Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

July 5, 2026

Greetings:

I hope your holiday was safe and great. I’m betting it was hot!

Despite the holiday, a fair amount of activity to tell you about.

There are THREE new news directors in this week’s report, including ONE in a top THREE market. And there’s just ONE new opening, that created by the incumbent ND taking one of three jobs that filled this week.

Our count of ND openings drops to 23.

For the second consecutive week, we have an obituary for a former Spokane ND who also held FIVE other ND jobs.

NO general manager chases this week, to the best of my knowledge.

Also:

A former RTDNA chairman sues his former station claiming he was fired for whistleblowing.
Gray Media is buying six stations, some of which they were already involved with.
And after 61 years in broadcasting, a former Californian ND and GM is retiring.

All those stories and more as you read on!

Newly Named News Directors:

Jessica F.

WGBO-TV, Chicago, IL…JESSICA FERNANDEZ has been promoted to news director for this Univision ownedstation. She’s been the assistant ND since 2022 and first joined this o-and-o as a writer more than 25 years ago, in 2000. Jessica replaces LUIS FELIPE GODINEZ who left in March to become ND for KMEX-TV, the Univision station in Los Angeles.

Wardell

WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN…RANDY WARDELL moves across Tennessee to become the next ND for this Nexstar owned ABC affiliate. He’s been the ND for Rincon’s WHBQ-TV (FOX) in Memphis for the last four years and previously spent ten years as an EP at WSOC-TV in Charlotte. Randy replaces ELBERT TUCKER who retired earlier this year after ten years as ND here, and also as an ND in Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati.

May

KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX…CHRIS MAY moves within Scripps to become ND for this NBC affiliate. Here’s the note from GM KRISTEN DARDEN. He’s been an EP in charge of steaming content at WFTS-TV (ABC) in Tampa. He joined the station in 2012 as a producer. Chris also worked in Pensacola, Gainesville, and Jonesboro, AR, where he began as a newscast director. At KRIS, he replaces JIM BOB BRAEZELE who left in April after 4+ years as news director.

New News Director Openings:

WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN…you learned above that RANDY WARDELL is headed to WKRN-TV in Memphis as ND. Randy was ND at the Rincon owned FOX affiliate since late 2021.

Help Wanted Ads:

No ads this week. There’s no better place to advertise your news management openings. Email me for details.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 6/7/26)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC listed 5/25/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 5/25/26)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, listed 5/10/26)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (Boston market) (listed 5/17/26)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 6/21/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 6/7/26)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 7/5/26)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 5/17/26)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Lifestyle Show EP, listed 6/7/26)
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 5/17/26)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 6/21/26)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 7/5/26)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 6/21/26)
WPBF-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 5/17/26)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (listed 5/17/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 5/17/26)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 6/7/26)
WBBH-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 5/17/26)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 5/17/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 6/21/26)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (relisted 7/5/26)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 5/17/26)
WFXR/WWCW-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 6/7/26)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, listed 5/25/26)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 6/21/26)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (listed 6/14/26)
WETM-TV, Elmira, NY (Digital EP, relisted 7/5/26)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 7/5/26)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 6/7/26)

Other News Management Openings:

Listed 6/28/26:

WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (Executive Reporter)

Relisted 6/19/26:

KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (Digital Director)

Listed 5/31/26:

Hubbard DC, Washington, DC (Market President)

Listed 5/25/26:

KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO (General Manager)
Arizona PBS, Phoenix, AZ (Dir. of News & Public Affairs)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (Executive Reporter)

Listed 5/3/26:

WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Senior Producer, Nighttime Newscast)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Newscast Producer)

Obituary:

A memorial service for former news director RON COMINGS will be held later this year. Wednesday’s UPDATE told you that he lost his battle with bladder cancer shortly before his 78th birthday. He’d worked as a realtor (along with his wife KERRI) since leaving KLAS-TV (CBS) in Las Vegas in 2015. Ron worked as an ND in many markets but began as a reporter. More on his history here. As a reporter in Orlando, he also did perhaps the first story on a water skiing squirrel.

BILL BAUMAN, who went on to a long career as an ND and GM, was on the assignment desk that day and tells us how the story came about.

Ron is survived by his wife, Kerri, and four children, one of whom followed him into TV news. Daughter ALIX is an EP at one of her dad’s former stations, WFTV in Orlando.

Those of you who knew Ron will appreciate this great picture.

Names in the News (and other stuff):

Shepherd

Former RTDNA chair TERENCE SHEPHERD is suing his former employer, KPBS-TV in San Diego, claiming he was improperly dismissed from his job as news director there. He claims the dismissal came because he alerted senior management about a potential FCC violation. KPBS posted this story on its website.

Gray Media has purchased six stations from American Spirit Media. As you’ll discover in the news release, they’ve already been connected to five of those stations.

Doug Mc.

After 61 years (!) in broadcasting, the last 20 of those in radio, DOUG McKNIGHT is retiring Details from his Linkedin post. He’s former ND and GM in several California markets as you’ll learn from his Linkedin bio.

General Manager News and Notes:

No GM news that I know about. Please let me know if I’ve missed something.

Our List of Open News Director Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Monday, July 5, 2026:

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

WPVI-TV 4100 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
KGO-TV 900 Front St, San Francisco, CA 94111
KMGH-TV 2323 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80203
KSDK-TV 1001 Highlands Plaza Dr. St. Louis, MO 63110
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WLKY-TV 1918 Mellwood Ave. Louisville, KY 40206
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
WHBQ-TV 485 South Highland St. Memphis, TN 38111
WREG-TV 803 Channel 3 Drive, Memphis, TN 38103
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KAKE-TV 1500 N. West St. Wichita, KS 67203
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KCEN-TV 215 N. 3rd Street Temple, TX 76501
KKTV 3100 N Nevada Ave, Ste B, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WHBF-TV 231 18th St. Rock Island, IL 61201
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KNBN-TV 510 North Cambell Suite 8. Rapid City, SD 57701
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901

**: Spanish language station

June 29, 2026

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 UPDATE:

Greetings:

I’m sorry to report the passing of a three-time news director…who may also be remembered for a unique story he did during his long ago reporting days.

Comings

RON COMINGS died yesterday, two weeks short of his 78th birthday. He lost his fight against bladder cancer which had metastasized to his bones. Ron served as a news director several stations, among them KXTV in Sacramento, KHON-TV in Honolulu and at KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, a job he left in 2015 after nine years when Nexstar laid off 18 people, including him, shortly after buying the station from Landmark.

He began his career as a photographer and later worked as a reporter in Orlando and Minneapolis. It was while he was working at WFTV in Orlando in 1979 that he covered what is widely believed to be the FIRST story of a water skiing squirrel.

After leaving KLAS, Ron worked as a realtor, teaming with his wife KERRI. (Full disclosure: Kerri was our realtor when we bought a small condo in Las Vegas in 2008.)

He also was an accomplished painter.

Arrangements are pending. We’ll be sure to share them with you when finalized.

We’ll have more on Ron’s life in our full newsletter this weekend.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

Apologies for the late delivery.

It’s a busy week, with THREE new NDs and THREE new openings, including TWO created by names you may recognize.

Our count of ND openings grows to 25.

BARRY NASH returns with some thoughts about something your producers and anchors may not be paying enough attention to. Click on his ad below to learn more.

There’s ONE obituary for a long-ago Spokane ND who had a long career with many stops.

For the first time in several weeks, some GM news to report, including a former TV GM named President and Publisher of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Also this week:

Tegna promotes FOUR executives, including ONE with a news background.
FOUR of the FIVE members of the IRE Executive Commitee are broadcasters. That’s unusual.

A reminder, again, that we always welcome your tips about items worthy of inclusion. Let me hear from you!

We’ll be back next week.

Newly Named News Directors:

Verosko

WBFF-TV, Baltimore, MD…due to a filing error by me, we are late in reporting the April promotion of ANDREA VEROSKO to ND for this Sinclair FOX affiliate. Andrea has been here for 13 years, first as a producer and EP, and as the AND for the last five years. She replaces DAVID JOHNS. We told you in February that he moved within Sinclair to be Director of News and Operations after almost five years as ND.

Erikson

WFIE-TV, Evansville, IN…WARREN STEWART, the news director for WEVV-TV (CBS) in Evansville, will now assume additional duties as ND for this NBC affiliate. Gray, which already owned WFIE, recently acquired WEVV from Allen Media, EMILY ERIKSON who had been the ND here, is leaving. Her note to the staff says she has decided to step away and mentions her grandmother’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s. Emily’s a former ND and anchor in Meridian, MS.

Ratliff

KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID…SETH RATLIFF has been promoted from Digital Content Director to News Director for this News Press & Gazette owned ABC-CBS-FOX operation. GM KALVIN PIKE kindly sent me this email with details about Seth AND the search the station conducted. Seth’s station bio is here. At KIFI, he replaces another Seth, SETH RANDAL, who left in May after two years as ND.

New News Director Openings:

Moore

WREG-TV, Memphis, TN…after a 20+ year career leading the newsroom for this now-owned-by-Nexstar CBS affiliate, BRUCE MOORE left the station on Friday. He sent this note to the staff and posted this longer note on his Facebook page. Bruce began his career as a reporter in Chattanooga, moved as a reporter to Norfolk where he first moved into management as the Assistant News Director before moving to Memphis.

Cuevas

WWAY-TV, Wilmington, NC…after almost six years as ND in her second stint here, MARCY CUEVAS took to Linkedin to report she is leaving. In that post, she teases (but does not reveal) a new job which she will start next month. She was an anchor there for more than 12 years, took a short break, and returned in management, first as a producer, then managing editor before becoming ND.

Hume

KOSA-TV, Odessa/Midland, TX…veteran news director CRAIG HUME has left this Gray Media station after less than a year as ND. Many of you have likely crossed paths with Craig who’s held ND jobs in markets large (Los Angeles and Chicago) and small. His Linkedin page tells the whole story. Super-sub STEVE ACKERMANN will journey across Texas to fill in while the search goes on for Craig’s successor.

Help Wanted Ads:

No ads this week. There’s no better place to advertise your news management openings. Email me for details.