Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

December 2, 2018

Greetings:

We start this week with breaking news…The Chicago Tribune is one of several outlets reporting tonight that Nexstar will buy Tribune for 4.1 billion dollars. I’m sure you’ll see many stories in the days ahead explaining the challenges that stand in the way of that deal.

Turning to our normal subject, TWO new news directors this week and TWO newly opened positions. And one of those changes comes as a veteran ND gets her first GM job.

Our list of stations with news director openings increases at 34. ONE of those opportunities is featured in one of our TWO paid help wanted ads.

There’s lot to share in our Names in the News…and other stuff…section below. A longtime media critic laments what he sees as the decline of network television. A former ND turned network executive gets a promotion, and we have THREE stories about new management jobs for news people. And we have TWO stories about a former ND…and someone who’s just weeks away from being a former ND.

We have THREE obituaries again. ONE of a former (two-time) Ohio news director, and TWO of veteran station managers who had a lot of large market experience.

All that’s below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Schnell

KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA…DEREK SCHNELL has been named news director for this Hearst owned NBC affiliate. He’s first joined the station in 2014 as an executive producer and most recently has been the co-Assistant news director there. He’s a Hearst veteran having worked for the company’s stations in Kansas City and Oklahoma City, as well as in Columbia, MO.

Waldon

Derek replaces LORI WALDON who is being promoted to VP/GM of another Hearst station, KOAT-TV in Albuquerque. Lori’s spent six years as ND at KCRA, adding corporate responsibilities two years ago. She first joined the company in 2006 as ND for WISN-TV in Milwaukee. Lori’s also worked in Sacramento and San Francisco. In Albuquerque, she replaces another former ND, MARY LYNN ROPER, who is retiring after 25 years as GM and 41 years at the station, where she began as a reporter/photographer.

Venegas

KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX…VICTOR VENEGAS has been promoted to news director for this Nexstar owned NBC affiliate. He’s been the Nightside EP there. His GM, DAVID CANDELARIA had this to say:

Victor is a true team player, mentor and leader in the News Room. He’s the guy that mentored our new reporters and mmjs and stepped up and made things happen for us during our transition to our new building. I can’t thank him enough.

Victor replaces ELIZABETH O’HARA who left last month after two years as ND.

New News Director Openings:

Wordlaw

WVLA/WGMB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA…GARY WORDLAW is leaving this Nexstar operated NBC/FOX duopoly for a new job that I hope to be able to share with you later this week. Gary’s been the ND here for 3 1/2 years, earlier had been an ND in Washington and Baltimore, and a general manager in Seattle, New Orleans, Syracuse, and Tallahassee. He’s also worked in Chattanooga.

WOAY-TV, Bluefield, WV…this locally owned ABC affiliate is advertising for a new news director. DENNIS LORTZ had been the ND there, having joined the station earlier this summer.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KRNV/KRXI-TV, Reno, NV:

Why Reno?

“The Biggest Little City” is more than a name. It’s a culture and a way of life in a news town that never stops. You’ll love the food, the fun, the outdoors and even the indoors here!

We are looking for a dynamic content center leader to oversee our social, digital and broadcast news operations. You need to fully understand how current and emerging platforms work to support each other. You’ll need to build a culture of creativity, innovation, teamwork and accountability. We don’t need someone who believes a news director sits in the office all day. We want someone who is fully engaged and involved from the moment she/he steps into the building..

Get the full job description here and apply today!

MdLogo

Broadcast Lecturer, University of Maryland, College Park, MD:

The University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism seeks an experienced, energetic television news journalist for a nine-month, non-tenure track, renewable lecturer position beginning in spring 2019. Primary responsibility will be to serve as the “bureau chief” for the Capital News Service Broadcast Bureau located on the university’s College Park campus. This full-time lecturer will:

teach undergraduate and graduate courses in broadcast and multiplatform news production
serve as executive producer overseeing student newscasts.
instruct and supervise story development, news judgment, ethics, and script-writing
supervise shooting and editing video

Minimum Qualifications:

bachelor’s degree
substantial professional broadcast field experience producing television news
a record of innovation and quality in video production
web and social media fluency
experience teaching/mentoring students or beginning broadcast journalists.

Preferences:

A master’s degree;
award-winning track record in television news;
experience in both field and show/studio producing

The University of Maryland, College Park, actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

In addition to a resume/C.V., cover letter, and list of three references, please submit a supplemental document with:

links to stories reported, shot, edited and produced by applicant (preferably both breaking news and feature/enterprise stories)
social media handles for professional accounts the applicant manages.
links to any student work supervised by applicant

Please apply here!:

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 10/21/18)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 11/18/18)
WBTS-TV, Boston, IL (listed 10/28/18)
New England Cable News (listed 10/28/18)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 10/14/18)
Spectrum News Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (listed 10/7/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 11/11/18)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (listed 10/21/18)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (listed 10/28/18)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (AM EP, relisted 10/14/18)
WFAA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 10/14/18)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (Dayside EP, relisted 11/25/18)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, listed 11/4/18)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, listed 11/11/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 11/18/18)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (listed 10/14/18)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, listed 10/7/18)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, relisted this week)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, listing revised this week)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, listing modified 10/21/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, relisted 11/25/18)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 10/14/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 10/21/18)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (relisted 10/14/18)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (AM EP, listed 10/28/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 10/14/18)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 10/21/18)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (listed 11/18/18)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 10/21/18)

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

Re-listed 11/11/18:

WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Editorial Content)

Listed 10/21/18:

WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (AM Content Manager)

Listed 10/14/18:

KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Content Manager)

Listed 10/7/18:

Spectrum News Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (Assignment/Planning Manager)

Obituaries:

Gillis

JOE GILLIS, a former news director at both WTOL-TV in Toledo and WKBN-TV in Youngstown, OH, died last Wednesday at the age of 84. He suffered complications from a fall and passed in hospice care. A native of Toledo, his career began in radio there, and he moved to television in 1959. More on his life here.

Starr

IRWIN STARR, a veteran manager who ran stations in many major markets, died November 14th of lung cancer. He was 78. Irwin held senior management positions (including GM jobs) at stations in Washington, D.C., Portland, OR, Milwaukee, Albuquerque, and Spokane, WA, and also had a career as an educator. This obituary of an interesting career and life tells you more.

Updated 12/3/18:

Funeral services for FRED WALKER will be held this Friday, December 7, in New Haven, CT. More details here, including a detailed biography.

Walker

I’m reliably told that FRED WALKER has died, but I have no details about his passing. He was a longtime GM in major markets and also was involved in the ownership of a company called Broad Street which owned TV stations and cable companies. This bio tells you a lot more about him, and ~~I’ll update my website when I learn more.~~ (See above.)

Names in the News (and other items):

The longtime media reporter for The Baltimore Sun, DAVID ZURAWIK, offers these thoughts on what he sees as the sad and greedy decline of network television.

Harding

CORRIE HARDING gets a new title at NBC News. He’s now VP/News Partnerships, up from Senior Director News Partnerships. He reports to SVP DIANNE FESTA. Many of you know Corrie, who’s a former news director in Charlotte and Pittsburgh, and has worked in Dallas, Washington, Cleveland (three stations), and Columbus, OH.

Garcia

JESSIE GARCIA is being promoted to a position called broadcast director at Scripps’ WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee (DIANE IRVING held that position before leaving in October, and she had earlier held the title of Assistant ND for this NBC affiliate.) Jessie first joined the station in 1994 as a sports reporter/anchor. She also hosted the MIKE McCARTHY show…but as sports fans know, the Packers fired him today.

Seals

WLWT-TV, the Hearst owned NBC affiliate in Cincinnati, has hired DAVID SEALS as its new morning executive producer. He’s been doing some freelance producing for Spectrum News Kentucky since leaving this job as ND for WHAS-TV in Louisville earlier this year. He’s also worked in Hartford/New Haven, Nashville, Norfolk, Syracuse, and Albany, NY.

Day

DEANA DAY joins KOB-TV in Albuquerque as Nightside EP. She’s been an EP for KHBS-TV in Fayetteville, AR, and is a former news director in Sioux City and Meridian, MS.

And we have two items about a former news director and a soon to be former news director:

VIRGIL DOMINIC returned to the anchor desk at Cleveland’s WKYC-TV this week as part of the station’s Throwback Thursday, celebrating the station’s 70 anniversary. Virgil, an icon in Cleveland, first joined the station in 1965 as an anchor.

DAVE BUSIEK is the subject of this profile in The Des Moines Register as he approaches the end of a terrific career at KCCI-TV. Dave spent 39 years at this station, 29 as news director. He’s a past chair of RTDNA and also worked in Columbia, MO.

General Manager News and Notes:

We reported above that LORI WALDON would be the next GM for Hearst’s KOAT-TV in Albuquerque. Many more details there.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 2, 2018:

It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these may have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com

Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
WJLA-TV 1100 Wilson Blvd. , 6th Fl. Arlington, VA 22209
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
WTTV/WXIN-TV 6910 Network Pl, Indianapolis, IN 46278
WPBF-TV 3970 RCA Boulevard, # 7007, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
WTLV/WJXX-TV 1070 E Adams St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
WATE-TV 1306 North Broadway Knoxville, TN 37917
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St, Dayton, OH 45409
WFRV-TV 1181 E Mason Street. Green Bay, WI 54301
KMTV 10714 Mockingbird Dr, Omaha, NE 68127
KOLR-TV 2650 E Division St, Springfield, MO 65803
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WHEC-TV 191 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
WCSH/WLBZ-TV One Congress Square Portland, ME 04101
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
WAPT-TV 7616 Channel 16 Way Jackson, MS 39209
WVLA/WGMB-TV 10000 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, LA 70810
WJTV 1820 TV Road Jackson MS 39204
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Dr. New Bern, NC 28560
KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502 (see ad above!)
WRBL-TV 1350 13th Ave. Columbus, GA 31901
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
KHSL/KNVN-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
WTVA-TV P.O. Box 320 Tupelo, MS 38802
KRCG-TV, 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
WTWO-TV PO Box 9268 Terre Haute, IN 47808
KPVI-TV 902 E Sherman St, Pocatello, ID 83201
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301

**: Spanish language station

November 25, 2018

Monday, November 26 2018 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Another news director moves to the ‘big office’ today as Hearst promotes a veteran ND to a GM job.

Waldon

Congratulations to LORI WALDON who’s headed to KOAT-TV in Albuquerque as General Manager for that Hearst owned ABC affiliate. Here’s video from the newscast in which her appointment was announced, complete with video of the staff meeting. And here’s the news release.

Lori’s spent the last six years as ND for Hearst’s KCRA-TV in Sacramento, and added corporate responsibilities as a Regional News Director almost two years ago. She first joined the company in 2006 as ND for WISN-TV in Milwaukee. Lori’s also worked in Sacramento and San Francisco.

Roper

At KOAT, she replaces another former news director, MARY LYNN ROPER, who is retiring after 25 years as GM and 41 years at the station, where she began as a reporter/photographer.

Also of note…Lori becomes the second former news director to be a GM in Albuquerque, joining MICHELLE DONALDSON who runs KOB-TV.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Hope your holiday was great.

There’s a fair amount of activity for a short week to share with you.

We’ve got ONE newly named news director to tell you about…and that’s at a top ten network o-and-o. And we have THREE new openings.

Our list of stations with news director openings stands at 33.

If you’re looking for a new job IN the business, we have an ad for a news director’s job in the ‘Biggest Little City in the World”.

And if you’re looking for a job OUT of the business, check out our ad for a broadcast lecturer position at the University of Maryland.

TWO items in names in the news…a new Assistant ND at a Tegna station, and we’ll show you how WABC-TV marked the 50th anniversary of Eyewitness News.

We have THREE obituaries…of a former ND, of a former GM (whose daughter you may know of) and of a Los Angeles writer/producer/music critic who was a master of puns.

All that’s below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Stucky

WAGA-TV, Atlanta, GA…we told you in an UPDATE on Monday that SCOTT STUCKY had been promoted to news director for this FOX owned station. Scott’s worked at the station for 22 years, most recently as the Senior Executive Producer. Scott replaces MIKE McCLAIN who held the job for eight years before his promotion to GM for the FOX o-and-o in Charlotte.

New News Director Openings:

Sherwin

WPBF-TV, West Palm Beach, FL…TRAVIS SHERWIN is moving within Hearst Television. He’s leaving this ABC affiliate after almost two years as news director (and 20 with the company) to become the Executive Producer for the company’s investigative unit based in Washington, DC. Travis has also worked in Orlando, Ft. Myers, and Casper, WY.

Harris

WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL…MEAGAN HARRIS is leaving this Tegna NBC/ABC duopoly after four years for a new opportunity back in Dallas. She described it this way on her Facebook page:

….an incredible opportunity with NBC Universal. I’ll be overseeing the editorial content on a new product that NBC will be launching in the coming months. It’s all about innovation and creative storytelling.

Meagan worked for WFAA-TV in Dallas for eight years before moving to Jacksonville.

WCSH/WLBZ-TV, Portland/Bangor, ME…these Tegna owned and operated NBC affiliates are advertising for a new new news director. My records show that KAREN ARAIZA had been the ND there since November, 2016.

Also, please note that we have a new paid help wanted ad for the opportunity at KRNV-KRXI-TV in Reno…that’s just below.