s been the ND here for the last two years, and has previously been an ND in Sacramento, Fresno, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, OH, and has worked in Detroit, Greenville, NC, and Presque Isle, ME.

WBBJ-TV, Jackson, TN…KEITH BAKER is leaving this Bahakel owned station to be ND for WOWK-TV in Charleston/Huntington, WV. More on that below. He’s been ND for this ABC station since April.

Newly Named News Director:

Driscoll

WTXF-TV, Philadelphia, PA…JIM DRISCOLL moves from one Fox o-and-o to another as he becomes the fifth ND in five years here. He’s been the ND for WWOR-TV in New York City for the last five years. He previously had been the Assistant ND for sister station WNYW-TV, but spent much of his careeer at WWOR, beginning as a production assistant and working his way up to EP. At WTXF, he replaces STEVE SCHWAID who left in July for a consulting job.

WOWK-TV, Charleston/Huntington, WV…KEITH BAKER has been named ND for this West Virginia Media Holdings CBS affiliate. Since April, Keith’s been ND for WBBJ-TV in Jackson, TN. He’s also worked in New Bern, NC, Tampa, and Pittsburgh. At WOWK, he replaces ELIZABETH SHAFFER who is staying with the station as Assignment Manager in Huntington.

KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids, IA…ADAM CARROS is the new ND here. He’d been a producer for KWWL-TV in Waterloo, IA, and had previously worked in Columbia, MO. (Adam’s father was the late MARK CARROS, who’d been an ND in a number of markets before his death in 2010.) Adam replaces KARA KELLY who left the station after almost two years as ND.

Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN:

WTHR-TV, Indiana’s News Leader, is seeking a news director to lead this extraordinary team. We are a dominant station, nationally recognized, award-winning, locally owned station seeking a dynamic visionary leader. Must truly know how to produce compelling and distinctive content on all multi-media platforms. Must have proven skill set to maximize content and customer loyalty on digital and social media platforms. Must demonstrate a passion for the product with strong oversight and consistent communication and feedback. Quality drives our success and we’re eager to have a leader join us and lead us on this quest.

Looking for long term players who love the quality of the Midwest and who would be proud to call Indiana home. Minimum 7 years experience in news management and proven track record of major story coverage and ratings success.

Please include your news philosophy along with your resume and cover letter when applying online at www.dispatchbroadcast.com/careers

DISPATCH BROADCAST GROUP IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

News Director, WPTY/WLMT-TV, Memphis, TN:

Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. is searching for a forward thinking and aggressive journalist for the position of News Director at its 3 stations in Memphis and Jackson, TN. The successful candidate will be a hands on news manager who has a proven track record for coaching, developing talent, possess solid journalism skills, and have a passion for breaking news. This opportunity will involve a complete makeover of the station news product.

To be considered you must have a minimum of 5 years of experience as a news manager solid experience in a news operation. Prior experience with on-line and social media is required. A degree in journalism is preferred.

Please send cover letter, resume, news philosophy and link or DVD to:

Larry Herbster
General Manager
WPTY/WLMT/WJKT
2701 Union Ave. Ext.
Memphis TN 38112

e-mail: lherbster@nexstar.tv

NEXSTAR BROADCASTING GROUP, INC. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Producer, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC:

Would you like to work for a news operation with a commitment to excellence and the resources you need to succeed? WRAL, the dominant television station in the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville market, is seeking a strong news producer to oversee fast-paced newscasts. The Producer will review all the news stories for grammar, accuracy, and fairness. During the newscast, this person is responsible for timing stories, weather, and sports to ensure the newscast ends on time; coordinates breaking news stories; and leads the production crew in the control room to make sure the newscast is executed cleanly on the air.

We’re looking for a person with outstanding leadership and communication skills, proven writing ability, a vision for graphics, and a passion for memorable, creative newscasts. If you are a strong decision-maker capable of managing multiple live shots, writing compelling copy and producing top-notch newscasts, this is the job for you.

Two years of television news producing experience, a four-year college degree, and a pre-employment drug screening are required. WRAL is locally owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company, a stable, community-oriented company that offers some of the best benefits in the business. All candidates must apply online at www.cbc-raleigh.com.

EOE M/F. All Capitol Broadcasting Company properties are tobacco free.

News Director, WREX-TV, Rockford, IL:

If you have a passion for excellence and a burning desire to lead the best local news operation in town, we need to talk.

WREX, the NBC affiliate for Rockford IL is seeking a news director with the competitive spark, experience and creativity to advance an already successful and award winning news organization. This is an exciting opportunity to join and lead a great team and work for a terrific company.

WREX is a Quincy property, which owns 12 television stations, plus newspapers, radio, and is building an extraordinary reputation as industry leaders in Web, mobile, and social sites.

Are you ready?

Email jchadwick@wrex.com

John Chadwick
General Manager
WREX-TV

WREX Television, LLC, is an equal opportunity employer.

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

WJXT-TV, a Post-Newsweek Station, is looking for a night Executive Producer. We need someone who can manage anchors, producers, reporters, photographers and editors. You must be able to identify good stories, create leads, create urgency, and create memorable moments. You will also help oversee web and social media content. In addition, you will be involved in event planning and schedules. We are looking for a strong writer who understands good storytelling.

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

Jacksonville is a beautiful city offering beaches, an NFL team, golf courses, good schools, and much more! And Florida has no state income tax.

Prefer college degree in journalism or communications.

Send resume and link to: kbonfield@wjxt.com

Or send resume and DVD to:

Kathryn Bonfield
News Director
WJXT-TV
4 Broadcast Place
Jacksonville, FL 32207

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 12/1/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 12/1/12)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (relisted 11/17/12)
WNCT-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (listed 11/17/12)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (listed 9/22/12)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

KTTV/KCOP-TV, Los Angeles, CA (PM EP, relisted 11/23/12)
KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX (Morning EP, relisted 12/1/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (EP of Special Projects/Investigations, relisted 11/23/12)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Nightside EP, listing modified 11/3/12)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 11/23/12)
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL (AM EP, relisted this week)
WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL (AM EP, listing modified 11/10/12)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (AM EP, listing revised this week)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (AM EP, relisted 11/17/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted t12/1/12)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (TV Content Mgr., listed 10/19/12)
KWTV, Oklahoma City, OK (PM EP, relisted 12/1/12)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (listing modified 11/17/12)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Evening EP, relisted this week, see ad above!)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (2 openings, listed 11/3/12)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (PM EP, relisted 12/1/12)
WCYB-TV, Bristol, TN (relisted 11/23/12)
KOLO-TV, Reno, NV (Morning EP, relisted 10/19/12)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 12/1/12)
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 10/28/12)

Situations Wanted:

There are no takers this week on our free Situations Wanted listing which is designed to help news managers looking for a new opportunity. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max.100 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.

Names in the News:

KABC-TV in Los Angeles is welcoming two new news managers. DAN RASMUSSEN will be the new morning EP. He’s held the same job for KING-TV in Seattle, and previously worked in Portland, Spokane, and for another LA station. And KEVIN BOIE joins the o-and-o as Director of Digital Content from KDFW-TV in Dallas. He’s worked for another station in Dallas, as well as in Ft. Myers and Miami.

STEVE VanBURGEN has been promoted to EP for WXMI-TV, the FOX affiliate in Grand Rapids, MI. He’s been the 10:00 producer there.

GREG HASSER returns to Oregon as the new Assistant ND for KEZI-TV in Eugene. He’s been the senior newscast producer for KRON-TV in San Francisco, and has also worked in Greenville, SC, Ft. Wayne, and for two stations in Portland, OR.

Meredith Broadcasting named two new GM’s this week. DARRIN McDONALD is being promoted from GM of the company’s KVVU-TV in Las Vegas to be GM for KCTV in Kansas City. It’s a return to KC for Darrin.  TODD BROWN, who’s been the General Sales Manager at KVVU, will replace Darrin as GM.

LocalTV named JIM KIZER to be GM for its ABC affiliate in the Quad Cities, WQAD-TV.

Our Full List of ND Openings:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Friday, December 7, 2012.

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

WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
WFLD-TV 205 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago IL 60601
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AX 85013
WKYC-TV 1333 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland OH 44114
WPXI-TV 4145 Evergreen Road Pittsburgh PA 15214
WRTV 1330 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian St. Indianapols IN 46204 (see ad above!)
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak Street Kansas City MO 64112
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas NV 89101
WVEC-TV 613 Woodis Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510
WPTY/WLMT 2701 Union Ave. Ext. Memphis TN 38112 (see ad above!)
KTHV-TV 720 Izard St. Little Rock 72201
KOTV 302 S. Frankfort St. Tulsa OK 74120
KSNW-TV 833 N. Main Wichita, KS 67203
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane WA 99201
WGME-TV 81 Northport Dr. Portland ME 04103
WCSH-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101
WMTV 615 Forward Dr. Madison WI 53711
KRDO-TV 399 S. 8th St. Colorado Springs CO 80905
KHGI-TV 13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
WTVM-TV 1900 Wynnton Road Columbus GA 31906
KRIS/KZTV 301 Artesian St. Corpus Christi, TX 78401
WREX-TV 10322 W. Auburn Rd. Rockford IL 61105 (see ad above!)
WBBJ-TV 346 Muse St. Jackson TN 38301
KFBB-TV P.O. Box 1139 Great Falls, MT 59403

December 8, 2012

Tuesday, December 11, 2012 UPDATE:

Schwartz

After less than a year as ND, PHYLLIS SCHWARTZ is leaving Fox o-and-o WFLD-TV in Chicago. She’s returning to California where her family lives.

Schwartz joined the station earlier this year. It’s the third Chicago station for which she’s been the ND, (WMAQ-TV and WLS-TV) and she also worked as the Assistant ND for WBBM-TV. In 1999, NBC transferred her from WMAQ to KNSD-TV in San Diego as General Manager. She opened her own consulting firm after leaving NBC.

Her replacement will be the four ND at WFLD in the last seven years.

Our next full newsletter will have more on this story and several other ND changes coming down this week.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

THREE new ND openings, FOUR new NDs, and a lot more in this week’s report. The ND changes bring our list of open news director jobs to 23.

We have TWO new ads, one for one of those newly opened ND jobs and one for an EP opening in Florida. And we’re repeating a blind box ad for an ND/Anchor job in the midwest.

There are TWO obituaries, one for a longtime New York State News Director, the other for a Texas GM with more than 20 years at one station.

Speaking of GMs, there were a ton of changes this week, several involving former NDs turned GMs. We have a handful of news managers on the move and details about the first grandchild for a North Carolina ND.

All that and more after this week’s changes:

New News Director Openings:

WOWK-TV, Hungtington/Charleston, WV…ELISABETH SHAFFER is moving to a new role for this West Virginia Media owned CBS affiliate. She’ll head up the Huntington news center as Assignment Manager. She’s been ND here for the past year and spent the previous 30 years working for WCHS-TV in Charleston.

KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA…after 18 years at the station, and three as ND, JANA GRAY is taking another ND job with station owner Cowles. As you’ll read below, she’s the new ND for the company’s KION/KCOY-TV operation in Salinas-Monterey, CA. KHQ is an NBC affiliate.

WREX-TV, Rockford, IL…MIKE COSTELLO is leaving the business, and thus this Quincy owned NBC affiliate, where he’s been ND for less than a year. Before his promotion earlier this year, Mike was the internet director for four years. He’s also worked in Milwaukee and Indianapolis (two stations). You can learn more about this opportunity in the paid ad below.

Newly Named News Director:

Bray

WISH-TV, Indianapolis, IN…STEVE BRAY has been promoted to news director for this LIN Media CBS affiliate. We told you in an UPDATE about Steve’s unusual background: he was first hired here as the weekend meteorologist, later promotion to chief meteorologist, then news operations manager in 2009, and assistant ND a year ago. He’s been the interim ND since PATTI McGETTIGAN left in August after three years as ND.

KION/KCOY-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA…JANA GRAY returns to California as ND for this Cowles operation. She’s currently ND for the company’s KHQ-TV in Spokane, where she’s worked for 18 years. Earlier in her career she worked for two stations in Bakersfield. She replaces TRACIANN ZERAVICA who left in October after 3 1/2 years to become the Ass’t. ND for KATU-TV in Portland, OR.

Colson

WVII/WFVX-TV, Bangor, ME…CRAIG COLSON will be the next ND/anchor for this Rockfleet Broadcasting duopoly. He’s a longtime Bangor newsman who’s spent the last 3+ years working as ND for a group of radio stations. He previously spent 25 years working for WABI-TV in a variety of roles. He replaces CINDY MICHAELS who left the station last month after resigning her job on the air.

WVNS-TV, Ghent, WV…MARK DURHAM has been on the job as ND here since September. He most recently worked in Orlando (twice), and he’s earlier worked in Miami, Chattanooga, Tucson, Seattle, Denver, St. Louis, and Sarasota. He replaces CHRISTY BUCKLAND who left the station (and the business) earlier this year. WVNS is owned by West Virginia Media and is a CBS/FOX affiliate.

Finally, apologies to CAROL CARREAU and the folks at KBOI-TV in Boise. I misspelled Carol’s last name in reporting her move to ND there last week, and I also screwed up the station’s affiliation. KBOI is a CBS affiliate.

Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WREX-TV, Rockford, IL:

If you have a passion for excellence and a burning desire to lead the best local news operation in town, we need to talk.

WREX, the NBC affiliate for Rockford IL is seeking a news director with the competitive spark, experience and creativity to advance an already successful and award winning news organization. This is an exciting opportunity to join and lead a great team and work for a terrific company.

WREX is a Quincy property, which owns 12 television stations, plus newspapers, radio, and is building an extraordinary reputation as industry leaders in Web, mobile, and social sites.

Are you ready?

Email jchadwick@wrex.com

John Chadwick
General Manager
WREX-TV

WREX Television, LLC, is an equal opportunity employer.

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

WJXT-TV, a Post-Newsweek Station, is looking for a night Executive Producer. We need someone who can manage anchors, producers, reporters, photographers and editors. You must be able to identify good stories, create leads, create urgency, and create memorable moments. You will also help oversee web and social media content. In addition, you will be involved in event planning and schedules. We are looking for a strong writer who understands good storytelling.

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

Jacksonville is a beautiful city offering beaches, an NFL team, golf courses, good schools, and much more! And Florida has no state income tax.

Prefer college degree in journalism or communications.

Send resume and link to: kbonfield@wjxt.com

Or send resume and DVD to:

Kathryn Bonfield
News Director
WJXT-TV
4 Broadcast Place
Jacksonville, FL 32207

Blind Box Ad, News Director/Anchor, Midwest:

Great Midwest market seeks a News Director who is aggressive, forward thinking and a creative journalist. This is an exciting opportunity to build upon a high quality news organization. The successful candidate will anchor, producer, hire, mentor and lead a team of skilled professionals. Solid news judgment, great communication skills and knowledge of relevant local news content are necessary. The position will include anchoring our three-time Emmy nominated and twice awarded Best Newscast. 5-10 years experience as a primary news anchor preferred. Knowledge of eMedia, social media and mobile website journalism is required.

Please send a web link, resume, cover letter and news philosophy to: newsdirectorleadanchor@gmail.com

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 12/1/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 12/1/12)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (relisted 11/17/12)
WNCT-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (listed 11/17/12)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (listed 9/22/12)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

KTTV/KCOP-TV, Los Angeles, CA (PM EP, relisted 11/23/12)
KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX (Morning EP, relisted 12/1/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (EP of Special Projects/Investigations, relisted 11/23/12)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Nightside EP, listing modified 11/3/12)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 11/23/12)
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL (AM EP, relisted this week)
WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL (AM EP, listing modified 11/10/12)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (AM EP, listing revised this week)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (AM EP, relisted 11/17/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted t12/1/12)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (TV Content Mgr., listed 10/19/12)
KWTV, Oklahoma City, OK (PM EP, relisted 12/1/12)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (listing modified 11/17/12)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Evening EP, relisted this week, see ad above!)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (2 openings, listed 11/3/12)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (PM EP, relisted 12/1/12)
WCYB-TV, Bristol, TN (relisted 11/23/12)
KOLO-TV, Reno, NV (Morning EP, relisted 10/19/12)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 12/1/12)
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 10/28/12)

Obituaries:

Decker

DON DECKER, a longtime ND in upstate New York, died this week at the age of 79. He suffered from cancer. Don was ND for WRGB-TV from 1968-1987 and later held the same job for WTEN-TV from 1990-1998. He’s survived by his wife, one daughter, and one son.

Longtime KVII-TV (Amarillo, TX) GM JIM McCORMICK died last week at the age of 83. He was GM at the station for more than 20 years.

Situations Wanted:

There are no takers this week on our free Situations Wanted listing which is designed to help news managers looking for a new opportunity. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max.100 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.

Names in the News:

KPTV in Portland, OR, has hired JASON PUMO as its new EP. Jason’s been an EP for WJTV in Jackson, MS for the last year. Before that he worked for WEHT-TV in Evansville, IN, for 14 years.

Another Portland (OR) station, KATU-TV, has promoted its morning EP, KAREN VAN VLECK to dayside EP. She’s also worked for another Portland station and in Seattle.

Newsblues is reporting that NEIL GOLDSTEIN, who spent the last five years as VP of Digital Content for WDIV-TV in Detroit, has left the station. He’s a former ND at WNYW/WWOR-TV in New York, WJBK-TV in Detroit, and WFOR-TV in Miami.

A tip of the hat to WRAL-TV and its General Manager, STEVE HAMMEL, who’ve created a Diversity Fellowship Program with UNC’s School of Journalism. More details here. Steve tells me he started a similar offering with Arizona State when he was a GM in Phoenix.

There were a lot of GM changes this week:

One time ND (WMAQ-TV/Chicago) and veteran GM & consultant MARK ANTONITIS leaves consulting firm CJ&N to become GM for KTXD-TV in Dallas. VIKI REGAN, who’s been a GM in Cleveland and West Palm Beach, will run Young’s WRIC-TV in Richmond. And DARRELL JENNINGS will be the next GM of Telemundo affiliate KNSO-TV in Fresno.

Sinclair’s purchase of some of the Newport stations resulted in a number of GM changes. JON LAWHEAD, a veteran Cincinnati broadcaster, will now be the boss for WKRC-TV there. He replaces LES VANN who’s been an ND and GM in multiple markets.  In Harrisburg, PA, another former ND, HOLLY STEUART, left WHP-TV after the Sinclair takeover. And JOHN SEABERS, who ran KABB-TV in San Antonio from 1999 to earlier this year when he was promoted to Group Manager for Sinclair, has been named GM of WOAI-TV in San Antonio.

Two longtime broadcasters were honored in recent weeks. DICK LOBO, who was a one-time ND in Denver and spent much of his career with NBC in a variety of roles, was honored by the Suncoast NATAS Chapter with the Golden Circle Award, signifying 50 years of service to the industry. And Hearst VP/News CANDY ALTMAN received the Silver Circle Award from the New England Chapter for 25 years of service.

Congratulations to WBTV (Charlotte, NC) ND DENNIS MILLIGAN on the birth of his first grandchild, EMILY NICOLE MILLIGAN. Emily arrived Monday and weighed in at 7′ 13″. Proud parents are Dennis’ son, MICHAEL and his wife AILYN.  An email of congratulations reaches Dennis at: dmilligan@wbtv.com

Our Full List of ND Openings:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Friday, December 7, 2012.

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

WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
WTXF-TV 330 Market St. Philadelphia PA 19106
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AX 85013
WKYC-TV 1333 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland OH 44114
WPXI-TV 4145 Evergreen Road Pittsburgh PA 15214
WRTV 1330 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian St. Indianapols IN 46204
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak Street Kansas City MO 64112
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas NV 89101
WVEC-TV 613 Woodis Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510
WPTY/WLMT 2701 Union Ave. Ext. Memphis TN 38112
KTHV-TV 720 Izard St. Little Rock 72201
KOTV 302 S. Frankfort St. Tulsa OK 74120
WOWK-TV 555 Fifth Ave. Huntington WV 25701
KSNW-TV 833 N. Main Wichita, KS 67203
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane WA 99201
WCSH-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101
WMTV 615 Forward Dr. Madison WI 53711
KHGI-TV 13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
KRIS/KZTV 301 Artesian St. Corpus Christi, TX 78401
WREX-TV 10322 W. Auburn Rd. Rockford IL 61105 (see ad above!)
KFBB-TV P.O. Box 1139 Great Falls, MT 59403

December 1, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012 UPDATE:

And then there were TWO.

Bray

Two ND openings in Indianapolis, that is, following Tuesday’s announcement that STEVE BRAY has been promoted to news director at WISH-TV, the LIN Media owned CBS affiliate there.

Steve’s path is untraditional, to say the least. He first joined the station in 1995 as a meteorologist, was promoted to Chief Meteorologist in 1999, News Operations Manager in 2009, and Assistant News Director last December. He’s been the interim ND since PATTI McGETTIGAN left the station in August after three years as ND.  And he’s been anchoring weathercasts regularly.

Steve began his career in Decatur, IL, and has worked in Lake Charles, LA, and Mobile, AL.

But…if your goal is to be an ND in Indianapolis (added benefit: we’d be neighbors), there are still two openings at WRTV and WTHR-TV.

Our full newsletter may be delayed this week due to travel.

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

Greetings:

The biggest news in this week’s newsletter involves a former ND, and longtime Hearst VP, who’s leaving the company for a job as a General Manager with a competitor.

Bracco

BRIAN BRACCO, who’s spent the last 25 years working for Hearst, will start Monday as GM for Scripps’ KSHB-TV in Kansas City. He’ll compete with Hearst’s KMBC-TV, where he served as ND from 1987-2000 before becoming VP/News for the company. Brian…one of the truly good people in our industry…told me he’s looking forward to the challenge, is happy to be able to stay in Kansas City, and he (and his wife!) are glad to reduce his travel schedule.

Brian’s also been an ND in Columbus, OH, and Birmingham.  He’s also worked in Wichita.

Judging by the emails I received after first reporting this news in a Friday UPDATE, most of you are as surprised as I was.

We do have TWO newly named NDs to share with you, and details about ONE new opening. Those changes leave our count of open ND jobs at 24..

We do have an ad for another opening, a blind box ad for an ND/anchor opening at a station in the Midwest. And we’re repeating an ad for a faculty spot at the University of Missouri.

There’s also an obituary for a former Cincinnati GM, and lots of Names in the News, including stories on FOUR former NDs making news.

All that and more after this week’s changes:

New News Director Openings:

KRIS/KZTV, Corpus Christi, TX…SANDRA RICHARDS, who worked for KRIS for some 15 years in a variety of positions, has left the stations, operated by Cordillera. HOLLIS GRIZZARD, now a consultant with AR&D and a former Corpus Christi ND, will serve as the interim ND here but will continue his consulting duties with other stations.

Newly Named News Director:

KBOI-TV, Boise, ID…this Fisher owned station has named CAROL CARREAU as its next ND. She’s spent the last seven years at CNN as a segment producer and writer. She’s been an Assistant ND in Richmond, a special projects producer in Providence, and worked for two stations in Spokane and one in Missoula, MT. Carol replaces JULIE WEINDEL who left this CBS affiliate in July after almost three years as ND.

KSWT-TV, Yuma, AZ…STEVE NUNEZ has been named ND for this CBS affiliate. He’s a former morning anchor and reporter for KGUN-TV in Tucson.

Help Wanted Ads:

Blind Box Ad, News Director/Anchor, Midwest:

Great Midwest market seeks a News Director who is aggressive, forward thinking and a creative journalist. This is an exciting opportunity to build upon a high quality news organization. The successful candidate will anchor, producer, hire, mentor and lead a team of skilled professionals. Solid news judgment, great communication skills and knowledge of relevant local news content are necessary. The position will include anchoring our three-time Emmy nominated and twice awarded Best Newscast. 5-10 years experience as a primary news anchor preferred. Knowledge of eMedia, social media and mobile website journalism is required.

Please send a web link, resume, cover letter and news philosophy to: newsdirectorleadanchor@gmail.com

Faculty Position, University of Missouri/KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO:

The Missouri School of Journalism seeks a journalist with extensive newsroom experience and a talent for teaching at the university level. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of television newsroom experience; some newsroom management experience preferred. This faculty member will manage KOMU.com and keep the station and the students updated on new opportunities in interactive news presentation. The job description includes a minimum of 30 hours per week at KOMU-TV (NBC-affiliate) and supervising the work of student reporters, anchors, newscast producers and videographers. The job description also includes classroom teaching and service to the Journalism School and the University.

Required qualifications: Experience as a journalist in a professional television newsroom, a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college of university, at least five years experience in journalism and significant work in the specialized field of news interactivity.

Screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Hiring is expected to be completed in the spring of 2013, with an immediate start date. Please click here to access the online application system. Applications must include an academic CV or professional resume, links to video of recent television work produced by the candidate, including online, multimedia work, references in the field and a cover letter that must also include an analysis of the television news profession’s transition from solely broadcast to broadcast and digital/internet news platforms.

The University of Missouri is committed to cultural diversity and it is expected that successful candidate will share this commitment. MU is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ADA institution and encourages applications from women and minority candidates.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted this week)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted this week)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (relisted 11/17/12)
WNCT-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (listed 11/17/12)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (listed 9/22/12)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/22/12)
KTTV/KCOP-TV, Los Angeles, CA (PM EP, relisted 11/23/12)
KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX (Morning EP, relisted this week)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (EP of Special Projects/Investigations, relisted 11/23/12)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Nightside EP, listing modified 11/3/12)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 11/23/12)
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL (AM EP, listed 10/5/12)
WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL (AM EP, listing modified 11/10/12)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (Senior EP, listed 10/5/12)
KPTV/KPDX-TV, Portland, OR (Nightside EP, relisted 9/30/12)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (AM EP, relisted 11/17/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted this week)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (TV Content Mgr., listed 10/19/12)
KWTV, Oklahoma City, OK (PM EP, relisted this week)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (listing modified 11/17/12)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Evening EP, relisted 11/17/12)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (2 openings, listed 11/3/12)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (PM EP, relisted this week)
WCYB-TV, Bristol, TN (relisted 11/23/12)
KOLO-TV, Reno, NV (Morning EP, relisted 10/19/12)
KIFI/KIDK-TV, Idaho Falls, ID (listed 11/17/12)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted this week)
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 10/28/12)

Obituary:

J.B. CHASE, a onetime GM for WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, died November 25th at the age of 76. He joined the station in 1972, was promoted to GM in 1990, and retired in 1999.

Situations Wanted:

No takers this week on our free Situations Wanted listings. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 100 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.

Names in the News:

Two former news directors have been promoted at The Weather Channel. HELEN SWENSON is now Senior Vice President of Live Programming, while JENNIFER RIGBY has been upped to Senior Director Coverage & Talent, overseeing daily operations and talent management. Helen was an ND in West Palm Beach and Seattle, while Jennifer ran three Cox newsrooms in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Dayton. Both also worked as consultants: Helen for Magid, Jennifer for SmithGeiger.

Carson

CHERYL CARSON returns to a newsroom as the new Assistant News Director for KING-TV in Seattle. Cheryl most recently spent eleven years as an EP at KTTV-TV in Los Angeles. She’s a former ND at WGHP-TV in Greensboro/High Point, first joining the station as a producer. Cheryl’s also worked in Las Vegas and Greenville, NC. Small world department: both Cheryl and her new boss, KING ND MARK GINTHER worked as Assistant NDs for SCOTT LIBIN: Cheryl in Greensboro, Mark in Minneapolis.

MIKE JANTZEN moves from Morning EP at WAVY-TV in Norfolk to Atlanta, where he’s the new Weekend Content Manager/Producer for WXIA-TV. He’s also worked in Saginaw, Louisville, and Evansville.

ELAINE HUME PEAKE is the new Assistant ND for WLNE-TV in Providence. She’s previously held management positions in New York City (two stations), Albany, NY, Miami and Jacksonville, FL.

Longtime Raleigh news director JOHN HARRIS is stepping down as station manager for WAOW-TV in Wausau, WI. John tells me he’s returning to North Carolina to help his wife care for her ailing mother.  He’s been station manager for this Quincy owned station for about two years.  John took advantage of an early retirement offer from WRAL-TV in 2009 when he was Director of Programming.  He’d also been ND there as well as in Orlando and Greenville, South Carolina.

One GM move to report: JOHN HUMPHRIES is the new GM for Hearst’s WGAL-TV in Lancaster, PA. He’s been the Director Sales for the company’s WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC.

Our Full List of ND Openings:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Saturday, December 1, 2012.

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

WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
WTXF-TV 330 Market St. Philadelphia PA 19106
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AX 85013
WKYC-TV 1333 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland OH 44114
WPXI-TV 4145 Evergreen Road Pittsburgh PA 15214
WISH-TV 1950 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
WRTV 1330 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian St. Indianapols IN 46204
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak Street Kansas City MO 64112
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas NV 89101
WVEC-TV 613 Woodis Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510
WPTY/WLMT 2701 Union Ave. Ext. Memphis TN 38112
KTHV-TV 720 Izard St. Little Rock 72201
KOTV 302 S. Frankfort St. Tulsa OK 74120
KSNW-TV 833 N. Main Wichita, KS 67203
WCSH-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101
WMTV 615 Forward Dr. Madison WI 53711
KHGI-TV 13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
KION/KCOY 1550 Moffett St. Salinas CA 93905
KRIS/KZTV 301 Artesian St. Corpus Christi, TX 78401
WVII-TV 371 Target Industrial Circle Bangor ME 04401
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Rd. Ghent WV 25843
KFBB-TV P.O. Box 1139 Great Falls, MT 59403

November 23, 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012 UPDATE:

Bracco

A huge shock today from Kansas City, where moments ago BRIAN BRACCO was named VP/General Manager of KSHB-TV, the Scripps owned NBC affiliate there. Many of you know Brian, who’s been with Hearst Broadcasting for more than 25 years, 12 of those as VP/News, based in Kansas City. He previously had been ND for the company’s KMBC-TV, the ABC affiliate there. Brian’s also been an ND in Columbus, OH, and Birmingham, and worked in Wichita.

Brian is one of the nicest people in the industry, in my opinon. He’ll start at KSHB on Monday. Brian told me he’s excited about the challenge, the chance to stay in Kansas City, and the ability to dramatically reduce his travel schedule.

More details on this in our full newsletter which will be completed either late tonight or sometime tomorrow.

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

I hope you and your family had a nice Thanksgiving.

There are TWO new ND openings and ONE newly named ND in this week’s report. We told you about two of those changes…both big surprises…earlier this week.

Those changes bring our list of open ND positions to 25.

As we told you, THREE of those jobs are in Indianapolis. I have not yet been able to confirm a rumor that the three GMs were going to host a joint interview (think speed dating).

More seriously, we have a new ad for a faculty position at the University of Missouri which will involve a lot of time spent at the University’s KOMU-TV. We have an obituary for the well-known host of a syndicated food segment, and news of a former ND landing a new job and a new GM for a CBS owned station (though NOT the CBS affiliate) in Atlanta.

All that follows this week’s changes:

New News Director Openings:

Connors

WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN…KEITH CONNORS will leave this Dispatch owned NBC affiliate by the end of the year. Keith tells me he’s decided to leave for both professional and family reasons. He’s been the news director there for two years, and has previously been an ND in Houston, Charlotte, Norfolk, and Rochester, NY. He’s also worked in Nashville and Toledo, where he worked for me at WTOL-TV.

WVII/WFXV-TV,Bangor, ME…News Director and anchor CINDY MICHAELS announced her resignation from this Rockfleet Broadcasting owned duopoly on the air earlier this week. Her co-anchor also resigned. It’s a strange story that’s gotten a lot of national attention. This article from the Bangor Daily News will fill you in.

Newly Named News Director:

Costello

KXNV-TV, Phoenix, AZ…PAT COSTELLO will begin as ND here in early January. Pat’s currently the station manager for KING-TV in Seattle, a job he’s held since 2007. He spent seven years before that as the ND for that Belo-owned NBC affiliate. Pat’s also been an ND in Chicago and Salt Lake City, and has worked in Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Columbia, MO. He began his career at as photographer. He replaces JOE HENGEMUEHLER who resigned earlier this summer after six years as ND and ten at the station, which is an ABC affiliate owned by Scripps.

Help Wanted Ad:

Faculty Position, University of Missouri/KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO:

The Missouri School of Journalism seeks a journalist with extensive newsroom experience and a talent for teaching at the university level. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of television newsroom experience; some newsroom management experience preferred. This faculty member will manage KOMU.com and keep the station and the students updated on new opportunities in interactive news presentation. The job description includes a minimum of 30 hours per week at KOMU-TV (NBC-affiliate) and supervising the work of student reporters, anchors, newscast producers and videographers. The job description also includes classroom teaching and service to the Journalism School and the University.

Required qualifications: Experience as a journalist in a professional television newsroom, a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college of university, at least five years experience in journalism and significant work in the specialized field of news interactivity.

Screening of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Hiring is expected to be completed in the spring of 2013, with an immediate start date. Please click here to access the online application system. Applications must include an academic CV or professional resume, links to video of recent television work produced by the candidate, including online, multimedia work, references in the field and a cover letter that must also include an analysis of the television news profession’s transition from solely broadcast to broadcast and digital/internet news platforms.

The University of Missouri is committed to cultural diversity and it is expected that successful candidate will share this commitment. MU is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ADA institution and encourages applications from women and minority candidates.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KING-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 10/28/12)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 9/22/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 9/14/12)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (relisted 11/17/12)
WCTI-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (relisted 9/14/12)
WNCT-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (listed 11/17/12)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (listed 9/22/12)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/22/12)
KTTV/KCOP-TV, Los Angeles, CA (PM EP, relisted this week)
KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX (Morning EP, relisted 9/14/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (EP of Special Projects/Investigations, relisted this week)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Nightside EP, listing modified 11/3/12)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (new listing this week)
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL (AM EP, listed 10/5/12)
WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL (AM EP, listing modified 11/10/12)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (Senior EP, listed 10/5/12)
KPTV/KPDX-TV, Portland, OR (Nightside EP, relisted 9/30/12)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (AM EP, relisted 11/17/12)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (AM EP, listed 9/22/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/14/12)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (TV Content Mgr., listed 10/19/12)
KWTV, Oklahoma City, OK (PM EP, listed 9/30/12)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (listing modified 11/17/12)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Evening EP, relisted 11/17/12)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (2 openings, listed 11/3/12)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (PM EP, listing revised 9/14/12)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 9/1/12)
WCYB-TV, Bristol, TN (relisted this week)
KOLO-TV, Reno, NV (Morning EP, relisted 10/19/12)
KIFI/KIDK-TV, Idaho Falls, ID (listed 11/17/12)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 9/14/12)
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 10/28/12)

Obituary:

Ginsburg

ART GINSBURG died this week. You, and millions of your viewers, knew him as Mr. Food. His syndicated segments on fast and easy cooking aired on dozens of stations all over the country, in markets small and large. Art began doing segments on WRGB-TV in Schenectady, NY in the mid-70’s. Mr. Food segments were eventually seen in 80% of the markets around the country. In my dealings with him, he was always friendly and warm, much like his on camera persona. (He even once used a recipe I sent him that I’d gotten from my Mom.)

Situations Wanted:

No takers this week on our free Situations Wanted listings. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 100 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.

Names in the News:

Phillip

There are two new news managers at WPLG-TV in Miami, one a veteran news director.  PEGGY PHILLIP has joined this Post-Newsweek/ABC affiliate as EP of the weekday morning news. It’s a return to Miami for Peggy, who earlier in her career worked at WSVN-TV there. She most recently was ND for KSHB-TV in Kansas City, has been an ND in Baltimore, Syracuse, Memphis, and Tulsa, and has also worked in Chicago, Reno and Boston. Also, STEPHANIE GASTON moves across town to become EP of the weekend morning newscasts at WPLG. She’s been the Senior Producer of the morning newscasts at WSVN-TV.

JACK WALSH has been named General Manager of CBS owned WUPA-TV in Atlanta. It’s the CW affiliate in the market. He’s been the Sales Manager for WGCL-TV, the Meredith owned CBS affiliate there.

Congratulations to Missourinet News Director and (two-time) past RTDNA chair BOB PRIDDY and his wife NANCY who celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this week.

Our Full List of ND Openings:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Friday, November 23, 2012.

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

WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
WTXF-TV 330 Market St. Philadelphia PA 19106
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AX 85013
WKYC-TV 1333 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland OH 44114
WPXI-TV 4145 Evergreen Road Pittsburgh PA 15214
WISH-TV 1950 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
WRTV 1330 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46204
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak Street Kansas City MO 64112
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas NV 89101
WVEC-TV 613 Woodis Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510
WPTY/WLMT 2701 Union Ave. Ext. Memphis TN 38112
KTHV-TV 720 Izard St. Little Rock 72201
KOTV 302 S. Frankfort St. Tulsa OK 74120
KSNW-TV 833 N. Main Wichita, KS 67203
WCSH-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101
WMTV 615 Forward Dr. Madison WI 53711
KHGI-TV 13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
KBOI-TV 140 N. 16th St. Boise ID 83702
KION/KCOY 1550 Moffett St. Salinas CA 93905
WVII-TV 371 Target Industrial Circle Bangor ME 04401
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Rd. Ghent WV 25843
KSWT-TV 1301 Third Ave Yuma AZ 85364
KFBB-TV P.O. Box 1139 Great Falls, MT 59403