Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

September 7, 2026

Greetings:

Much of this week’s news coverage will involve the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Longtime readers know that the 2001 (then) RTNDA convention was scheduled that week in Nashville. It had a huge impact on the organization, as it did, of course, to the country.

Priddy

Two time RTDNA Chair BOB PRIDDY was already in Nashville for the convention and has shared his extensive notes from the day that changed RTDNA and America. It’s long and includes perspective about the day’s events. Click here to read it.

On to our normal business, with perhaps a little more activity than expected for the week before a holiday.

THREE new news directors were named, with ONE job opening up (sorta). We’ll explain.

Those changes bring our count of open ND jobs to 29.

We have a new ad for an Assistant ND opening in a beautiful place to live. That’s below, along with an ad for ONE of those 29 open ND jobs.

TWO veteran GMs are retiring, and ONE new GM was named for an opening we first reported last week.

Also this week, imagine this nightmare: You’re boarding a flight home when your wife calls with this chilling message: “Our house is on fire.”

And then the flight attendant announces there is no WiFi service on the flight.

That’s what happened to our friend and longtime newsletter supporter BARRY NASH.

I encourage you to read his account just below for both the personal and professional lessons learned.

Newly Named News Directors:

Nwosu

WPVI-TV, Philadelphia, PA…NNEKA NWOSU returns to her native Philadelphia as VP/News for the ABC o-and-o. She’s been the VP/Marketing and Local Programming for WLS-TV in Chicago, first joining as Assistant ND in 2022 after eight years in a variety of roles at WCVB-TV in Boston. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more. Nneka replaces TOM DAVIS who ‘resigned’ in March after failing to return from a lunch with a network executive. Tom was ND here for 15 years.

Tina C.

WREG-TV, Memphis, TN…TINA COMMODORE returns to the ND chair at this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate. She most recently was ND for Cox’s WFTV (ABC) in Orlando, a job she left in May, 2025. Tina was also a news director for Cox’s KOKI-TV (FOX) in Tulsa. Her Linkedin page details her complete career history. At WREG, she replaces BRUCE MOORE who retired in June after more than 20 years as ND.

Warden

KCAU-TV, Sioux City, IA…BETH WARDEN moves from one Sioux (Sioux Falls), where she was an investigative reporter at KSFY-TV, to another Sioux (Sioux City) and from investigative reporter to ND for this Nexstar owned ABC station. Here’s the note from GM MARI OSSENFORT. Beth’s background is different than many. Check out her Linkedin page to see if you agree. She replaces ANDY BOTTGER who left last month after four years as ND and 13 at the station.

New News Director Openings:

Vetscher

WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI…Wednesday’s UPDATE first told you that TIM VETSCHER is stepping down as ND for this Scripps owned NBC affiliate. Click on this link to read both Tim’s note to the staff and the one from GM JOE POSS. Tim’s been ND for 5+ years and worked here for seven. We are adding the opening to our list before, but we are told it is only being posted internally within Scripps.

And a reminder to check out the paid help wanted ad below for the ND opening at Gray’s KOLD-TV in Tucson.

Help Wanted Ads:

Assistant News Director, KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO:

KRDO13 is looking for an ambitious news leader to help drive coverage at the #1 station in Colorado Springs. This is a chance to make a real impact in a high-performing newsroom where local, live news, great people and winning still matter.

You’ll be at the center of the action each day, setting the tone and pushing beyond the obvious to set us apart. We want a leader who isn’t afraid to take chances, think bigger and be EXTRA when it comes to great journalism.

This is a hands-on leadership role for a true people person who knows how to coach and develop journalists at every level. And you won’t do it alone. You’ll have a talented management team at your side, ready to help you win the day.

KRDO13 is part of News-Press & Gazette, a rare family-owned media company that values stability, people and local journalism.

This is a high-profile opportunity to lead a winning newsroom in one of the country’s most desirable places to live.

Click here to apply!

News Director, KOLD-TV, Tucson, AZ:

Are you a high-energy leader ready to lead Tucson’s #1 news station into a digital-first future? KOLD-TV is seeking a dynamic, competitive News Director to inspire our team and dominate across all platforms in one of the most beautiful areas of the country with vibrant desert sunsets, rich culture, and a welcoming Southwestern spirit!

What You’ll Do:

Drive the Win: Execute high-impact daily strategies for digital and broadcast.
Lead the Team: Recruit, coach, and retain top-tier talent in a high-performance culture.
Master Storytelling: Direct visual, viewer-oriented coverage and story placement.
Own Breaking News: Lead dominant breaking news and severe weather coverage.
Innovate & Collaborate: Partner across platforms and departments to build a unified, unstoppable station culture.

What You Bring:

Proven Leadership: 3+ years of newsroom management (News Director, Assistant ND, ME, or EP).
Strategic Mindset: Exceptional critical thinking and editorial judgment under pressure.
Digital-First Drive: A passion for delivering news wherever audiences are.
Dynamic Communication: Ability to motivate a team and build strong relationships.
Journalistic Integrity: Rock-solid ethics and a track record of winning. Journalism or Mass Communication degree preferred.

Why KOLD-TV?

Market Leader: Lead the top station in Tucson with the resources of Gray Media.
Community Impact: Shape stories that keep Southern Arizona safe and informed.
Professional Growth: Benefit from mentorship, training, and career advancement.

Ready to lead Tucson’s best news team?

Click here to apply today to create the future of news with KOLD-TV.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WUPA-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 8/30/26)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 8/9/26)
KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 9/7/26, see ad above!)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, relisted 7/12/26)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 8/30/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 8/9/26)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (listed 8/2/26)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (Special Projects Producer, listed 8/2/26)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul. MN (listed 8/16/26)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital EP, listed 7/26/26)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 7/26/26)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Multiplatform EP, listing revised 7/19/26)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (Digital EP, listed 8/30/26)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 7/12/26)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, listed 7/26/26)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 8/30/26)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 7/26/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 7/26/26)
WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 9/7/26)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 7/19/26)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 7/26/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 6/21/26)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (PM EP, listed 7/26/26)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 7/26/26)
KFSM-TV, Fayetteville, AR (listed 9/7/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (listed 7/26/26)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 7/26/26)
WIVT/WBGH-TV, Binghamton, NY (listed 8/30/26)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 7/5/26)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (relisted 8/30/26)

Other News Management Openings:

Listed 8/16/26:

WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (Executive Reporter)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (Executive Reporter)

Relisted 8/9/26:

Arizona PBS, Phoenix, AZ (Dir. of News & Public Affairs)

Listed 8/9/26:

WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (Digital Media Director)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Executive Reporter)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Executive Reporter)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Multi-Media Managing Editor)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Multi-Media Managing Editor)

Listed 8/2/26:

WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (Story Desk Manager)
WNEP-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (Story Desk Manager)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Story Desk Manager)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Director of Multiplatform Content)

Listed 7/2t/26:

E. W. Scripps, remote in any state where Scripps operates (SVP of News)

Listed 7/12/26:

KSAT-TV, San Antonio, TX (Manager of Coverage and Content)

Names in the News (and other stuff):

If you missed our Wednesdau UPDATE, here it is again:

Tegna is eliminating the jobs of TWO of the company’s FIVE Regional VPs of Content with the duties spread among the remaining three VPs.

Valentine

MICHAEL VALENTINE is one of the two people who is out of a job. He’s been in his current role at Tegna for a little more than a year, and spent eight years before that as a VP/Station Manager for the company’s Washington, DC, station, WUSA-TV (CBS). He’s a former news director in Dallas (WFAA-TV), Norfolk (WVEC-TV), and Evansville, IN (WEHT-TV). Michael’s complete career history is contained in his LinkedIn profile.

Wolfe

JULIE WOLFE is the other Regional VP of Content who is out in this shuffle. She’s been in the role, like Michael, for little more than a year. Before that she was the ND for Tegna’s KING-TV (NBC) in Seattle and WHAS-TV (ABC) in Louisville. She also spent 12 years at Tegna’s WXIA-TV (NBC) in Atlanta. Julie began with the company as an MMJ at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo. More on her Linkedin page.

Their duties will be shared by CAROL FOWLER, CHRIS PENA, and JAVI MORGADO. As part of the reorganization, news directors now will report to their local GM as opposed to the regional content VP.

General Manager News and Notes:

Varnier

The GM opening for WDBJ-TV in Roanoke wasn’t open long. We told just last last week that MATT PUMO was retiring after ten years at this CBS affiliate. Monday, Gray Media announced that WILLIAM VARNIER would fill the opening. He’s been the Creative Services Director for Gray’s KCTV (also CBS) in Kansas City. Varnier has Virginia ties, having worked for two stations in Norfolk and he was graduated from Old Dominion University in Norfolk.

Laura W.

LAURA WILLIAMSON is retiring after six years as GM of Hearst’s cluster of stations in Monterey-Salinas, CA. She’s been running KSBW-TV, Central Coast ABC, and Estrella Costa Central and earlier spent 12 years in sales roles for the company’s KCRA-TV in Sacramento.

SEAN BANKS, GM for Nexstar’s WOWK/WVNS-TV in Charleston, WV, is retiring in November. He’s been GM there since 2017…in his second stint at the station. He earlier worked there from 2005-2014 before taking a brief respite from TV.

Our List of Open News Director Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Monday, September 7, 2026:

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

KGO-TV 900 Front St. San Francisco, CA 94111
WJBK-TV 16550 W 9 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI, 48075
KMGH-TV 2323 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80203
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Miami, FL, 33178-2301
KCRA-TV 3 Television Circle, Sacramento, CA 95814
KTXL-TV 4655 Fruitridge Road Sacramento, CA 95820-5299
WTMJ-TV 20 E Capitol Dr Milwaukee, WI 53212 (internal candidates only)
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
WWL-TV 1024 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70116
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E. McKinley Ave., Fresno CA 93727
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KOLD-TV 7831 N. Business Park Dr. Tucson AZ 85743 (see ad above!)
WOI-TV 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266
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
WCHS-TV 1301 Piedmont Road, Charleston, WV 25301
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
KLKN-TV 3240 South Tenth Street, Lincoln NE 68502
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WMAZ-TV 1314 Gray Highway, Macon, GA 31211
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
WEAU-TV 1907 S. Hastings Way Eau Claire, WI 54701
KNOE-TV 1400 Oliver Rd., Monroe, LA 71201
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

August 30, 2026

Wednesday, September 2, 2026 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Two items today. I believe we are the first to report both of them.

A reorganization at Tegna means two veteran newspeople are leaving the company, and a longtime Wisconsin news director is stepping down.

Tegna is eliminating the jobs of TWO of the company’s FIVE Regional VPs of Content with the duties spread among the remaining three VPs.

Valentine

Wolfe

Vetscher

In Wisconsin, TIM VETSCHER is stepping down after 5+ years as news director for Scripps’ WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee (and almost seven years at the station). When you’ll ready Tim’s note to the staff, you’ll learn that the recent loss of a family member helped drive his decision. (That link also includes the staff memo from GM JOE POSS.) Tim’s career history is outlined here in his Linkedin page.

We’ll see you this weekend will our full report, barring any more breaking news.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

We’re back from travel and returned to a busy week of ND changes, with FOUR new openings and TWO newly named NDs, both in large markets.

Those changes bring our count of open ND jobs to 31.

ONE of those 31 open ND jobs is featured in a paid ad below. And both of our TWO Paid Ads are in Arizona, something to consider as winter nears!

THREE veteran GMs are retiring.

We have an obituary for a former Utah news director.

And these stories:

Big layoffs at News 12 in New York.
A multi-time news director, including FOUR top 20 markets, is retiring.
Nexstar names a new board of directors for Tegna.
NABJ gave someone an award. The winner doesn’t want it and fired back.

And more!

See you next week with our full report.

Newly Named News Directors:

Villegas

KTAZ/KHRR-TV, Phoenix, AZ…CHRISTIAN VILLEGAS has been promoted to news director for these Telemundo stations. He’s been the executive producer there and succeeds NOE GONZALEZ who was promoted to News Director for WCAU/WWSI-TV (NBC/Telemundo) in Philadelphia. Noe will report to ELIZABETH FLORES who is the VP/News for that duopoly.

Herman

WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD…JEFF HERMAN will become the next news director for this Scripps owned ABC affiliate on September 10th. He’s currently the Assistant News Director there and has held a variety of other management positions during his 23 years there. He started his career in Pennsylvania.

Groft

Jeff replaces KELLY GROFT who’s been the news director for WMAR since 2009 and has worked at the station for 27 years. In this Linkedin post, Kelly refers to her departure as a ‘pause’ in her career to recover after the loss of several family members during the past few months.

New News Director Openings:

Blanton

WJBK-TV, Detroit, MI…BROOKS BLANTON is leaving this FOX o-and-o after just ten months as news director. I reached out to Brooks for comment and he referred me to FOX corporate which sent this statement. Brooks has been a news director at two different stations (WZZM-TV and WXMI-TV)in Grand Rapids, MI, and spent less than a year as ND for WCCB-TV in Charlotte.

Bobula

KOLD-TV, Tucson, AZ…JESSICA BOBULA has left this Gray Media owned CBS affiliate after more than four years as news director. Earlier in her career she was a producer there. Jessica’s also been an ND in Greenville, NC, and has worked in markets large and small as her Linkedin page explains. To learn more about this opportunity, check out the Paid Help Wanted ad just below.

Simon

KLKN/KBSI-TV, Lincoln, NE/Cape Girardeau, MO…Rincon Broadcasting Group is looking for a news director to oversee the news departments for these two stations, which, according to Apple Maps, are 543 miles apart. KATIE SIMON had been the ND here for the last two years. Check out her Linkedin page and see where she worked in many other markets.

Murrieta

WEAU-TV, Eau Claire, WI…RUDY MURIETTA has left this Gray Media owned NBC affiliate after a year as news director. He’s a former ND in Tulsa and for News 13 Cable in Orlando where he worked for 13 years. He’s also worked in Atlanta as an assistant news director.

Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KOLD-TV, Tucson, AZ:

What You’ll Do:

Drive the Win: Execute high-impact daily strategies for digital and broadcast.
Lead the Team: Recruit, coach, and retain top-tier talent in a high-performance culture.
Master Storytelling: Direct visual, viewer-oriented coverage and story placement.
Own Breaking News: Lead dominant breaking news and severe weather coverage.
Innovate & Collaborate: Partner across platforms and departments to build a unified, unstoppable station culture.

What You Bring:

Proven Leadership: 3+ years of newsroom management (News Director, Assistant ND, ME, or EP).
Strategic Mindset: Exceptional critical thinking and editorial judgment under pressure.
Digital-First Drive: A passion for delivering news wherever audiences are.
Dynamic Communication: Ability to motivate a team and build strong relationships.
Journalistic Integrity: Rock-solid ethics and a track record of winning. Journalism or Mass Communication degree preferred.

Why KOLD-TV?

Market Leader: Lead the top station in Tucson with the resources of Gray Media.
Community Impact: Shape stories that keep Southern Arizona safe and informed.
Professional Growth: Benefit from mentorship, training, and career advancement.

Ready to lead Tucson’s best news team?

Click here to apply today to create the future of news with KOLD-TV.

Director of News and Public Affairs, Arizona PBS:

Arizona PBS – a licensee of Arizona State University – is expanding its news and public affairs content to better serve the fast-growing Phoenix and greater Arizona markets.

To do that, we’re looking for an experienced, strategic, and innovative Director of News and Public Affairs to lead our newsroom and public affairs content efforts across broadcast, digital, and emerging platforms.

The ideal candidate is a mission-driven newsroom leader who understands the evolving role of journalism, particularly that played by non-profit newsrooms and public media.

This is not a “business-as-usual” news leadership role. Our ideal hire must be an exceptional journalist, collaborative leader, and forward-thinking media professional who can guide teams through an evolving, multi-platform media landscape while maintaining the highest standards of editorial integrity.

The Director of News and Public Affairs will work closely with the Senior Director of Content to define and execute a strong editorial vision while leading a team of reporters, producers, editors, hosts, and student workers/interns. Key priorities include growing digital news audiences, working with the Senior Director of Content to develop platform-specific content strategies, as well as collaboration and innovation with other non-profit news providers in Arizona across broadcast and digital platforms.

This is a unique role in that provides a life-work balance in the news industry with generous paid time off for holidays and vacation as well as the added benefits of working at Arizona State University, which include: health, dental, and vision care coverage; retirement savings plans; and tuition reduction for employees and dependents.

To learn more and apply, please click here.

Position Closing Date: September 4, 2026