Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

March 16, 2009

Greetings:

THREE new openings, two in top 40 markets, lead this slightly delayed version of our weekly newsletter.

We told you about two of those openings in an emailed UPDATE earlier this week. And an opening at an Illinois station makes three. To the best of our knowledge, no new news directors were named this week.

We’ve did two stations that were listed as having open ND jobs, and explain that move below.

All those changes leave our count at 19 stations looking for a new ND.

Since we have no Names in the News this week, let me remind you that we welcome your items. Send ’em via email to: rick@rickgevers.com

Here are this week’s changes:

NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:

KRIV-TV, Houston, TX…KATHY WILLIAMS has left this FOX o-and-o after seven years as ND. Kathy’s a former news director at WKYC-TV and WJW-TV in Cleveland. She’s also worked in Washington and Chicago, as well as in Houston earlier in her career.

KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO…Citing personal reasons, RICK ILER resigned this week as news director of this Scripps’ owned NBC affiliate. Rick’s been ND here since August, 2007. Before moving to KC, Rick had been the Assistant ND at KPHO-TV in Phoenix. He’s also a former ND at KARK-TV in Little Rock.

KWQC-TV, Davenport, IA…MIKE WRIGHT has left this Young Broadcasting owned NBC affiliate after almost a year as ND/Station Manager. Before moving to Davenport, Mike had been the Assistant ND for sister Young station WKRN-TV in Nashville.

We’re also removing, at least for now, the listings for both KMPH-TV in Fresno and KDBC-TV in El Paso, TX. DESIREE HILL, the VP of News for Pappas Broadcasting, owner of KMPH and KDBC, says both stations have strong interim news managers or interim NDs running the shops, and that the search is on hold pending completion of some financial matters following Pappas’ bankruptcy filing.

NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:

None that I know of.

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

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 1/11/09)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 1/16/09)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (listed 3/8/09)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (PM EP, listed 2/13/09)
WFOR-TV, Miami, FL (Morning EP, relisted 1/23/09)
WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 1/30/09)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Morning EP, listed 1/30/09)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (Nightside EP, listed 12/12/08)
WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC (Nightside EP, relisted 1/16/09)
WZTV, Nashville, TN (relisted 1/23/09)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (Dayside EP, relisted 12/12/08)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 1/16/09)
KITV, Honolulu, HI (listed 2/27/09)

OPERATIONS MANAGER:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)

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

Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Saturday, March 14, 2009. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com

KTLA-TV   5800 Sunset Blvd.               Los Angeles, CA 90028
WMUR-TV   100 South Commerical St.        Manchester NH 03101
KRIV-TV   4261 Southwest Freeway          Houston TX 77027
WWSB-TV   1477 10th St.                   Sarasota FL 34236
KXTV      400 Broadway                    Sacramento CA 95818
KDKA-TV   One Gateway Center              Pittsburgh PA 15222
KPTV/KPDX 14975 NW Greenbrier Parkway     Beaverton OR 97006
KSHB-TV   4720 Oak Street                 Kansas City MO 64112
WCMH-TV   3165 Olentangy River Rd.        Columbus OH 43202
WSYX/WTTE-TV 1261 Dublin Rd.              Columbus OH 43215
KUTV      299 S. Main St. #150            Salt Lake City UT 84111
WSPA-TV   250 International Drive         Spartanburg SC 29301
WFMY-TV   1615 Phillips Avenue            Greensboro NC 27405
KWQC-TV   805 Brady St.                   Davenport IA 52803
WFFF-TV   298 Mountain View Dr.           Colchester VT 05446
WMGT-TV   PO Box 4328                     Macon GA 31208
KNOE-TV   1400 Oliver Rd.                 Monroe LA 71211
KTVE/KARD-TV 200 Pavilion Rd.             West Monroe LA 71292
KSAX-TV   PO Box 189                      Alexandria MN 56308

Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com

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March 9, 2009

Greetings:

A promotion within the Hearst chain fills ONE open ND spot this week and creates ONE new opening this week. With the elimination of an open ND spot in Peoria (more on that below) our list of open ND positions now stands at just 18.

We have one new news management opening added to our list of open management positions.

And we have LOTS of Names in the News, including a new baby for a Connecticut ND, a big anniversary for a veteran newsman, and the first steps on the road to recover following heart surgery for another longtime newsie.

That and more after this week’s changes:

NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:

WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH…we reported to you in an emailed UPDATE earlier this week that ANDREW VREES is leaving this Hearst-owned ABC affiliate to become ND for sister-Hearst ABC affiliate WCVB-TV in Boston. More on that move below.

NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:

WCVB-TV, Boston, MA…ANDREW VREES will be the next ND for this Hearst-owned ABC affiliate. We told you above that Andrew has been the ND at Hearst’s WMUR-TV in nearby Manchester, NH, for the past five years, and worked as an Assistant ND in Albuquerque and Toledo before that. He replaces COLEEN MARREN who left WCVB at the end of 2008 after eight years as ND there.

Please also note that we’re removing the open ND listing for WHOI-TV in Peoria, IL, after this week’s announcement of the arrangement under which Granite’s WEEK-TV will produce news for WHOI. DON SHAFER, currently ND for WEEK-TV, will be the ND for both stations. The same type of arrangement will take place in Syracuse, where Barrington Broadcasting will produce news for Granite’s WTVH-TV.

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

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 1/11/09)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 1/16/09)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (new listing this week)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

OPERATIONS MANAGER:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)

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

NAMES in the NEWS:

WFSB-TV (Hartford, CT) News Director DANA NEVES is back on the job after giving birth last November to a son named WILLIAM HENRY. William joins three year old Jack in the Neves’ family.

Raycom’s KSLA-TV in Shreveport has a new Managing Editor: SONJI ALEXANDER joins the station. She’s previously worked in Dallas and Amarillo.

One-time ND MARCI BURDICK has been named to the NAB Board of Directors. Marci was ND for Schurz’s KYTV in Springfield, MO. She’s now VP of Broadcast and Cable for the company, and is also a past RTNDA Chairman.

GARY WHITAKER’s publishing empire continues to expand. Gary, a former ND in Albany, NY, and St. Louis, now heads Whitaker Publishing, which produces 417 Magazine in Springfield, MO (417 is the area code), several other Springfield publications, and Wichita Magazine. Now the company is adding Branson Vacation Magazine aimed at prospective visitors to the area. Full disclosure: Gary and I were classmates at the University of Missouri.

One time Atlanta (WSB-TV) and Montgomery, AL, (WSFA-TV) ND SKIP HALEY is on the mend after successful open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve. As long as they had him open, they did a bypass on an artery as well. Skip’s currently at WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge as Director of Information Services. The surgery didn’t impact his sense of humor…he writes that his prognosis is that he’ll live long enough to stand in any number of unemployment lines before he’s done. If you liked that line, send Skip your joke at: skip@wbrz.com

Congratulations to veteran newsman LOU PRATO and his long-suffering wife CAROLE as they celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Lou’s a former ND in Dayton and Detroit but may likely best known to you as either the longtime RTNDA treasurer, or as head of Northwestern University’s Medill DC program. Around here, he’s also known as a big Indy 500 fan who joins us each year in May for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. You can send Lou and Carole your anniversary wishes via email to: louprato@comcast.net

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

Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Sunday, March 8, 2009. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com

KTLA-TV   5800 Sunset Blvd.               Los Angeles, CA 90028
WWSB-TV   1477 10th St.                   Sarasota FL 34236
KXTV      400 Broadway                    Sacramento CA 95818
KDKA-TV   One Gateway Center              Pittsburgh PA 15222
KPTV      14975 NW Greenbrier Parkway     Beaverton OR 97006
WCMH-TV   3165 Olentangy River Rd.        Columbus OH 43202
WSYX/WTTE-TV 1261 Dublin Rd.              Columbus OH 43215
KUTV      299 S. Main St. #150            Salt Lake City UT 84111
WSPA-TV   250 International Drive         Spartanburg SC 29301
WFMY-TV   1615 Phillips Avenue            Greensboro NC 27405
KMPH-TV   5111 E. McKinley Ave.           Fresno CA 93727
WFFF-TV   298 Mountain View Dr.           Colchester VT 05446
KDBC-TV   2201 E. Wyoming Ave.            El Paso TX 79903
WHOI-TV   500 N. Stewart St.              Creve Coeur IL 61601
WMGT-TV   PO Box 4328                     Macon GA 31208
KNOE-TV   1400 Oliver Rd.                 Monroe LA 71211
KTVE/KARD-TV 200 Pavilion Rd.             West Monroe LA 71292
KSAX-TV   PO Box 189                      Alexandria MN 56308

Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900 (phone)
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com

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March 2, 2009

Greetings:

A very slow week, with just ONE new news director to report.

That brings the number of openings to just 19, about as low as it’s ever been in the 12+ years I’ve distributed this newsletter.

There is one new management opening (but really, who wants to work in Hawaii)?

And we have two obituaries of veteran newsmen whose careers were mostly spent in one market, one in Ohio and one in Hawaii.

That and more after this week’s changes:

NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:

None that I know of.

NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:

WTVA-TV, Tupelo, MS…JEFF HOUSTON has been named News Director for this locally owned NBC affiliate. Jeff is currently an EP for WAVY-TV in Norfolk. He’s previously worked in Atlanta, Jacksonville (FL) and Augusta, GA. At WTVA, he replaces ROBERT DAVIDSON who left the station last October.

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

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 1/11/09)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 1/16/09)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

MANAGING EDITOR:

KSLA-TV, Shreveport, LA (relisted 11/21/08)

OPERATIONS MANAGER:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)

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

OBITUARIES:

I’m sorry to report the loss of two veteran newsmen.

BOB SEVEY died last week after a three year battle with cancer. Often referred to as the Walter Cronkite of Hawaii, Bob served as ND and anchor for KGMB-TV in Honolulu and also worked at KITV (then KHVH-TV). Bob also had occasional appearances on the Hawaii 5-0 TV show. He was 81 years old. Read more about his life and career here.

Funeral services will be held tomorrow (Saturday, February 28, 2009) for longtime Cleveland newsman WIN SMITH who died earlier this week at the age of 82. He retired from WKYC-TV in 1991 after 40 years as a producer and assignment editor. The full obituary can be found here, while a blog from the station is here.

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

Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Friday, February 27, 2009. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com

KTLA-TV   5800 Sunset Blvd.               Los Angeles, CA 90028
WCVB-TV   5 TV Place                      Needham MA 02194
WWSB-TV   1477 10th St.                   Sarasota FL 34236
KXTV      400 Broadway                    Sacramento CA 95818
KDKA-TV   One Gateway Center              Pittsburgh PA 15222
KPTV      14975 NW Greenbrier Parkway     Beaverton OR 97006
WCMH-TV   3165 Olentangy River Rd.        Columbus OH 43202
WSYX/WTTE-TV 1261 Dublin Rd.              Columbus OH 43215
KUTV      299 S. Main St. #150            Salt Lake City UT 84111
WSPA-TV   250 International Drive         Spartanburg SC 29301
WFMY-TV   1615 Phillips Avenue            Greensboro NC 27405
KMPH-TV   5111 E. McKinley Ave.           Fresno CA 93727
WFFF-TV   298 Mountain View Dr.           Colchester VT 05446
KDBC-TV   2201 E. Wyoming Ave.            El Paso TX 79903
WHOI-TV   500 N. Stewart St.              Creve Coeur IL 61601
WMGT-TV   PO Box 4328                     Macon GA 31208
KNOE-TV   1400 Oliver Rd.                 Monroe LA 71211
KTVE/KARD-TV 200 Pavilion Rd.             West Monroe LA 71292
KSAX-TV   PO Box 189                      Alexandria MN 56308

Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900 (phone)
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com

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February 23, 2009

Greetings:

We’re slightly delayed this week due to travel, but there’s enough activity to make it worth the wait, I hope.

There’s ONE new opening, THREE new NDs, and ONE same old ND this week. (That’s a new…and presumably infrequent…category. Read on for details.)

That brings the number of openings to just 20.

We do have a paid advertisement for one of those 20 openings, a top 25 market in the Pacific Northwest. And there’s one Name in the News to share with you.

That and more after this week’s changes:

NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:

WSPA-TV, Spartansburg, SC…ALEX BONGIORNO leaves this Media General owned CBS affiliate to take an ND job in Pittsburgh. (More on that below.) She’s been the ND here for about 18 months.

NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:

WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA…as reported above, ALEX BONGIORNO will be the next ND for this Hearst owned ABC affiliate. She’s been the ND for Media General’s WSPA-TV in Spartansburg, SC, since August, 2007, when she was promoted to that job. Alex has also worked in Tampa and Las Vegas. She replaces BOB LONGO who left the station in December after nine years as ND to become news director for sister Hearst station WESH-TV in Orlando.

WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA…DAVID KAPLAR returns to the ND chair for this Nexstar-owned CBS affiliate. David’s a former ND in Portland, ME, and has also worked in Dallas, Boston, Cleveland and Denver. At WTAJ, he replaces TONY DEGOL who left the station in January after more than four years as ND.

WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN…another Nexstar station with a new ND is this FOX startup JIM BLUE, who most recently anchored for WNWO-TV in Toledo, will be both the ND and anchor here. Jim’s previously worked in Dayton and Columbia, SC. The station plans to launch its newscast in April.

SAME OLD NEWS DIRECTOR NAMED:

KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AL….just two weeks after being released, this Schurz-owned NBC affiliate has re-hired long-time employee STEVE MacDONALD. The Anchorage Daily News reported his dismissal sparked a lot of protests. He returns as News Director, but will no longer anchor. MacDonald first joined KTTU in 1992 as a reporter and anchor and was named ND last summer.

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

HELP WANTED AD

NEWS DIRECTOR, KPTV/KPDX-TV, PORTLAND, OR

Position Summary:

Oversee the operations and management of the News department.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Develop daily informative and entertaining newscasts. Hire, train, supervise, and motivate news department personnel. Maintain consistent execution of goals.
Monitor the newscast for accurate editorial content while keeping the brand vision on track.
Work with Programming Consultants and Promotion department to develop effective news promotion.
Develop news operating budget and keep expenses within guidelines.
Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications All must be met to be considered:

College degree in Journalism or related field. Five years in television news management. Knowledge of budgeting, promotion, journalism, and news production.

Skills and Abilities:

Must know the elements of a good television newscast.
Understand the importance of promotion and branding a newscast.
Must have knowledge of budgeting.
Excellent people skills are a must.
Monitor competition and industry trends
Resumes can be emailed to pdxtvjobs@kptv.com or mailed to:

Human Resources
14975 NW Greenbrier Pkwy
Beaverton, OR 97006

Meredith Corporation, KPTV-FOX 12/PDX TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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

OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 1/11/09)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 1/16/09)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

MANAGING EDITOR:

KSLA-TV, Shreveport, LA (relisted 11/21/08)

OPERATIONS MANAGER:

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (listed 1/30/09)

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

NAME in the NEWS:

Congratulations to DENISE KILLIAN who’s being promoted with Young Broadcasting to be the new Assistant ND for WTEN-TV in Albany, NY. Denise has been the Senior Producer for Young’s WKRN-TV in Nashville. She’s also worked in Dallas.

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

Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Saturday, February 21, 2009. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com

KTLA-TV   5800 Sunset Blvd.               Los Angeles, CA 90028
WCVB-TV   5 TV Place                      Needham MA 02194
WWSB-TV   1477 10th St.                   Sarasota FL 34236
KXTV      400 Broadway                    Sacramento CA 95818
KDKA-TV   One Gateway Center              Pittsburgh PA 15222
KPTV      14975 NW Greenbrier Parkway     Beaverton OR 97006 (see ad above)
WCMH-TV   3165 Olentangy River Rd.        Columbus OH 43202
WSYX/WTTE-TV 1261 Dublin Rd.              Columbus OH 43215
KUTV      299 S. Main St. #150            Salt Lake City UT 84111
WSPA-TV   250 International Drive         Spartanburg SC 29301
WFMY-TV   1615 Phillips Avenue            Greensboro BC 27405
KMPH-TV   5111 E. McKinley Ave.           Fresno CA 93727
WFFF-TV   298 Mountain View Dr.           Colchester VT 05446
KDBC-TV   2201 E. Wyoming Ave.            El Paso TX 79903
WHOI-TV   500 N. Stewart St.              Creve Coeur IL 61601
WMGT-TV   PO Box 4328                     Macon GA 31208
WTVA-TV   PO Box 350                      Tupelo MS 38802
KNOE-TV   1400 Oliver Rd.                 Monroe LA 71211
KTVE/KARD-TV 200 Pavilion Rd.             West Monroe LA 71292
KSAX-TV   PO Box 189                      Alexandria MN 56308

Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com

Make a Small Loan, Make a Big Difference!
Check out Kiva.org to Learn How