Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

March 2, 2025

Thursday, March 6, 2025 UPDATE:

Greetings:

MSNBC reaches into the local news director ranks for its next Senior VP of News Gathering.

Matthews

But SCOTT MATTHEWS has plenty of national cable news experience, as well. He’s been the VP/News Director for WABC-TV in New York since October, 2022. He’d also spent nine years as ND for three FOX owned stations in New York, Philadelphia and Boston. He’s also worked for CNN, CNBC, and served as an EP for Investigative Reporting for stations in New York City and Phoenix.

More on his background from his Linkedin page.

Scott joins MSNBC as it plans to increase its news gathering capabilities with the pending split from NBC News. You can learn more about his hire and that growth plan in this Washington Post article.

Prato

One more note. RTDNA posted a remembrance of its former treasurer and long time board member LOU PRATO, who died suddenly last week at the age of 87. There are fun tributes from friends, including a story when Lou fired a VHS cassette (remember those) across the room during a heated discussion about a Murrow Award entry.

We’ll be back this weekend with our full report.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

TWO new ND openings (both in top 40 markets), ONE of those created when a veteran ND returned to his former station, the only new ND this week.

With those changes, our list of openings stands at 38.

We have THREE paid help wanted ads, ONE (new this week) for a morning EP job at a legendary station,, ONE ad for an Assistant ND position, and ONE for an executive reporter position. And, again, NONE of those ads are from stations owned by the biggest group owners.

We have the full obituary for LOU PRATO. That’s below.

Lots of changes in the GM section: THREE new GMs, TWO from Sinclair and ONE involving a former NBC executive.

CBS reaches into the local GM ranks to pick a new President of CBS News, but its choice has lots of network news experience. A longtime local ND (who held lots of other jobs) spent his last day in a newsroom on Friday and tells us what’s ahead, and a 17 year Michigan ND is inducted into that state’s Journalism Hall of Fame.

All that and more as you read on!

Newly Named News Directors:

Fulmer

WDRB-TV, Louisville, KY…you learned in our second Wednesday UPDATE that BARRY FULMER is returning to this Block Communications owned FOX affiliate as VP/News. Barry tells me that he will lead the lead the news, production, and promotions teams. He worked at WDRB until early 2022, when he left to be ND for WCPO-TV (Scripps/ABC) in Cincinnati.

New News Director Openings:

Nadell

WSB-TV, Atlanta, GA…SUZANNE NADELL is making a big career change and will leave this Cox Media owned ABC affiliate when her contract expires this summer. That career change is outlined in this email from WSB GM MARIAN PITTMAN (herself a former news director). Suzanne has spent much of her career with Cox, including ND stints at Cox stations in Pittsburgh (WPXI-TV) and Tulsa (KOKI-TV).

WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH…you learned above that BARRY FULMER is leaving this Scripps/ABC station after three years as ND. He’s returning to WDRB-TV in Louisville as VP/News.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

Morning Executive Producer, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC:

WRAL is searching for a dynamic morning Executive Producer to lead content strategy, presentation, and innovation across all WRAL platforms, including newscasts.

We are looking for a “news director of the mornings,” who is passionate about breaking news, significant stories, weather coverage, and original, enterprise reporting.

This role involves overseeing daily news operations, collaborating with reporters, photographers, producers, editors, digital teams, graphic designers, promotions, and other news management staff.

WRAL is based in Raleigh, home to the Research Triangle. The region is consistently ranked as one of the best to live in the country.

WRAL is locally owned and operated, featuring a dynamic newsroom that includes a documentary team, investigative team, consumer and health teams, a climate change reporter and an award-winning political unit.

If you are interested in the role, please apply here:

Multiplatform Managing Editor, WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL:

Job Summary:

WINK News is seeking an experienced and dynamic Multiplatform Managing Editor. This position will oversee daily news operations, ensuring the highest standards of journalism and multi-platform content delivery. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a passion for local news, strong editorial judgment, and proven leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities:

· Ensure consistent, high-quality coverage across all platforms, including broadcast, digital, and social media.
· Foster collaboration between news and digital teams to enhance multi-platform storytelling and audience engagement.
· Supervise and mentor producers, reporters, and newsroom staff, providing regular feedback and coaching.
· Oversee story selection, script approval, and editorial decision-making to uphold the station’s standards of excellence.
· Contribute to long-term strategic planning for news content and special projects.
· Champion a culture of teamwork, accountability, and journalistic integrity.

Qualifications:
· Minimum of 5 years of newsroom leadership experience, preferably in a medium-to-large market.
· Strong editorial judgment with a deep understanding of journalistic principles and ethics.
· Proven ability to lead and inspire a diverse team in a fast-paced environment.
· Experience with multi-platform content strategies and audience engagement.
· Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
· Proficiency with newsroom systems, digital platforms, and social media.

WINK News is locally owned and operated for more than 70 years. We are committed to delivering impactful local journalism IN Southwest Florida. Join a newsroom that values innovation, collaboration, and journalistic excellence.

Click here to learn more and apply!

Executive Reporter, WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA:

Are you an experienced journalist with a passion for storytelling? Do you aspire to break into coaching and teaching leadership?

WSLS 10 invites you to join our team as an Executive Reporter, where you’ll lead a group of reporters/MMJs in crafting impactful stories that resonate with our audience.

In this behind-the-scenes role, you will spearhead and elevate storytelling efforts within our newsroom. This position blends strategic storytelling oversight with mentorship responsibilities, focusing on content development and guiding MMJs and reporters.

Situated in the scenic Blue Ridge region of Virginia, this opportunity at the NBC affiliate serving the Roanoke-Lynchburg market allows a seasoned news professional to shape coverage, nurture reporting talent, and develop leadership skills. The ideal candidate will provide direct guidance to field staff while enhancing the station’s storytelling strategy.

The full job description is here.

The application form is here.

Interested applicants should submit their applications and resumes to News Director Scott Flannigan at sflannigan@wsls.com.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 1/26/25)
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA (listed 1/26/25)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (relisted 2/16/25)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 2/23/25)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 1/19/25)
WBRE/WYOU-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (relisted 1/12/25)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 1/5/25)
WOWK-TV, Charleston/Huntington, WV (listed 2/9/25)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (relisted 2/16/25)
KTVB-TV, Boise, ID (relisted 2/23/25)
WANE-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 1/12/25)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 1/19/25)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

Spectrum Noticias, New York, NY (Senior EP, relisted 1/12/25)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 1/26/25)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 3/2/25)
WTSP-TV, Tampa, FL (Digital EP, listed 1/5/25)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (relisted 1/12/25)
Spectrum News, Orlando, FL (relisted 1/12/25)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (Nightside EP, listed 2/16/25)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (listed 12/22/24)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (AM EP, listed 3/2/25, see ad above!)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (listing modified 1/12/25)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 3/2/25)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 1/5/25)
WYFF-TV, Greenville, SC (listed 2/16/25)
WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Nightside EP, listed 1/5/25)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (Weekend EP, listed 2/16/25)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (listed 2/23/25)
WLKY-TV, Louisville, KY (Nightside EP, listed 2/16/25)
WOWK-TV, Charleston/Huntington, WV (Digital EP, listed 3/2/25)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 1/26/25)
WVLA/WGMB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (relisted 1/26/25)
WPTZ-TV, Burlington, VT (listed 2/16/25)
WAPT-TV, Jackson, MS (listed 2/16/25)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (listed 2/16/25)
WMBB-TV, Panama City, FL (Digital EP, listed 2/23/25)
WVNS-TV, Ghent, WV (listed 2/23/25)

More News Management Openings:

Listing Revised 3/7/25:

WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Multiplatform Managing Editor, see ad above!)

Relisted 2/16/25:

KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (Streaming/Weekend Executive Producer)

Listed 2/9/25:

WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (Executive Reporter, title change this week)
WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA: (Executive Reporter, see ad above!)

Listed 1/19/25:

KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (News and Content Manager)

Relisted 1/5/25:

KGW-TV, Portland, OR (Digital Director)
WVLA/WGMB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (Digital Content Manager)

Obituary:

Prato

We have more details on the death of a legendary figure in our business, LOU PRATO, whose sudden passing we shared earlier this week. Lou was 87 when he died in his sleep Wednesday. He had many careers: as a news director, educator, longtime RTDNA treasurer, historian for sports at his beloved alma mater, Penn State, and as the first director of the Penn State All Sports Museum. This obituary recaps much of that…though, oddly, omits his news director jobs in Detroit and Dayton.

Lou was also a big fan of the Indy 500, who joined me for many races, and is seen here with another longtime ND and RTDNA board member, BRIAN TRAURING, (who provided the picture) and me at a long ago Indy 500.

Lou Prato, Brian Trauring, Rick Gevers

Names in the News (and other stuff):

Tom C.

You can go home again…or at least back to network news. That’s the case for TOM CIBROWSKI who’s the new President and Executive Editor of CBS News. It’s a return to CBS for Cibrowski, who was a long ago executive producer for the CBS Early Show, and spent 25 years working at ABC News. Since 2018, he’s been the General Manager for ABC owned KGO-TV in San Francisco.

Varner

KIRK VARNER’s long career as a news director ended Friday when he retired after six years at Hubbard’s KSTP-TV (ABC) in Minneapolis-St. Paul…and many other spots around the country as you’ll learn via his Linkedin page.

As to what’s next….he addresses that subject in the first post on his new website.

Sardar

Congratulations to longtime Lansing, MI (WLNS-TV) News Director JAM SARDAR who’s been inducted to the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. Tomorrow (March 3) marks Jam’s 17th anniversary in that job, quite an accomplishment. He worked as a reporter in Lafayette, IN, Lansing, and Grand Rapids, MI before returning to Lansing as ND, is a former VP of AAJA and a longtime RTDNA board member. Here’s a short video recap of his career.

General Manager News and Notes:

Sinclair filled TWO open GM jobs this week, tapping FRANCO GENTILE to run WKRC/WSTR-TV (CBS/MyNetwork) in Cincinnati. He’s been the GM of Sinclair’s KPTM-TV (FOX) in Omaha and first joined the company in 2004.

And TANYA WINSCOTT will be the next GM for KMPH/KFRE-TV (FOX/CW) in Fresno, CA. She was the Director of Sales for Scripps’ KGTV (ABC) in San Diego.

Chastain

SCOT CHASTAIN will be the next GM for Morgan Murphy Media’s WISC-TV (CBS) in Madison, WI. He’s a former GM in Lansing, MI, and Sacramento who most recently has been Director of Sales and Marketing for KUTV in Salt Lake City. Many of you may remember him from his long career at NBC, where he spent 23 years, finishing as EVP of Affiliate Marketing.

KERN DANT, GM for Standard Media’s KLKN-TV in Lincoln, NE, has been named Chief Revenue Officer for the company. He’ll continue at KLKN until is successor is named.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, March 2, 2025:

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
WPHL-TV 5001 Wynnefield Ave. Ste 3. Philadelphia, PA 19131
KDFW-TV 400 N. Griffin Street Dallas, TX 75202
WKTB 4675 River Green Pkwy, Duluth, GA 30096 **
WSB-TV 1601 W. Peachtree St., N.E. Atlanta, GA 30309
WJLA-TV 1100 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22209
WKMG-TV 4466 N John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32804
KSL-TV 55 North 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84180
WOAI-TV 4335 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX, 78229
WCPO-TV 1720 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202
WHTM-TV 3235 Hoffman Street. Harrisburg, PA 17110
WHAS- 520 W Chestnut St, Louisville, KY 40202
WOLF-TV 1181 Highway 315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (News Manager)
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave, Fresno, CA 93727
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KCCI-TV 888 9th St. Des Moines, Iowa 50309
WCIV-TV 88 Allbritton Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WRCB-TV 900 Whitehall Rd. Chattanooga, TN 37405
KTBS-TV 312 E. Kings Highway. Shreveport, LA 71104
KINT-TV 5426 North Mesa Street El Paso, TX 79912
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WMBF-TV 918 Frontage Rd. East; Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
WNCT-TV 3221 South Evans Street. Greenville, NC 27834
KSFY-TV 325 S 1st Ave, Ste 100, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
WGXA-TV 599 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Macon, GA 31201
WRBL-TV 1350 13th Ave. Columbus, GA 31901
KHSL-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
WREX-TV 10322 Auburn Road, Rockford, IL 61101
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KOSA-TV 4101 E. 42nd. Suite J-7. Odessa, TX 79761
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa, TX 79763
KAAL-TV 1320 Salem Road SW, Rochester, MM 55902
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
KECI/KCFW/KTVM-TV, 340 W. Main St. Missoula, MT 59802
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KIEM/KVIQ-TV 5650 S, Broadway St. Eureka CA 95503
KIDY-TV5 S. Chadbourne San Angelo, TX 76902
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501

**: Spanish language station

February 23, 2025

Wednesday, February 26th, 2025 UPDATE #2

Greetings:

Two news director moves of note today.

Nadell

SUZANNE NADELL will leave Cox’s WSB-TV (ABC) in Atlanta when her contract expires in July. This note from WSB General Manager MARIAN PITTMAN details Suzanne’s next move. Suzanne has been the ND here since 2019 and had previously worked as a news director at Cox stations in Pittsburgh (WPXI-TV/NBC) and Tulsa (KOKI-TV/FOX). She’s also worked in Tampa, Orlando, Ft. Myers, and Johnson City, TN, where she began her career as a producer/reporter.

Fulmer

In a surprise move (at least to me) BARRY FULMER is returning to WDRB-TV (Block Communications/FOX) in Louisville as Vice President/News. That’s the job Barry held for more than 17 years before leaving three years ago to become Senior Director of Local Content (a job known to many of you as news director) for Scripps’ WCPO-TV (ABC) in Cincinnati. He’s also worked in Philadelphia and starts in Louisville in early March.

One correction from last weekend’s newsletter. We misidentified the owner of WXXV-TV in Biloxi, where RICK BOONE worked before his move to KIRO-TV in Seattle as Managing Editor. WXXV is owned by Morris Multimedia, and not Morgan Murphy as we mistakenly reported. Apologies.

Finally, thanks to many of you who passed along a kind word about LOU PRATO whose passing we reporting in an UPDATE earlier today. No word yet on arrangements but will share them when I know more.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Wednesday, February 26th, 2025 UPDATE:

Greetings:

I’m sorry to report the passing of a legendary figure in our industry.

Prato

LOU PRATO died unexpectedly in his sleep early this morning. He was 87 years old.

Lou had several careers: as a news director in Detroit and Dayton, as the head of the Washington Bureau for Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, as the longtime treasurer of RTDNA, and as the author of several books on his beloved Penn State Athletics and the founding director of the Penn State All Sports Museum.

In this interview from a Penn State student media website, Lou describes himself as a sportswriter: that’s how he began, and RTDNA offers the Lou and Carole Prato Scholarship to a student pursing a career in sports.

Lou is survived by his wife, CAROLE and several children. Lou and Carole were married for almost 66 years. (I believe their anniversary is in early March.)

Arrangements are pending. I’ll share them when I know more.

Sadly,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

Our list of stations with open ND jobs continues to drop, this week to 37.

That’s because TWO jobs have been filled, with NO new openings.

We do have THREE paid help wanted ads, ONE for a news director job, ONE new ad for an Assistant ND position, and ONE for an executive reporter position. And NONE of those ads are from stations owned by the biggest group owners.

There are a number of changes in our GM sections: a CBS executive is off to Tegna, NBC names a new GM at a top five market o-and-o, Scripps promotes TWO GMs, and a Louisiana ND adds GM duties to his job…but will remain as ND.

In Names in the News, a judge orders Nexstar to write a BIG check to DirectTV, and a new Managing Editor in Seattle.

Read on!

Newly Named News Directors:

Carl

WISH-TV, Indianapolis, IN…VP/News AL CARL will resume news director duties at this Circle City Broadcasting CW affiliate. In that role, he replaces BRADY GIBSON who left the station in December after ten months as ND and seven years at WISH. The station also promoted ERICA FACEY to assistant news director. She had been the News Brand Manager since 2023 and had joined in 2019 as Content Manager.

Hendrix-Beach

KWES-TV, Midland-Odessa, TX…this Tegna owned NBC affiliate has hired a new news director whose name will be revealed soon. Whoever gets the job will fill ONE of THREE news director openings in Odessa and replace MELISSA HENDRIX-BEACH who left last summer after six years as ND. She was the Assistant News Director at KWES before her promotion to ND.

New News Director Openings:

No openings this week!

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

Assistant News Director, WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL:

Job Summary:

WINK News is seeking an experienced and dynamic Assistant News Director. This position will oversee daily news operations, ensuring the highest standards of journalism and multi-platform content delivery. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a passion for local news, strong editorial judgment, and proven leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Click here to learn more and apply!

News Director, KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN:

KAAL-TV (Hubbard Broadcasting) in Rochester, Minnesota is looking for a News Director to lead our team.

You will work with a great mix of experienced and young journalists who cover Southeastern Minnesota and Northern Iowa.

We pride ourselves in covering LOCAL news and LOCAL sports in our larger and smaller communities in the 12 counties we serve.

Home to the Mayo Clinic, the world’s foremost medical center, Rochester has been rated America’s most livable city over and over. With beautiful parks, great schools, easy and quick transportation, reliable public safety, a world class arts culture and a second to none foodie scene, Rochester is the place to work and live.

We are located just 1.5 hours from Minneapolis and St. Paul and 3 hours from Des Moines.

If you are an experienced News Director or an Assistant News Director or Executive Producer looking for your first ND position, this could be a perfect fit for you.

If interested in this role, please apply directly on our website at: www.hubbardbroadcasting.com

To learn more about the city of Rochester, Minnesota, please see this short video: Experience Rochester, MN

Executive Reporter, WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA:

Are you an experienced journalist with a passion for storytelling? Do you aspire to break into coaching and teaching leadership?

WSLS 10 invites you to join our team as an Executive Reporter, where you’ll lead a group of reporters/MMJs in crafting impactful stories that resonate with our audience.

The full job description is here.

The application form is here.

Interested applicants should submit their applications and resumes to News Director Scott Flannigan at sflannigan@wsls.com.