Rick Gevers & Associates

September 9, 2018

Wednesday, September 12, 2018 UDPATE:

Greetings:

Travel delayed this UPDATE, but I wanted to note that a terrific career is in his final months in Des Moines.

  Busiek

DAVE BUSIEK, who’s been news director for Hearst’s KCCI-TV (CBS) for 29 years, is retiring at the end of the year. He spent another 10 years at the station as a reporter and anchor before being promoted. He started in Des Moines as a reporter and anchor at WHO radio.

The station reported on his decision, including must-see clips of Dave with a mustache during his on air days.

Remarkably, he is only the THIRD news director in the long history of KCCI.

Many of you know that Dave is a past RTDNA chair as well.

Unlike many of us, he’s only worked in one other market, Columbia, MO, where (full disclosure) we attended Journalism School together.

Well wishers can pass along their regards to: dbusiek@hearst.com

We’ll see you this weekend with our full newsletter.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

We’re coming to you from rainy Indianapolis where the downpour may slow long enough for the annual running of the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race tomorrow.

This week, ONE newly named news director with THREE newly available positions.

That means our list of open ND jobs increases to 32.

We have SIX paid help wanted ads, THREE for news director jobs.

We also have our FIRST paid political ad for a candidate for the RTDNA Board of Directors. That’s just below.

In Names in the News, an unusual cross town shift of an Assistant News Director in Los Angeles, new managers in Tampa and Asheville, and a new set that reflects the unique character of its city. And one longtime Georgia GM is headed for retirement….but put your resumes away…his successor is already in place.

All that and more as you read on.

Paid Political Ad

I’m Allison McGinley, news director of WKMG-TV in Orlando.

Protecting our First Amendment rights is so much more than battling Fake News: it’s about empowering our newsrooms, mentoring inspired students, and protecting our communities.

You see, I believe that protecting our industry and our rights under the First Amendment isn’t enough. We have to think bigger so YOU can be heard.

That is why I am the right candidate for RTDNA’s Region 13 Director and I am asking for your VOTE.

With information coming at us from all directions these days, are we EMPOWERING our newsrooms to stop and discuss important ethical issues?

And as an industry, we will not fail if we take care of those who follow in our footsteps. In my 24 years in this industry, I have had a number of people who have championed me, and I am the product of their lessons and their encouragement. MENTORING is how our voices will continue to be heard loud and clear.

But it’s not just about us — the journalists — being heard loud and clear. It’s about us being heard because we are the voice for the voiceless. The people who do not have the megaphone we possess, the cameras, the airwaves or the knowledge of how to access the truth. We cannot PROTECT our communities if we do not fight to retain our rights.

For more information about how I plan to be of service to YOU, check out my website at www.amcginley.com.

Newly Named News Directors: 

Johnson

WWMT-TV, Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids, MI…MATT JOHNSON will be the next ND for this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate. He’s coming from sister-Sinclair CBS affiliate KRCG-TV in the Jefferson City/Columbia, MO market, where he’s been for two years. Matt’s worked for another station in Columbia, as well as in both off-air and on-air jobs in Minneapolis, Jackson, MS, Chattanooga. He replaces STEVE KOLES who spent seven years here before leaving in July to become ND for WBNS-TV in Columbus, OH.

New News Director Openings: 

Osgood

WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI…KEVIN OSGOOD is leaving this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate for a bit of a career change. He’ll be the next executive director of the Door County (WI) Maritime Museum. While that may sound unusual, Kevin served in the Navy and earlier worked in museum exhibit display sales. He’s been an ND in Huntsville and Abilene, and has worked in Richmond and Tampa. He was ND here for more than four years.

KRCG-TV, Jefferson City, MO…we told you above that MATT JOHNSON is headed to sister-Sinclair station WWMT-TV in Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids, MI, as ND. Matt was ND at this CBS affiliate for just over two years.

WTWO-TV, Terre Haute, IN…the search is now underway for a successor to DEANA REECE who passed away unexpectedly last month. This is a Nexstar owned NBC affiliate.

And while they are not new openings, please check out the Paid Help Wanted Ads below for ND jobs at WTNH-TV in New Haven/Hartford, CT, WFFT-TV in Ft. Wayne, IN, and WVII-TV in Bangor, ME.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

Morning Executive Producer, WFTV, Orlando, FL:

WFTV in Orlando has an immediate opportunity for a morning Executive Producer who will oversee the station’s strategy and execution of four hours of news on all platforms.

This is a chance to work in one of America’s best news markets at a station with all the tools to do the job. This position will have oversight of a team of producers, reporters, photographers, and digital staff. The successful candidate will also ensure that there is collaborative and effective news coverage and marketing across all platforms.

Previous success as an Executive Producer, and experience improving performance from metrics is a must. The successful candidate must be creative, able to work with a research-based framework. At least 3 years’ experience as an Executive Producer required.

To apply click here or email News Director MATT PARCELL: matt.parcell@wftv.com

News Director, WTNH/WCTX-TV, New Haven/Hartford, CT:

WTNH News 8 and WCTX MyTV 9 are seeking an experienced and creative leader in the position of News Director.

The position of News Director will be accountable for budgets, strategic planning, brand building, and talent contracts. The ideal News Director will have experience working with unions, have a broad portfolio of experience in news operations, be instantaneous with decision-making; able to fluidly move between strategic and tactical activities; able to influence and engage multiple internal and external audiences; and be accomplished in building and developing a highly skilled, empowered, passionate news room staff.

Incumbents in this role will have strong business and financial acumen, demonstrating the ability to build and manage a budget. The News Director must possess and drive the highest code of ethical conduct, taking ownership for protecting the station and the license, and must be empathetic, an exceptional leader, and motivator.

For more information…and to apply…just click here.

News Director, WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN:

If you are an experienced broadcast journalist with newsroom management and leadership experience, then we are interested in speaking with you.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone to join and lead a highly competive and accomplished newscast that has earned four Emmy nominations and twice awarded Best Newscast.

The successful candidate must have an ability to coach reporters to be enterprising with their story generation, as well as compelling and relevant with their content. This is a unique opportunity to take an award-winning product to the next level. Solid news judgment, great communication skills and exceptional leadership are a requirement.

The Fort Wayne market is an extraordinary place to live and work, offering affordable living and an active lifestyle. Fort Wayne has been honored with several awards for quality of life and is a multiple winner of the All-American City Award.

Please send resumes and support materials:

via email to: Britchhart@wfft.com

or via mail or overnight delivery to:

Bill Ritchhart
VP/General Manager
WFFT-TV
3707 Hillegas Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46807

WFFT is an equal opportunity employer

News Director, WVII/WFVX-TV, Bangor, ME:

Small market network affiliates seek a hands on, high energy leader who says “follow me”, charging everyday looking for news.

WVII (ABC) and WFVX (Fox) in Bangor, Maine need someone to lead the news team. It is not a deal breaker but would be a plus if you can anchor a newscast.

I want you to dazzle me with your ideas, knowledge and attitude. You will not be micromanaged. You are going to be given a great deal of freedom and will have a lot of FUN. Do you have joy in your heart? Are you a Happy Warrior?

There are somethings in Bangor, Maine you may miss. I am afraid we are short on Crime, Pollution, Traffic and Urban Blight. If you can live with that and want to live and work in a place where people are still friendly, we look forward to hearing from you!

Please send resume and salary history to: careers@wvii.com

Assistant News Director, KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA:

This is a rare opportunity for a passionate, exceptional leader to join KOVR, the CBS O&O in Sacramento.

Help set the agenda, oversee special projects, and lead the day-to-day operations of a content-driven, multiplatform newsroom. Innovate, create, and coach to bring content and execution to the next level.

Live minutes away in a great neighborhood. Play a short drive away from Lake Tahoe and Reno to the east, San Francisco to the west, and wine country in three directions.

Apply here:

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

Winter’s coming….sooner than you think it is.

Tired of cold and snow?

Why don’t you come work in sunny Florida?

WJXT-TV in Jacksonville is looking for a Morning 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 and newscast links to: kbonfield@wjxt.com

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (listed 8/12/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/15/18)
KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 9/3/18, see ad above!)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 8/26/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 9/3/18)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (new listing this week)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 9/3/18)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (relisted this week)
KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA (listed 8/19/18)
WALB-TV, Albany, GA (listed 8/5/18)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (Dayside EP, new listing this week)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (AM EP, relisted 8/26/18)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (AM EP, relisted this week)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 7/8/18)
KARE-TV, Minneapolis MN (listed 7/22/18)
WOIO-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 8/5/18)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (AM EP, new listing this week, see ad above!)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 8/19/18)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, listing modified 7/15/18)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (PM EP, new listing 8/26/18)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (TWO openings, AM & PM, listed 8/26/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (released this week)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM & PM EPs, relisted 8/19/18)
KOB-TV, Albuquerque, NM (listed 7/15/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, listing revised this week)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (AM EP, listed 9/3/18, see ad above!)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 8/19/18)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 7/22/18)
WKOW-TV, Madison, WI (Senior EP, relisted 7/22/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 8/12/18)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

Listed this week:

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

Listed 8/26/18:

WBTV, Charlotte, NC (Digital Content Manager)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 8/19/18:

E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (Director of National News Content)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Senior Digital Producer)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Planning Editor)
WMC-TV, Memphis, TN (Digital Content Manager)

Names in the News (and other items):

Renee W.

RENEE WASHINGTON moves across Los Angeles to become the new Assistant News Director for KNBC-TV. She had been the Assistant ND for KABC-TV there. KNBC News Director TODD MOKHTARI says she’s bucking a common trend when taking a new job in LA.

BRETT AUSTIN starts Monday (9/10) as the new Senior Executive Producer for WTSP-TV, the Tegna owned ABC affiliate in Tampa. He’s most recently worked for ESPN where he helped launch the SEC network. Brett’s also worked in Columbia, MO, Biloxi, Fayetteville/Fort Smith, Tulsa, San Antonio, and Dallas.

Two veteran news people, KEVIN BEATTIE and MATT MARSHALL were promoted this week at Sinclair’s ABC affiliate, WLOS-TV in Asheville, NC. News Director BRIAN NEMITZ explains the new roles for each.

The latest hi-tech set from our friends at Devlin Design Group is now on the air at Sinclair’s WBFF-TV in Baltimore. Learn more about the specific-to-Baltimore elements here.

General Manager News and Notes:

After 21 years running WALB-TV in Albany, GA, (and 26 at this ABC/NBC affiliate) JIM WILCOX is retiring at the end of the year. He’ll be replaced in January by BRUCE AUSTIN, who’s currently the General Sales Manager there.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, September 9, 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
WGN-TV, 2501 West Bradley Place, Chicago, IL 60618
KXAS-TV 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KNXV-TV 515 N 44th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KDKA-TV 420 Fort Duquesne Blvd., #100 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
WTNH-TV 8 Elm St. New Haven CT 06510 (see ad above!)
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Fairway, KS 66205
KBLR-TV 5000 West OakeySuite B2 Las Vegas, NV 89102 **
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas, NV 89101
WTKR-TV 720 Boush Street Norfolk, VA 23510
KOTV 303 N. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74103
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St, Dayton, OH 45409
WFRV-TV 1181 E Mason Street. Green Bay, WI 54301
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WOWT-TV 3501 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807 (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
KRCG-TV, 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
WTWO-TV PO Box 9268 Terre Haute, IN 47808
WVII-TV 371 Target Industrial Circle Bangor, ME 04401 (see ad above!)
KPVI-TV 902 E Sherman St, Pocatello, ID 83201
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
WABG-TV 849 Washington Ave. Greenville MS 38701

**: Spanish language station

September 3, 2018

Greetings:

We’re a day delayed by the holiday weekend but we’re full of news, some of it very unusual.

First, there are THREE new news director openings, and, to the best of my knowledge, NO news directors were announced this week.

So, our list of open ND jobs jumps to 30.

FOUR of those 30 openings are among our SEVEN paid help wanted ads this week.

There’s an obituary for a veteran news director and anchor who worked in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, and California. And more information on the death of a two-time Louisiana news director whose passing we first reported last week.

Names in the News has a number of items I think you’ll find interesting, including a veteran newsman using a Times Square Billboard in his attempt to find a life saving kidney! We have good news on another cancer fight, a number of comings and goings on the news management front, and we have a tale of a former ND and GM who found his next job…while driving Uber.

And we’ll remind you that the early registration deadline is coming for the next RTDNA/EIJ convention.

Newly Named News Directors: 

After a few busy weeks, I’m not aware of any newly named news directors this week.  We always appreciate your confidential email tips.

New News Director Openings: 

KBLR-TV, Las Vegas, NV…XOCHITL SANDOVAL has left this Telemundo owned station after four years as news director. EP JAVIER PALMERA left as well. Media Moves has the full story here.

WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN…STEW HIRSCH has left this Heartland Media owned FOX affiliate after almost two years as news director. You can learn more about this opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted ad below.

Colson

WVII/WFVX-TV, Bangor, ME…CRAIG COLSON is leaving this Rockfleet Broadcasting owned ABC/FOX duopoly. This story from the local newspaper says his departure is due to unspecified health issues. He’s been ND here since 2012, but has been a fixture in Maine broadcasting for more than 30 years. You can learn more about this opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted Ad below.

And while they are not new openings, please check out the Help Wanted Ads below for ND jobs at WTNH-TV in New Haven/Hartford, CT, and WOWT-TV in Omaha.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WTNH/WCTX-TV, New Haven/Hartford, CT:

WTNH News 8 and WCTX MyTV 9 are seeking an experienced and creative leader in the position of News Director.

The position of News Director will be accountable for budgets, strategic planning, brand building, and talent contracts. The ideal News Director will have experience working with unions, have a broad portfolio of experience in news operations, be instantaneous with decision-making; able to fluidly move between strategic and tactical activities; able to influence and engage multiple internal and external audiences; and be accomplished in building and developing a highly skilled, empowered, passionate news room staff.

Incumbents in this role will have strong business and financial acumen, demonstrating the ability to build and manage a budget. The News Director must possess and drive the highest code of ethical conduct, taking ownership for protecting the station and the license, and must be empathetic, an exceptional leader, and motivator.

For more information…and to apply…just click here.

News Director, WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN:

If you are an experienced broadcast journalist with newsroom management and leadership experience, then we are interested in speaking with you.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone to join and lead a highly competive and accomplished newscast that has earned four Emmy nominations and twice awarded Best Newscast.

The successful candidate must have an ability to coach reporters to be enterprising with their story generation, as well as compelling and relevant with their content. This is a unique opportunity to take an award-winning product to the next level. Solid news judgment, great communication skills and exceptional leadership are a requirement.

The Fort Wayne market is an extraordinary place to live and work, offering affordable living and an active lifestyle. Fort Wayne has been honored with several awards for quality of life and is a multiple winner of the All-American City Award.

Please send resumes and support materials:

via email to: Britchhart@wfft.com

or via mail or overnight delivery to:

Bill Ritchhart
VP/General Manager
WFFT-TV
3707 Hillegas Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46807

WFFT is an equal opportunity employer

News Director, WVII/WFVX-TV, Bangor, ME:

Small market network affiliates seek a hands on, high energy leader who says “follow me”, charging everyday looking for news.

WVII (ABC) and WFVX (Fox) in Bangor, Maine need someone to lead the news team. It is not a deal breaker but would be a plus if you can anchor a newscast.

I want you to dazzle me with your ideas, knowledge and attitude. You will not be micromanaged. You are going to be given a great deal of freedom and will have a lot of FUN. Do you have joy in your heart? Are you a Happy Warrior?

There are somethings in Bangor, Maine you may miss. I am afraid we are short on Crime, Pollution, Traffic and Urban Blight. If you can live with that and want to live and work in a place where people are still friendly, we look forward to hearing from you!

Please send resume and salary history to: careers@wvii.com

Assistant News Director, KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA:

This is a rare opportunity for a passionate, exceptional leader to join KOVR, the CBS O&O in Sacramento.

Help set the agenda, oversee special projects, and lead the day-to-day operations of a content-driven, multiplatform newsroom. Innovate, create, and coach to bring content and execution to the next level.

Live minutes away in a great neighborhood. Play a short drive away from Lake Tahoe and Reno to the east, San Francisco to the west, and wine country in three directions.

Apply here:

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

Winter’s coming….sooner than you think it is.

Tired of cold and snow?

Why don’t you come work in sunny Florida?

WJXT-TV in Jacksonville is looking for a Morning 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 and newscast links to: kbonfield@wjxt.com

News Director, WOWT-TV, Omaha, NE:

Gray Television owned WOWT (NBC) in Omaha, NE is seeking a dynamic News Director to lead our legacy station to the #1 spot in the market.

WOWT is a modern facility equipped with state of the art technology, and with our leading broadcast news we provide award winning local news coverage, dedicated community service, and effective marketing solutions for area businesses.

Omaha is one of the most progressive cities in the Midwest with a strong market support by several national industries. The Omaha area boasts an array of top attractions that can’t be matched, from the World Famous Henry Doorly Zoo, to the NCAA Men’s College World Series. Omaha is popular for our downtown which is home to a revitalized riverfront and the Historic Old Market.

We are looking for a News Director who will be responsible for overseeing our content and day to day operations. The ideal candidate will possess newsroom leadership experience, a proven track record of success, meter market experience, and a vision for taking an award winning news product to an exceptional level. Must be a strong competitive leader with excellent communication skills, a successful track record in coaching and developing news staff, and growing audience across all platforms. The candidate must also demonstrate an understanding and enthusiasm for evolving digital, social and mobile media.

If you have the experience, talent and skills necessary to effectively lead, mentor, and motivate an outstanding group of journalists and news professionals please apply.

Please apply online by clicking here.

Assistant News Director, KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO:

Have a passion for innovation and the ability to motivate a team to produce compelling content on air, online and on social media?

Then 5 On Your Side, the award-winning NBC affiliate in St. Louis, has an opportunity for you! We have an immediate opening for an Assistant News Director who can oversee our daily news operation, collaborating with the News Director and other news managers to make the most of our resources to win the day and grow audience.

The ideal candidate must be a creative thinker who understands what it means to “own” the big story, be the market leader in enterprise storytelling, and incorporate meaningful social conversation into everything we do. You’ll also help the News Director with the development and execution of long-term newsroom strategy.

Special projects experience is a plus. Prior newsroom management experience is a must.

If this sounds like the job for you, contact KSDK News Director Tiffani Lupenski at tlupenski@ksdk.com

To apply, click here.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (listed 8/12/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/15/18)
KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA (new listing this week, see ad above!)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 8/26/18, see ad above!)
WLOS-TV, Asheville, NC (relisted 8/19/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted this week)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted this week)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 7/1/18)
KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA (listed 8/19/18)
WALB-TV, Albany, GA (listed 8/5/18)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (AM EP, relisted 8/26/18)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (AM EP, listed 7/1/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 7/8/18)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (Senior EP, listed 7/1/18)
KARE-TV, Minneapolis MN (listed 7/22/18)
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/1/18)
WOIO-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 8/5/18)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 8/19/18)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, listing modified 7/15/18)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (PM EP, new listing 8/26/18)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (TWO openings, AM & PM, listed 8/26/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 7/1/18)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM & PM EPs, relisted 8/19/18)
KOB-TV, Albuquerque, NM (listed 7/15/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Senior EP, listed 7/8/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (THREE EP openings, listed 7/8/18)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (AM EP, new listing this week, see ad above!)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (listed 7/1/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 8/19/18)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 7/22/18)
WKOW-TV, Madison, WI (Senior EP, relisted 7/22/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 8/12/18)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

Listed this week:

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

Listed 8/26/18:

WBTV, Charlotte, NC (Digital Content Manager)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 8/19/18:

E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (Director of National News Content)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Senior Digital Producer)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Planning Editor)
WMC-TV, Memphis, TN (Digital Content Manager)

Obituaries:

Denney

LEE DENNEY, a one-time news director at WFIE-TV in Evansville who worked at stations around the country, died August 22, 2018, at the age of 77 at a hospice in Kentucky. During a 45 year career, Lee worked for two stations in Evansville, as well as Louisville, Dayton, Jacksonville, FL and San Diego. Many more details in this obituary. Lee mentored many young journalists, including my college classmate and good friend, former ABC/CNN/NBC correspondent MARK POTTER who told me how Lee helped his career in this note.

Korbel

We have more information on the passing of JOHN KORBEL whose death we reported last week. He’s a former news director in Lafayette and Lake Charles, LA who later taught at Loyola University in New Orleans and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. John died August 20th at the age of 75 after losing his battle with cancer. This obituary was published after our deadline last week.

Names in the News (and other items):

The early registration deadline for this year’s RTDNA/EIJ conference in Baltimore is fast approaching: you can save money if you register by this Wednesday, September 5th.

This year’s conference (September 27-29 in Baltimore) will be my 39th consecutive RTDNA conference, so obviously I find it valuable. And you can, too, when you attend sessions on many topics, including newsroom management and storytelling. (The storytelling sessions will be led by two of the best, CBS’s STEVE HARTMAN and KARE-TV’s BOYD HUPPERT.)

RTDNA chair-elect JERRY WALSH sent me this note noting some of the other highlights.

I hope to see you there.

Two people I likely first met at RTDNA conferences passed along updates this week on their battles against cancer and its consequences.

MARC WEINER, who stepped down as VP of News Development for FIOS1 News last March, is utilizing some unique tactics in his search for a new kidney, having lost his to bladder cancer. That includes this billboard in Times Square. Naturally, his quest is getting mainstream media coverage, including this story from WNBC-TV and the New York Post. If you can help Mark, know someone who can, or just want to wish him well, here’s his email: marcweiner01@gmail.com

Kalb

And newsman turned educator STEVE KALB shared good news in his battle against cancer, which we first told you about in February.

Two management hires at Scripps’ KMGH-TV in Denver:

GERARDO LOPEZ joins this ABC affiliate as its next Assistant News Director from KXAS-TV in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

And JOSEPH PETERS has been promoted to Nightside executive producer.

Two significant news management departures from WJXT-TV, the Graham Media owned independent powerhouse in Jacksonville.

Redington

After 39 years at the station, MAL REDINGTON has retired. As you’ll read in this memo from News Director KATHRYN BONFIELD, Mal held a wide variety of jobs during his time at WJXT. Having worked with him there during my two years as Executive Producer/Assistant News Director, I can tell you that you’ll find no more upbeat and hard working person. Good luck in retirement, Mal!

Volpicella

And FRANK VOLPICELLA is also leaving WJXT, returning to his beloved Texas after a year as Managing Editor there. We’ll let him explain his plans in this note he sent me. The stint as Managing Editor was a return to ‘JXT for Frank, who worked there before stops as news director in Lexington, Huntsville, Austin, TX, and Atlanta. He also worked in Tampa.

WBTW-TV in Myrtle Beach has a new executive producer. It’s STEVE ROTH, who most recently worked as an evening producer at WBTV in Charlotte.

Marks

And under the category of ‘you never know how you’ll find your next job’, this note from longtime newsman and general manager (and past RTNDA chair) JEFF MARKS:

I am working now as a consultant for Widelity, the company that is assisting the FCC and stations that are changing channels due to the repack. Applying to the FCC for reimbursement of the costs related a channel change is a complicated process, and Widelity’s team takes the heartache out of it.

In what might be the ultimate networking story, I met the president of Widelity, DAVID WILEY, when I was driving Uber. During a short ride to the airport, we figured out we were in the same business, and out of that conversation came the opportunity to join the Widelity team. (Not much time for Ubering now.)

General Manager News and Notes:

ERIC DUNCAN has been named General Manager of Raycom Media’s KOLD-TV in Tucson, AZ. He’s currently GM for Raycom’s KXXV-TV which is being sold as part of the Gray-Raycom deal. More in this email from Raycom management.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Monday, September 3, 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
WGN-TV, 2501 West Bradley Place, Chicago, IL 60618
KXAS-TV 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KNXV-TV 515 N 44th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KDKA-TV 420 Fort Duquesne Blvd., #100 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
WTNH-TV 8 Elm St. New Haven CT 06510 (see ad above!)
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Fairway, KS 66205
KBLR-TV 5000 West OakeySuite B2 Las Vegas, NV 89102 **
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas, NV 89101
WWMT-TV 590 W Maple St, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WTKR-TV 720 Boush Street Norfolk, VA 23510
KOTV 303 N. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74103
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St, Dayton, OH 45409
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WOWT-TV 3501 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131 (see ad above!)
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807 (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
WVII-TV 371 Target Industrial Circle Bangor, ME 04401 (see ad above!)
KPVI-TV 902 E Sherman St, Pocatello, ID 83201
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
WABG-TV 849 Washington Ave. Greenville MS 38701

**: Spanish language station

August 26, 2018

Greetings:

THREE up, THREE down is a baseball term for a quick inning.

THREE new news directors, THREE new open positions is the tally of this week’s news director movement. FIVE of the SIX changes are in top 25 markets.

Our list of open ND jobs remains at 27.

ONE of those 27 openings is among our FOUR paid help wanted ads this week.

There’s updated information for a remembrance of the late DEANA REECE, who died earlier this month. She was the ND for WTWO-TV in Terre Haute. And we have an obituary for a two time Louisiana ND.

Several items in Names in the News AND our GM moves section.

Read on!

Newly Named News Directors: 

We shared each of this week’s changes in UPDATES earlier this week.

Neerman

KPIX-TV, San Francisco, CA…MARK NEERMAN returns to the Bay Area as news director for this CBS o-and-o. He’s spent the last 3+ years as ND for KSNV-TV in Las Vegas, the Sinclair owned NBC affiliate, where he also held regional responsibilities for Sinclair. Here’s the note Mark sent his staff. Earlier in his career Mark was the Assistant ND for KNTV in San Francisco/San Jose. He’s also been an ND for another Vegas station, and in Louisville and Richmond, and has worked in Portland, OR, Miami, and Columbia, MO. He replaces DAN ROSENHEIM who is retiring after 18 years as ND there.

Boslow

KARE-TV, Minneapolis, MN…STUART BOSLOW moves north but stays within Tegna as he becomes Director of Content for this NBC affiliate. Stuart’s been the Assistant ND at Tegna’s KSDK-TV in St. Louis. His move was one of THREE news management changes at the station, as outlined in this story from its website. JANE HELMKE stepped down in February after 6 1/2 years as ND and 35 years at the station.

Simons

KATU-TV, Portland, OR…congratulations to YVONNE SIMONS who returns to the ND chair at this Sinclair owned ABC station. She’s been the Assistant ND at KOVR/KMAX-TV in Sacramento for the past four years. Earlier she’d been the ND for KBOI-TV in Boise, ID. Yvonne’s career started in on-air jobs before moving to management, as you’ll learn here. She replaces KYANN LEWIS who left in May after 3+ years as ND.

New News Director Openings: 

Kline

KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ…CHRIS KLINE has resigned as the ND for this Scripps’ ABC affiliate. Chris told me he “should be able to share more about what he’s moving to next very soon”. GM ANITA HELT told the staff that Chris’ departure had been in the works for several months. He’s been at the station for eleven years, first as a reporter, then moving to web producer, to executive producer, and to Director of New Media.

KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh, PA…ANNE LINABERGER has left this CBS o-and-o where she’s been ND for eight years (and worked there for 19.) Anne earlier worked for WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh for seven years, and WTAE Radio for three years before that. She began her career in Bridgeport, VA. Her departure marks the EIGHTH change at a CBS owned station in the last ten months.

THREE left for new jobs, there was ONE promotion, ONE retirement, and THREE involuntary separations.

KSNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV…as noted above, MARK NEERMAN is leaving this Sinclair owned NBC affiliate for the bright lights of San Francisco and the ND job at KPIX-TV.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WOWT-TV, Omaha, NE:

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Omaha is one of the most progressive cities in the Midwest with a strong market support by several national industries. The Omaha area boasts an array of top attractions that can’t be matched, from the World Famous Henry Doorly Zoo, to the NCAA Men’s College World Series. Omaha is popular for our downtown which is home to a revitalized riverfront and the Historic Old Market.

We are looking for a News Director who will be responsible for overseeing our content and day to day operations. The ideal candidate will possess newsroom leadership experience, a proven track record of success, meter market experience, and a vision for taking an award winning news product to an exceptional level. Must be a strong competitive leader with excellent communication skills, a successful track record in coaching and developing news staff, and growing audience across all platforms. The candidate must also demonstrate an understanding and enthusiasm for evolving digital, social and mobile media.

If you have the experience, talent and skills necessary to effectively lead, mentor, and motivate an outstanding group of journalists and news professionals please apply.

Please apply online by clicking here.

Assistant News Director, KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO:

Have a passion for innovation and the ability to motivate a team to produce compelling content on air, online and on social media?

Then 5 On Your Side, the award-winning NBC affiliate in St. Louis, has an opportunity for you! We have an immediate opening for an Assistant News Director who can oversee our daily news operation, collaborating with the News Director and other news managers to make the most of our resources to win the day and grow audience.

The ideal candidate must be a creative thinker who understands what it means to “own” the big story, be the market leader in enterprise storytelling, and incorporate meaningful social conversation into everything we do. You’ll also help the News Director with the development and execution of long-term newsroom strategy.

Special projects experience is a plus. Prior newsroom management experience is a must.

If this sounds like the job for you, contact KSDK News Director Tiffani Lupenski at tlupenski@ksdk.com

Senior Digital Producer, WTTG-TV, Washington, DC:

Fox 5 WTTG News, Washington DC the #1 News Station and most hours of local news is looking for a Sr. Digital Producer to supervise daily news coverage across all digital platforms.

Responsible for overseeing all daily editorial decisions and presentation of content on web, mobile, and social platforms. Assist Web Producers with creating and publishing text stories, video, photos, streaming of newscasts, breaking news and live news events whenever necessary. Ensure efficient delivery of breaking news content across all digital platforms in real-time. Facilitate gathering of compelling, timely digital content using information from various sources and contacts. Oversee the station’s social media strategy, including promotion of overall brand and talent. Develop and maintain special coverage sections and platform-specific content, both for planned events and breaking news. Maintain digital editorial calendar.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: BA/BS Degree in Journalism, Mass Communications, or related field with emphasis on digital publishing. 5+ years’ experience developing and publishing news content for digital platforms. Superior writing skills and news judgment. Advanced knowledge of content management systems, social media platforms, live streaming, digital analytics tools and emerging digital technologies. Working knowledge of HTML, video editing and photo editing software. Experience publishing and maintaining podcasts a plus. Ability to handle multiple demands and competing priorities simultaneously in a strict, deadline-oriented environment. Ability to work under pressure as a cohesive member of a team. Must work effectively and courteously with all other departments.

Click here to apply.

Planning Editor, WTTG-TV, Washington, DC:

Fox 5 WTTG News, Washington DC the #1 News Station and most hours of local news is looking for a Planning Editor to plan segments, news coverage and produce content for all newscasts.

Work closely with executive producers, producers, reporters and anchors to ensure that segments and stories are enterprise and accommodated in newscasts. Daily duties include researching story ideas, booking guests, conducting interviews, and producing stories, segments and producing up the screen for all newscasts. Understand the logistics of the assignment desk and the needs of a newscast through a producer’s eyes. Work with web site in developing stories, segments and projects to work in conjunction with newscasts. Responsible for gathering story info from various news sources and determining the newsworthiness. Make decisions on stories to cover that will be timely, news worthy and break news on our broadcast and digital platforms. Have the ability to alter segments as newsbreaks and changes. Keep news staff apprised of breaking news and changes in assignments. Communicate with affiliates to ensure continuity in coverage. Coordinate coverage of special events.

College degree in broadcast journalism or other related field.

Previous assignment desk and/or producing experience preferred. Must be well organized and able to manage multiple projects. Must demonstrate outstanding news judgment and good news writing skills. Must be able to deal effectively with people, and work well in a fast-paced environment. Working knowledge of newsroom computers and the Internet.

Overtime, holidays and varied hours required.

To apply, click here.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (listed 8/12/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/15/18)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 8/19/18)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (new listing this week, see ad above!)
WLOS-TV, Asheville, NC (relisted 8/19/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 7/1/18)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (listed 6/24/18)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 7/1/18)
KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA (listed 8/19/18)
WALB-TV, Albany, GA (listed 8/5/18)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (AM EP, relisted this week)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (AM EP, listed 7/1/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 7/8/18)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (Senior EP, listed 7/1/18)
KARE-TV, Minneapolis MN (listed 7/22/18)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (2 jobs, Special Projects & PM EP, listing revised 7/15/18)
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/1/18)
WOIO-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 8/5/18)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 8/19/18)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, listing modified 7/15/18)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (PM EP, new listing this week)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (TWO openings, AM & PM, new listing this week)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 7/1/18)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM & PM EPs, relisted 8/19/18)
KOB-TV, Albuquerque, NM (listed 7/15/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Senior EP, listed 7/8/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (THREE EP openings, listed 7/8/18)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (listed 7/1/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 8/19/18)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 7/22/18)
WKOW-TV, Madison, WI (Senior EP, relisted 7/22/18)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (listed 7/1/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 8/12/18)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

Listed this week:

WBTV, Charlotte, NC (Digital Content Manager)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 8/19/18:

E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (Director of National News Content)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Senior Digital Producer, see ad above!)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Planning Editor, see ad above!)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (Mgr. of Investigative and Enterprise Content)
WMC-TV, Memphis, TN (Digital Content Manager)

Obituaries:

Reece

There’s some new information about both a memorial service and suggested charities in memory of the late DEANA REECE, whose sudden passing we reported to you last week. Deana spent the last five years as ND for WTWO-TV in Terre Haute, IN. Details about a planned graveside service and memorial choices are in this updated obituary.

UPDATED Monday, August 27, 2018:

Korbel

We now have a complete obituary for JOHN KORBEL which you can find here.  Services will be held this Thursday, August 30th, in New Orleans.

JOHN KORBEL, who had been a news director in both KATC-TV (Lafayette, LA) and KVHP-TV (Lake Charles, LA) died Saturday at the age of 76 75.  He suffered from cancer. John also taught at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. KATC posted this remembrance. And the only obituary I could find said services were not scheduled yet.

Names in the News (and other items):

There are TWO management promotions within Scripps to report.

At WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, NICOLE BUCKLEY was promoted to Investigative Manager from executive producer.

And at WPTV in West Palm Beach, MELISSA DART has been bumped up to Assistant News Director.

General Manager News and Notes:

And there are TWO GM moves (both in the state of Missouri) …and ONE station manager appointment to share.

At KTVI/KPLR-TV (the Tribune owned Fox/CW duopoly in St. Louis), SPENCER KOCH will retire October 1st after 23 years. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has more.

And MATT GARRETT has been promoted to General Manager of KOMU-TV, the NBC affiliate in Columbia, MO, owned by the University of Missouri. He’s been at the station for 29 years and has been the interim GM since MARTY SIDDALL retired last November after 18 years in the job.

On the station manager front, DENISE McMANUS moves to that job at McKinnon-owned independent KUSI-TV in San Diego. She’s worked at stations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and Phoenix.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 26, 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
WGN-TV, 2501 West Bradley Place, Chicago, IL 60618
KXAS-TV 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KNXV-TV 515 N 44th St, Phoenix, AZ 85008
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KDKA-TV 420 Fort Duquesne Blvd., #100 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
WTNH-TV 8 Elm St. New Haven CT 06510
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Fairway, KS 66205
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas, NV 89101
WWMT-TV 590 W Maple St, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WTKR-TV 720 Boush Street Norfolk, VA 23510
KOTV 303 N. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74103
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St, Dayton, OH 45409
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WOWT-TV 3501 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131 (see ad above!)
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
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
KPVI-TV 902 E Sherman St, Pocatello, ID 83201
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
WABG-TV 849 Washington Ave. Greenville MS 38701

**: Spanish language station

August 19, 2018

Friday, August 24, 2018 UPDATE #2

Greetings:

We’re near the end of the busiest month I can remember in large market news director movement.

Kline

The latest: the resignation of CHRIS KLINE, the news director for the last 4+ years at Scripps’ KNXV-TV in Phoenix (the ABC affiliate in market # 11). General Manager ANITA HELT details the backstory of his departure in this memo to staff.

Before his promotion to ND in 2015, Chris had already worked at KNXV for eight years, beginning as a reporter, then moving to web producer, to executive producer, and to Director of New Media.

He also worked as a convergence journalist for Phoenix newspaper and for CNN’s Crossfire in Washington.

We’ll combine all this week’s action in our full newsletter sometime Sunday, after I attend Saturday night’s IndyCar Race at Gateway Motor Speedway outside St. Louis. (Look for me when you watch it on NBCSN at 8:00 Eastern!)

regards,

Rick Gevers

Friday, August 24, 2018 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Another top 25 news director vacancy has been filled.

Simons

Congratulations to YVONNE SIMONS who returns to the ND chair at Sinclair’s KATU-TV in Portland, OR. Yvonne has spent the last four years as the Assistant ND for KOVR/KMAX-TV, the CBS owned duopoly in Sacramento.

Earlier in an interesting career, Yvonne was the ND for KBOI-TV in Boise, ID. I say ‘interesting career’ because she spent many years in on-air positions before moving into management. You can learn more by checking out her Linkedin page.

At KATU, she replaces KYANN LEWIS who left this ABC affiliate in May after 3+ years as ND.

You already know it’s been a busy week…we’ll recap it all in our full newsletter this weekend.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Tuesday, August 21st, 2018 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Still another management move in a large market to tell you about, today at Tegna’s KARE-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Boslow

STUART BOSLOW has been named Director of Content for this NBC affiliate. He’s currently the Assistant ND for Tegna’s sister NBC affiliate, KSDK-TV in St. Louis. Stuart’s also worked in Dallas, San Antonio, Jacksonville, FL and Reno.

In addition, longtime KARE newswoman STACEY NOGY (currently the acting ND and assistant ND there) has been promoted to News Content Director, and LAUREN OLSEN has been named Digital Content Director.

This management structure is similar to once announced last week at Tegna’s Cleveland station, WKYC-TV, and is explained in this staff memo from KARE General Manager JOHN REMES.

JANE HELMKE had been the news director at KARE before leaving in February after 6 1/2 years as ND and 35 years at the station.

This is just the latest in a very busy month of news management changes, and, no, I have no idea what’s coming next.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Monday, August 20th, 2018 UPDATE #2:

ANOTHER news director change today for a CBS o-and-o.

ANNE LINABERGER has parted ways with KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh after more than eight years as ND. The local newspaper has more in this story.

Anne’s a 19 year KDKA veteran, worked for WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh for seven years, and WTAE Radio for three years before that. She began her career in Bridgeport, VA.

The change at KDKA marks the SECOND move at a CBS o-and-o today, the THIRD in the last four business days, and the EIGHTH in the last TEN months among the company’s 14 stations that produce news.

By my count, THREE left for new jobs, there was ONE promotion, ONE retirement, and THREE involuntary separations.

Stay tuned…

regards,

Rick Gevers

Monday, August 20th, 2018 UPDATE:

Greetings:

The flurry of news director hiring that we told you about in the latest newsletter continued today with the naming of a new news director in the eighth biggest market.

Neerman

MARK NEERMAN will be the next VP/News for KPIX-TV, the CBS owned station in San Francisco. He’s been the ND at KSNV-TV in Las Vegas for the past 3+ years, where also served as a regional ND for station owner Sinclair Broadcasting.

As you’ll read in this memo Mark sent to his staff in Las Vegas, it’s a return to the Bay Area. Earlier in his career he was the Assistant News Director for NBC o-and-o KNTV. He’s also been the ND for another Vegas station, as well as in Louisville and Richmond, and has worked in Portland, OR, Miami, and Columbia, MO.

He’s replacing DAN ROSENHEIM who’s retiring after 18 years as ND at KPIX (and the four years before that as ND at KRON-TV).

Congrats to Mark, and best wishes to Dan for a long and happy retirement.

Who knows what the rest of the week will bring?

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

Lots of busy General Managers (or corporate types) this week as there are FIVE newly named news directors to share, with just ONE new opening. Our list of open ND jobs slips to 27.

Of note: FOUR of those FIVE new NDs were promotions within their current companies.

ONE of those 27 openings is among our THREE paid help wanted ads this week.

We’ll update what little new information we have on the sudden death of an Indiana news director. And we have TWO items in Names in the News and TWO GM hires.

TWO notes, if you will allow me.

We’re pleased to welcome a new advertiser this week: Stringr. Don’t know Stringr? COO BRIAN McNEILL described it this way:

Stringr enables major media companies to source, edit and publish videos under tight deadlines. Stringr has the only nationwide network of videographers who respond to custom video requests in real-time.

Click on the ad just below for much more information.

And we’ve modified our listing of non-news director jobs. As the industry changes, so have many management titles. Since it was tough (or just inaccurate) to list them as Assistant ND, EP, or Managing Editor, I’ve created a new category for “Other News Management Openings”, and will list them chronologically, and then by market size with the specific job title. As we do with other management jobs, we’ll post them for two months and then remove them unless the company wants to renew the free listing.

Newly Named News Directors: 

Passman

KTVT/KTXA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX…we shared the news earlier this week that LAURIE PASSMAN has been promoted to ND for this CBS o-and-o. She’s been the Assistant ND there since August, 2015, and has twice served as acting ND. Here’s the news release and here’s the view from Dallas TV writer ED BARK. Laurie’s a former ND in Albuquerque and has also worked for two stations in Phoenix. She succeeds ANDREA PARQUET-TAYLOR who was promoted to station manager here.

McGarvy

WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH…you learned in our Friday UPDATE that another acting ND, in this case SEAN McGARVY, was promoted to ND for this Scripps owned ABC affiliate. Sean’s been the interim since JEFF HARRIS left to be ND at WBBM-TV, the CBS o-and-o in Chicago last month after almost four years. Before taking the interim job here, Sean had been the Assistant ND at Scripps’ KMGH-TV in Denver. He’s also worked for another Denver station, held several jobs in Washington, DC, and worked in Indianapolis, Des Moines, and Columbia, MO.

Mott

WTEN/WXXA-TV, Albany, NY…still another promotion here finds RYAN MOTT upped to the top job for this Nexstar duopoly. He’s been the executive producer here since August, 2010 and previously worked a producer in Rochester, NY. Ryan replaces DAN SALAMONE who was promoted to one of the Directors Of Local Content Development for Nexstar in May after about 18 months as ND.

Watson

WTVG-TV, Toledo, OH….congratulations to MEL WATSON who gets her first ND job at this Gray Television owned ABC affiliate. The local newspaper has more. She most recently was the Senior EP for WOIO-TV in Cleveland for the past two years, and spent 17 years at WEWS-TV in Cleveland. She’s also worked in Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne. At WTVG, she replaces BRIAN TRAURING who left in June after 16 years for a corporate ND role at Lilly Broadcasting, which once owned WTVG.

Keller

KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA…RON KELLER gets promoted within News Press & Gazette to become ND for this CBS affiliate. Ron’s been the Assistant ND for NPG’s Santa Barbara operation. His proud boss there, JIM LEMON, shared Ron’s varied background with me:

Ron started as a reporter in Columbus, GA and Huntsville, AL. He worked on the Assignment Desk at KTVK-TV in Phoenix. He was then a producer in Ft. Meyers, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville and at WSB-TV in Atlanta. He was Promotions Manager at KUTV in Salt Lake and WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. Then he was Creative Services Director at KREM-TV in Spokane. After that he taught high school journalism in Phoenix, which is where he was when I hired him here to KEYT/KCOY/KKFX.

Ron replaces DEB MONROE at KION: she stepped down last month to take a break and do some traveling with her husband.

New News Director Opening: 

KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX…this Tegna owned CBS affiliate has a news director opening. My records show the most recent news director here was VICKI BRADLEY who joined the station in April, 2017.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

Senior Digital Producer, WTTG-TV, Washington, DC:

Fox 5 WTTG News, Washington DC the #1 News Station and most hours of local news is looking for a Sr. Digital Producer to supervise daily news coverage across all digital platforms.

Responsible for overseeing all daily editorial decisions and presentation of content on web, mobile, and social platforms. Assist Web Producers with creating and publishing text stories, video, photos, streaming of newscasts, breaking news and live news events whenever necessary. Ensure efficient delivery of breaking news content across all digital platforms in real-time. Facilitate gathering of compelling, timely digital content using information from various sources and contacts. Oversee the station’s social media strategy, including promotion of overall brand and talent. Develop and maintain special coverage sections and platform-specific content, both for planned events and breaking news. Maintain digital editorial calendar.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: BA/BS Degree in Journalism, Mass Communications, or related field with emphasis on digital publishing. 5+ years’ experience developing and publishing news content for digital platforms. Superior writing skills and news judgment. Advanced knowledge of content management systems, social media platforms, live streaming, digital analytics tools and emerging digital technologies. Working knowledge of HTML, video editing and photo editing software. Experience publishing and maintaining podcasts a plus. Ability to handle multiple demands and competing priorities simultaneously in a strict, deadline-oriented environment. Ability to work under pressure as a cohesive member of a team. Must work effectively and courteously with all other departments.

Click here to apply.

Planning Editor, WTTG-TV, Washington, DC:

Fox 5 WTTG News, Washington DC the #1 News Station and most hours of local news is looking for a Planning Editor to plan segments, news coverage and produce content for all newscasts.

Work closely with executive producers, producers, reporters and anchors to ensure that segments and stories are enterprise and accommodated in newscasts. Daily duties include researching story ideas, booking guests, conducting interviews, and producing stories, segments and producing up the screen for all newscasts. Understand the logistics of the assignment desk and the needs of a newscast through a producer’s eyes. Work with web site in developing stories, segments and projects to work in conjunction with newscasts. Responsible for gathering story info from various news sources and determining the newsworthiness. Make decisions on stories to cover that will be timely, news worthy and break news on our broadcast and digital platforms. Have the ability to alter segments as newsbreaks and changes. Keep news staff apprised of breaking news and changes in assignments. Communicate with affiliates to ensure continuity in coverage. Coordinate coverage of special events.

College degree in broadcast journalism or other related field.

Previous assignment desk and/or producing experience preferred. Must be well organized and able to manage multiple projects. Must demonstrate outstanding news judgment and good news writing skills. Must be able to deal effectively with people, and work well in a fast-paced environment. Working knowledge of newsroom computers and the Internet.

Overtime, holidays and varied hours required.

To apply, click here.

News Director, KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA:

This won’t be your average News Director job posting.

Sure, we could talk about the “Spokane Surprise” and all of the cool things our gorgeous, growing area has to offer. Or we might highlight the state-of-the-art facility in the heart of downtown that inspires awe from our visitors. We could even mention that we’re part of a privately owned broadcasting company that doesn’t believe in the corporate top-down approach.

But why bore you with those details? Let’s get to the good stuff!

KHQ is on the leading edge of the content revolution, from technology to workflows to employee engagement. We also blow the competition out of the water when it comes to ratings. This gives us the license to try even more cool things. When was the last time you talked about staffing eGaming marathons on your local sports channel? How often have you game-planned customized OTT channels? When was the last time you approved a purchase order for the station’s own line of coffee?

Despite all of these unusual things, we are deeply committed to powerful storytelling. And we’re still about basic blocking and tackling. We need a strong leader who practices “relaxed intensity” (this is a real thing). We need a pied piper who can motivate and inspire generations X, Y and Z. And we need a skilled journalist who can deploy our robust staff in a way that ensures we keep our lead on all platforms virtually every hour of every day.

If this seems like “you,” please get in touch: newsdirector@khq.com

No phone calls please. EOE, women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted this week)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (listed 8/12/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/15/18)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (new listing this week)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 7/1/18)
WLOS-TV, Asheville, NC (relisted this week)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 7/1/18)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (listed 6/24/18)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 7/1/18)
KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA (new listing this week)
WALB-TV, Albandy, GA (listed 8/5/18)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (AM EP, relisted 6/8/18)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (AM EP, listed 7/1/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 7/8/18)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (Senior EP, listed 7/1/18)
KARE-TV, Minneapolis MN (listed 7/22/18)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (2 jobs, Special Projects & PM EP, listing revised 7/15/18)
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/1/18)
WOIO-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 8/5/18)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted this week)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, listing modified 7/15/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 7/1/18)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM & PM EPs, relisted this week)
KOB-TV, Albuquerque, NM (listed 7/15/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Senior EP, listed 7/8/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (THREE EP openings, listed 7/8/18)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (listed 7/1/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted this week)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 7/22/18)
WKOW-TV, Madison, WI (Senior EP, relisted 7/22/18)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (listed 7/1/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 8/12/18)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted this week)

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

Listed this week:

E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (Director of National News Content)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Senior Digital Producer, see ad above!)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Planning Editor, see ad above!)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (Mgr. of Investigative and Enterprise Content)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Digital Content Manager)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Mgr./Investigative and Enterprise Content)
WMC-TV, Memphis, TN (Digital Content Manager)

Obituary:

Reece

We shared with you earlier this week the sad news of the sudden passing of DEANA REECE, the news director for Nexstar’s WTWO-TV in Terre Haute. She was 59.

Deana had been ND here for more than four years. She previously spent four years as an ND for WICS/WICD-TV in Central Illinois and, before that, was an ND at KVAL-TV in Eugene, OR, for seven years. She’s also worked in Rochester, NY and Columbia, MO, where she was graduated from the University of Missouri.

This very brief obituary indicates that services are pending in Harrisonville, MO, a small town about 40 miles south of Kansas City. I’d suggest you continue to check that site for later updates.

Our sympathy to Deana’s family, friends, and co-workers at WTWO.

Names in the News (and other items):

There are new executive producers to report at TWO Raycom Media stations.

CRANDALL SIMS has been promoted to Executive Producer for WBTV, Raycom’s CBS affiliate in Charlotte. She moves up from her producing position. She’s also worked in Columbia, SC, and Myrtle Beach.

And JANNA SMITHSON joins Raycom’s WMC-TV in Memphis as AM Executive Producer. Smithson comes from WKRN-TV in Nashville where she has worked as producer for the last five years. Janna’s also worked in two small Illinois markets.

General Manager News and Notes:

After a few dry weeks in this category, we have TWO items:

Kelly

Longtime Birmingham News Director (and, more recently a GM in Roanoke) GARRY KELLY heads to Augusta, GA, where he starts tomorrow as the GM for WFXG-TV. That’s a FOX affiliate currently owned by Raycom but will be sold as part of the pending deal with Gray TV. Garry’s also been an ND in Huntsville, AL, and has worked in Nashville, Denver, and Detroit.

Wyatt

ANDREW WYATT…whose departure from WFXG created the opening that Garry Kelly is filling..will be the next GM for WDVM-TV (once WHAG-TV) the Nexstar owned independent station in Hagerstown, MD. Andrew spent more than five years in Augusta and more than seven years as a general manger in Yuma, AZ.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 19, 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
WGN-TV, 2501 West Bradley Place, Chicago, IL 60618
KXAS-TV 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
KPIX-TV 5855 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KARE-TV 8811 Olson Memorial Hwy, Golden Valley, MN 55427
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KATU-TV 2153 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232
WTNH-TV 8 Elm St. New Haven CT 06510
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Fairway, KS 66205
WWMT-TV 590 W Maple St, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WTKR-TV 720 Boush Street Norfolk, VA 23510
KOTV 303 N. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74103
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St, Dayton, OH 45409
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201 (see ad above)
WOWT-TV 3501 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
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
KPVI-TV 902 E Sherman St, Pocatello, ID 83201
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
WABG-TV 849 Washington Ave. Greenville MS 38701

**: Spanish language station