Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

January 10, 2021

Greetings:

It’s the busiest newsletter we’ve had in quite a while.

SIX newly named news directors.

TWO new openings.

FIVE paid help wanted ads.

And only 13 open news director jobs.

There are TWO obituaries, and, in Names in the News, details about a major health challenge facing the wife of a former Indianapolis news director.

But there’s happier news in Names in the News, as well…so check that out.

And TWO former NDs turned GM’s are leaving their jobs. The one in the number one market says he wants to do other things on his ‘to do’ list, while the one from market 139 is retiring. Details on both are below.

Lots to read this week so get going!

Newly Named News Directors:

Kiernan

WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI…our Tuesday UPDATE brought you first word that JEFF KIERNAN was headed to this Scripps ABC affiliate as its next ND. Here’s the note from WXYZ GM MIKE MURRI. Jeff’s currently Directof of Content for sister Scripps station WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee. For more on Jeff, click here. In Detroit, he replaces RHONDA LaVELLE who left in November after 4 1/2 years as news director.

Lopez

WTMO-TV, Orlando, FL…MIGUELANGEL LOPEZ has been named VP/News for the Telemundo affiliate. He’s been the VP/News for KTLM-TV in Harlingen, TX, where he has worked since 2014. Miguelangel has also worked in Miami. More details in this story from Media Moves. He replaces ROBERTO VIZCON who left the station last June.

Towne

KXTV, Sacramento, CA…this Tegna owned ABC affiliate has named NIA TOWNE as its next news director. She’ll report to Director of Content JILL MANUEL. Nia has been the news director for Tegna’s KIII-TV (also ABC) in Corpus Christi, TX, for about the last 18 months. She’s also worked in Harrisburg, PA, as a managing editor, as well as Syracuse, and Medford, OR.

Peterson

WXLV-TV, Winston-Salem, NC…JAKE PETERSON moves from one Sinclair station to another as he will oversee the startup of a news operation for this ABC affiliate. The station (which had its own news department until 2002) has been airing newscasts produced by other entities, most recently Spectrum News. Jake’s been the ND for Sinclair’s WGFL-TV in Gainesville, FL, since 2019, and previously worked in Tampa, Kansas City, and Pensacola.

Nevalga

KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO…JEIMMIE (pronoucned Jay-mee) NEVALGA has been promoted to news director for this University of Missouri owned NBC affiliate. She first joined the station in 2011 after having worked in Chicago and Milwaukee. At KOMU, she replaces RANDY REEVES who remains on the staff. Veteran newsman STEVE ACKERMANN has been serving as news director in the interim.

Adelson

WGFL-TV, Gainesville, FL…congratulations to AARON ADELSON who gets his first ND job at this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate. He replaces JAKE PETERSON who, as noted above, is headed to WXLV-TV in Winston-Salem. Aaron’s been a reporter for KARE-TV in Minneapolis and has also worked in Asheville, NC, Lexington, KY, and Sioux City IA.

And while moving is never easy, Aaron’s move was complicated when his U-Haul truck and car, along with ALL of his belongings, was stolen from a motel in Macon, GA. The truck was later recovered, empty. Aaron tells me he’s grateful for help from friends and colleagues who helped him get back on his feet, including a now closed Go Fund Me page.

New News Director Opening:

WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI…as reported above, JEFF KIERNAN is moving to sister Scripps station WXYZ-TV in Detroit after almost three years as Director of Content here.

KIII-TV, Corpus Christi, TX…in another move reported above, NIA TOWNE is moving to sister Tegna station KXTV (ABC) in Sacramento as news director, reporting to Director of Content JILL MANUEL. Nia’s been the ND here since May 2019.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

Senior Director of News, Spectrum News, New York:

Spectrum Networks is aggressively seeking a bold, innovative team leader to join our Upstate New York team.

We are looking for a leader that will oversee our News management and content across our properties in Upstate New York.

At Spectrum Networks—we aren’t looking for a traditional news “boss.” We want someone who truly embraces our character-driven storytelling style. We’re looking for a leader that is interested in leading our content teams to deliver compelling, unique stories that resonate in our communities. We’re looking for a leader that understands the important role that storytelling plays—across all platforms.

If you are a manager that is looking to get away from house fire and car crash coverage and back to why you likely became a journalist—let’s talk. Send Mike.Bothwell@charter.com with a resume and any questions you may have.

Upstate NY experience preferred.

Click here to apply and learn more.

KPRC

EP, Investigative and Special Projects, KPRC-TV, Houston,TX:

Are you sitting in your newsroom right now wondering why your bosses won’t support your Investigative Unit? Wondering why you can’t get stories approved? Wondering what happened to the days when the Investigative Unit was the centerpiece of a station’s success? Wonder no more.

KPRC 2 is on the search for an Executive Producer to oversee our award winning investigative and special projects team. KPRC 2 has a dedicated group of experienced reporters, producers, photographers and editors focused on creating compelling, promotable investigative and enterprise content.

It’s the best team in town and you’ll be the leader. Houston is a diverse, growing city with a non-stop appetite for enterprise and investigative journalism. The ideal candidate is someone who is aggressive, competitive and wants to win every story and every newscast.

Learn more and apply by clicking here.
KPRC

Executive Producer, KPRC-TV, Houston,TX:

KPRC 2 is on the hunt for a leader, coach, creative thinker, innovator and top-notch journalist to join our team as a newscast Executive Producer.

Our next EP will come to work every day, with the passion and drive to be the #1 news organization in Houston on all platforms.

Houston is a diverse, growing city with a non-stop appetite for breaking news, enterprise and investigative journalism. It’s a market prone to year-round severe weather events and winning weather coverage is a top priority.

You’ll help lead the editorial direction of the newsroom, focusing on stories that interest and engage our very diverse audience. The ideal EP is someone who’s obsessed with understanding and serving our target audience, understands how to showcase big stories with memorable live shots, has impeccable news judgement and can motivate and lead veteran reporters and young producers while maintaining their cool under pressure.

Check out our posting and apply today!
WbrzLogo

Assistant News Director, WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA:

WBRZ, the only truly local TV station serving Louisiana’s capital city, seeks a bold leader to join the team as Assistant News Director.

Top leadership roles at this family-owned station are not available often. With the original local owners, this legacy station is positioning itself to own the future of not just news, but local broadcasting.

The Assistant News Director will manage day-to-day newsroom operations, mentor and coach budding journalists along with helping to create and implement big ideas. This evolving newsroom doesn’t lose sight of the job: News. We do the news – period.

Our investigative reporting prowess leaves a mark in the community. Local owners demand quality, hard-hitting journalism. It’s delivered 8 hours a day on TV or on online, where it’s usually reported first.

WBRZ, in Baton Rouge, is in the shadows of LSU’s Tiger Stadium football cathedral; The city is home to a rowdy, satirical Mardi Gras parade, an unmatched St. Patrick’s Day parade, renowned Southern University’s Human Jukebox and features lush city parks for outdoor enthusiasts.

Knowledge of Louisiana helpful; TV newsroom management experience required.

Email resume and a brief explanation of your news philosophy to Trey Schmaltz: trey@wbrz.com

Pre-employment drug screening required.
EOE. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Morning Executive Producer, KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE:

Channel 8 News in Lincoln, Nebraska is looking for an Executive News Producer to lead the morning team.

It’s a high quality of life combined with a low cost of living all surrounded by the satisfaction of a unique job challenge. We’re looking for someone who thrives on breaking news, can get content out on multiple platforms with lighting speed and has an entrepreneurial spirit with an investigative drive.

If you question everything and don’t pitch story ideas that come from the headlines, we should talk. You need to have 2 year of line producing or reporting/anchoring experience. Send your resume and news philosophy to: jhardy@klkntv.com.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 11/29/20)
WPTV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 1/3/21)
WATN/WLMT-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 11/15/20)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 11/1/20)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (relisted this week, see ad above!)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (relisted 11/15/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 12/13/20)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listing revised 11/15/20)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (listed 11/15/20)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WGN-America/News Nation, Chicago, IL (listed 1/3/21)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (EP Special Projects, new listing, see ad above!)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (EP, new listing this week, see ad above!)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (EP Investigations, listed 11/29/20)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (Morning Content Manager), listed 1/3/21)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Digital EP, relisted this week)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 1/3/21)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 12/13/20)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital Content EP, relisted 12/20/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (listed 1/3/21)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (relisted this week)
WGNO-TV, New Orleans, LA (Digital EP, new listing this week)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (relisted 11/22/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, relisted 12/13/20)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, relisted 12/6/20)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (Digital EP, relisted 12/20/20)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital EP, relisted this week)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 12/20/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 12/20/20)
KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE (AM EP, listed 1/3/21, see ad above!)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 11/15/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 12/13/20)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 10/25/20)

More News Management Openings:

Listed this week:

Spectrum News: Senior Director of News, New York (see ad above!)

Listed 11/15/20:

KXTV, Sacramento, CA (News Content Manager)

Obituaries:

Minium

A small funeral service was held yesterday (Saturday, 1/9/21) for STEVE MINIUM, a longtime broadcaster whose death at the age of 70 we shared with you earlier this week. Steve lost a fight with cancer. His family created this website where friends can post memories and read stories from others. There’s also information about memorial contributions.

Walt C.

WALT CHRISTOPHERSEN, who was a news director in Columbus, OH, and Greenville, NC, died last Monday at the age of 92. He also worked in Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Diego. This obituary from The Los Angeles Times details quite a life, including time in Europe as a foreign correspondent and details his work as an author.

Names in the News:

Mouelo

ERNESTO MOURELO has been named Vice President, Digital News, for Hearst Television. Details here in a news release. Ernesto’s been the Senior Director, Digital Content for Hearst and worked for Hearst’s WLWT-TV (NBC) in Cincinnati before moving to New York. He’s also worked for KVEA-TV (Telemundo) in Los Angeles and KNSD-TV (NBC) in San Diego.

BOBBIE NICKEL has been promoted to morning executive producer for Fox’s KCPQ-TV in Seattle. She’s in her second stint at the station and has also worked for MSNBC and HLN.

Mihalic

JENNIFER MIHALIC has been promoted to Assistant ND for Hearst’s WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC. She’s been a producer and executive producer for WYFF. Remarkably. she is only the second person to hold that job in the station’s history, and replaces LEE BROWN who retired last year after 44 years. By that standard, she’s a relative newcomer with 18 years on the job! Details from the station’s website.

Picken

Former News Director (Honolulu, Omaha, Cedar Rapids, Boise and Rockford) SCOTT PICKEN has found life after television news as a State Farm insurance agent. He’s working from an office in Wilson, NC and has made State Farm’s Honor Club in his first year. Scott’s happy to share his experience with honors who are considering a move: pick.picken.xaxd@statefarm.com

Finally, our thoughts and prayers to old friend BOB CAMPBELL and his wife MARLENE as she recovers from surgery to remove a lemon sized brain tumor. The operation last month was in Seattle, near their home in Bellingham, WA. Bob tells me Marlene (they met while he was the ND for WTHR-TV in Indianapolis and she was a sales manager there) is home now but needs constant attention and care. You can send your best wishes to Bob via email by clicking here.

Here’s a picture from a happier time: A 2012 lunch we shared with Bob and Marlene while passing through Bellingham.

Marlene and Bob Campbell (March, 2012)

General Manager News and Notes:

Feder

BART FEDER is leaving his post as GM for (now owned by Nexstar)’s WPIX-TV in New York later this month. Here’s the note he sent to this staff. Bart’s been the GM there for almost two years, moving into the role while still serving as the head of news for (previous owner) Tribune. His Linkedin page describes his varied career in both local and network news.

Jensch

DAVID JENSCH, a former ND turned GM for Quincy’s KBJR-TV in Duluth, MN, will retire later this summer. As of tomorrow, he’ll be the Senior Management advisor for the station. TODD WENTWORTH will replace David as GM. More details here.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, January 10, 2021:

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

WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
WFOR-TV 8900 NW 18th Terrace, Doral FL 33172
WTMJ-TV 720 E Capitol Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53212
KAKW-TV 2233 W. North Loop Austin,TX 78756 **
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WSLS-TV 401 3rd Street SW Roanoke, VA 24011
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Dr, New Bern, NC 28560
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
KADN/KLAF-TV 1500 Eraste Landry, Lafayette, LA 70506
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Drive Corpus Christi Texas 78411
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WCBI-TV, 201 5th Street South, Columbus, MS 39701
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903 ***

**: Spanish language station
***: News Director and Anchor

January 3, 2021

Wednesday, January 6, 2021 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Minium

The family of the late STEVE MINIUM has set up a web page with memorial and funeral information. Click here.

The family promises to record what is described as a small graveside service which it will load to the site after Saturday’s service.

We told you Monday that Steve died after a battle with cancer. He was 70.

As we told you earlier, Steve was a news director in Cincinnati (WKRC-TV), Birmingham (WBRC-TV) and Las Vegas (KTNV). While in Cincinnati he was promoted to VP/News for Clear Channel and then to SVP of News and Marketing for the company.

He later joined his former GM from Cincinnati, DON PERRY, at KPSP-TV, then the CBS affiliate in Palm Desert, CA, as Executive Director of News, New Media and Brand. Later, Steve worked for Broadcast Image as Director of Special Projects and Recruitment.

What we didn’t tell you on Monday was that Steve started in broadcasting as a motorcycle courier for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. In the pre-iPhone, pre-WiFi, pre-satellite trucks, pre-microwave truck days, stations in large markets would hire couriers to move newsfilm (look it up, kids!) to the station more expeditiously. Often the couriers used cars but Steve (and/or his superiors) realized motorcycles could move through traffic more quickly.

Our sympathy to Steve’s family and many friends.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Tuesday, January 5, 2021 UPDATE:

Greetings:

We have news of TWO new news directors…one a veteran, and one a first time ND.

Kiernan

JEFF KIERNAN heads to Detroit to be the next news director for Scripps’ WXYZ-TV (ABC). We have the note from GM MIKE MURRI. Jeff’s currently Senior Director of Local Content for Scripps’ WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee in his second tour of duty there. He’s also been an ND for CBS owned stations in Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis. At WXYZ, he replaces RHONDA LaVELLE who left in November after 4+ years as ND.

Nevalga

Meanwhile, JEIMMIE NEVALGA has been named News Director for KOMU-TV, the University of Missouri owned NBC affiliate in Columbia, MO. She is currently the executive producer there. More on her promotion here. Jeimmie (pronounced Jay-mee) has also worked in Chicago and Milwaukee. She replaces RANDY REEVES who remains at the station. Longtime newsman STEVE ACKERMANN has been serving as the news director since Randy stepped down in March.

Finally, a private funeral service for longtime newsman STEVE MINIUM will be held this Saturday. There will be a link available later this evening for people to leave comments and pictures. When that link is available I will post it to my website: www.rickgevers.com

regards,

Rick Gevers

Monday, January 4, 2021 UPDATE:

I’m sorry to share news of the death of a longtime news director and broadcaster.

Minium

STEVE MINIUM died today at his Cincinnati home after a long battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.

He was a news director in Cincinnati (WKRC-TV), Birmingham (WBRC-TV) and Las Vegas (KTNV). While in Cincinnati he was promoted to VP/News for Clear Channel and then to SVP of News and Marketing for the company.

I’ll have more details on Steve’s career and memorial arrangements later this week.

Finally, TWO news director jobs will be filled tomorrow. I plan an UPDATE after both jobs have been announced, likely sometime tomorrow afternoon.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

I hope your holidays were safe, healthy, and pleasant, and that 2021 is everything we all hope it will be.

As anticipated, it was a slow holiday season for news management changes, with just ONE open ND job filled. That brings our list of opening to just 14!

We have ONE paid ad for a morning EP job at a midwest station.

Sadly, THREE obituaries, TWO for former NDs and ONE for the wife of a long-time group head.

And we have THREE items in Names in the News: new managers at TWO Scripps stations, departures of TWO news executives at Spectrum Cable operations, and we’ll update the search for a new kidney for a longtime broadcaster…and how you could help him or someone else in need.

Have a great 2021, but not before reading on!

Newly Named News Directors:

Cifuentes

WUVG-TV, Atlanta, GA…GIANNCARLO CIFUENTES, the regional news director for Univision, will assume ND duties here. He’s already based at the station. As best I can tell, he replaces…himself. He was promoted to the regional job in 2017, and, if the station replaced him as ND, I haven’t been able to find any proof of that.

New News Director Opening:

There are no new openings to the best of my knowledge. Please let me know if there’s something I’ve missed.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

Morning Executive Producer, KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE:

Channel 8 News in Lincoln, Nebraska is looking for an Executive News Producer to lead the morning team.