Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

November 8, 2020

Greetings:

Even though you might expect NO hires during a week with an Election ~~Day~~ Week, there were TWO new news directors hired in the last seven days. And there are NO new openings, so our list of open ND jobs drops to a low 20.

We have FOUR new GMs to tell you about, THREE from the same company, and ONE of those is s former news director.

There are TWO new EPs in Seattle among THREE items in Names in the News.

And we have ONE obituary for the head of EWTN News.

All that and more below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Williams

WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI…JESSIE WILLIAMS will be the ND hired to oversee the buildup of a news department at this Scripps owned FOX affiliate. She’s currently an EP for Scripps’ WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee. It’s a return to Lansing for Jessie, who earlier worked as producer at WLNS-TV. She also worked for Scripps as a producer in Detroit. (When we teased this hire last week, we incorrectly reported that the job was in Syracuse, NY, at a station with similar call letters. Apologies.)

Logan

KGWN-TV, Cheyenne, WY…we’re a little late in reporting that TIFFANY LOGAN has been promoted to ND at this Gray TV owned CBS affiliate. She was promoted in July. Tiffany’s a five year veteran of the station, joining as a reporter, moving to weekend anchor, then evening anchor, and now adds ND to the business card. She’s also worked in Paducah, KY.

New News Director Openings:

As far as I know, there were no new news directors hired this week.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

There are no paid help wanted ads this week. If you and your station want to reach a targeted audience better than any other website, send me an email for details.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 8/30/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/27/20)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 11/1/20)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (listed 9/6/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (listed 10/4/20)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Entertainment EP, listed 10/11/20)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, relisted this week)
WOFL-TV, Orlando, FL (Dayside EP, listed 10/25/20)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Digital EP, listed 11/1/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 9/13/20)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital Content EP, listed 10/25/20)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (Listed 9/27/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, listed 8/30/20)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (new listing this week)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (listed 9/6/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, relisted 10/11/20)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, listed 10/4/11)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (Digital EP, listed 10/25/20)
WLUK-TV, Green Bay, WI (PM EP, listed 10/4/11)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 9/27/20)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital EP, new listing this week)
KSNW-TV, Wichita, KS (listed 8/23/20)
WNEM-TV, Flint/Saginaw, MI (listed 9/27/20)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (listed 9/20/20)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 10/25/20)
WBTW-TV, Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, relisted 10/25/20)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 11/1/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 10/25/20)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 10/18/20)
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 8/23/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 10/11/20)

MANAGING EDITOR:

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

More News Management Openings:

Listed 11/1/20:

WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Content Manager)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Content Manager)

Listed 10/25/20:

Vice President/News, Altice USA’s News 12- New York

Relisted 10/25/20:

WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital Content Manager)

Relisted 10/4/20:

WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI (Digital Content Director)

Listed 9/6/20

WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Content Manager)

Relisted 9/6/20

KOKI-TV, Tulsa, OK (AM Content Manager)

Obituary:

Walther

ANDREW WALTHER, President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN (which stands for Eternal Word Television Network) News, died last Sunday (November 1, 2020) at the age of 45. He suffered from leukemia. More about his life and career in this story from The Catholic News Agency.

Names in the News (and other items):

Ayers

CHRISTIN AYERS has been promoted to executive producer for Tegna’s KING-TV in Seattle. As you’ll learn in this email from ND PETE SAIERS, she will create a permanent Facing Race unit, building on something she began in September. Christin had been the Tacoma Bureau Chief and spent almost nine years as a reporter in San Francisco.

McIntrye

Another Seattle station, another executive producer hire. KCPQ-TV (FOX) has hired JESSAMYN MCINTYRE as an EP. As you can read here, she’s been working as an on-air personality and producer for the 710 ESPN radio station in Seattle. Jessamyn previously worked as a producer for ESPN radio.

James

One time Providence, RI news director (WLNE-TV) and consultant SCOTT JAMES has written a new book. Trial by Fire examines the fire at The Station night club in Providence, among the nation’s deadliest night club fires. 100 people died there. Learn more about the book here. Scott’s also an occasional contributor to the New York Times.

General Manager News and Notes:

Frierson

KEN FRIERSON will be the next VP/General Manager for Meredith’s WNEM-TV in Flint/Saginaw, Michigan. He’s been the General Sales Manager for this CBS affiliate. Ken’s also worked in Peoria, IL, Syracuse, NY, Detroit, MI, and Troy, MI. More details in this company news release.

Morgan

Quincy Media has promoted three people to Vice President and General Manager roles at their current stations, where each was a station manager. Among the three is one time news director JOSH MORGAN at the company’s WREX-TV in Rockford, IL. Learn more about Josh and the other two who were promoted by clicking here.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, November 8, 2020:

KCBS-TV 4200 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
WCAU-TV 1800 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
KHOU-TV 5718 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX 77057
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WTMO-TV 1650 Sand Lake Rd. # 340 Orlando, FL 32809 **
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St, Baltimore, MD 21211
WTVD-TV 411 Liberty St Durham, NC 27701
KAKW-TV 2233 W. North Loop Austin,TX 78756 **
WDSU-TV 846 Howard Ave New Orleans, LA 70113
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WFXR-TV 5305 Valleypark Dr. #1, Roanoke, VA 24019
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
KION-TV 1550 Moffett St. Salinas, CA 93905
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WCBI-TV, 201 5th Street South, Columbus, MS 39701
KOMU-TV 5550 Old 63 S, Columbia, MO 65201
WTVO/WGRF-TV P.O. Box 470. Rockford, IL 61105
KMID-TV 1550 West I-20. Odessa, TX 79763
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903

**: Spanish language station

November 1, 2020

Greetings:

FIVE new news directors to share in this week’s report, with NO new openings.

That drops our list of open ND jobs to just 21. And TWO of those open ND jobs are among our THREE paid help wanted ads.

We have lots of items in Names in the News with lots of news managers on the move, and, for the first time in a few weeks, we have a new GM to tell you about.

And…for those of you working in newsrooms…good luck on Tuesday night. I’m having cold pizza Tuesday night in your honor.

Newly Named News Directors:

Bradley

WBZ-TV, Boston, MA…we told you earlier this week that JESSI MILLER BRADLEY has been promoted to news director for CBS’s WBZ-TV in Boston. More details here. She’s been at the station since 1997, holding a wide variety of positions, and replaces JOHNNY GREEN, Jr. who was promoted to VP of News Services for CBS News earlier this summer.

Sinn

WISN-TV, Milwaukee, WI…that Thursday UPDATE also brought news that MATT SINN is the new ND for this Hearst ABC affiliate. He’s been the Assistant ND here since 2015 and earlier worked as an EP and producer in Tampa. Matt replaces BEN HART who was promoted to GM of Hearst’s WJCL-TV in Savannah, GA, after three years as ND here.

Villarreal

KXXV-TV, Waco, TX…SYLVIA VILLARREAL is being promoted to ND for this Scripps’ owned ABC affiliate. The station shared the news here. She been the Assistant ND here and first joined the station in 2015 as the executive producer. Sylvia replaces JOSH EURE who left the station last month after one year as ND.

WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI…this open ND position has been filled, but the announcement won’t come until later this week.

Cummings

KIDK/KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, ID…veteran news director BILL CUMMINGS joined this News Press & Gazette duopoly in August as its next ND. He’s been ND at a number of stations as his Linkedin page explains. CURTIS JACKSON, who’d been the ND here, stays on the staff as Multi Platform Executive Producer. He’s a 30 year veteran of the station.

New News Director Openings:

As far as I know, there were no new news directors hired this week.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

Vice President/News, Altice USA’s News 12- New York region:

This is a dream job for a digitally minded television executive who thrives on all facets of content and who aspires to do it on a network in the fast paced media capital of the world. Seven newsrooms, three states and hundreds of journalists with one mission: leveraging the hometown hyperlocal connection our audience of almost five million viewers and digital users expect from a brand that keeps them safe and connected in an uncertain world.

You would be a key decision maker and innovator on a corporate team that’s also backed by the significant resources of Altice USA, America’s fourth largest cable company, and its live streaming financial news network, Cheddar. The expectation is that you will bring know-how and passion to evolve and execute a multi-platform brand in key areas such as breaking news and weather, investigative news and audience targeted efforts to help them through these Covid challenged times.

Your executive skills in administration are vital as you navigate all facets of this network from budgets, HR and legal areas to the constant need to find, grow and promote the best journalists with a commitment to diversify staff. Your demonstrated teamwork with our creative partners in marketing and design are core to success.

If you have lead a big brand digital and/or television news operation and have ideas that generate audience and/or revenue and that can catapult News 12, this could be your job.

Apply by clicking here!

News Director, KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA:

KION News Channel 5, located in beautiful Monterey County, California, is seeking an extraordinary journalist to lead a growing news team. In addition, to CBS we produce news daily on CW and Telemundo.

Our News Director will be a visionary coach who understands how to produce compelling and distinctive content on all multi-media platforms. Must have proven skillset to maximize content and customer engagement on digital and social media platforms. Must demonstrate a passion for the product with strong oversight and consistent communication and feedback.

The successful candidate will be called upon to provide strategic direction for daily news coverage as well as working closely with the General Manager on long-range planning, special news coverage and station projects.

Applicants should be prepared to discuss:

Previous experience
Creative approaches to building and innovating news brand
Digital and social strategies
Effective use of social media in a broadcast environment
Previous experience managing financial, technical and people resources

KION was acquired by News-Press & Gazette Company in December 2013, and has recently made significant capital investments to build a strong local news organization.

Candidate must pass a drug test and background check. A valid driver’s license is required.

Please apply online by submitting brief cover letter that includes resume, and source of referral.

Learn more and apply here.

News Director, WTVO-TV, Rockford, IL:

Nexstar Nation has an immediate opening for a News Director in Rockford, IL (Mkt #138.)

The ideal candidate knows news, loves to lead, and is a natural born coach. Our News Director will oversee more than 40 hours of news a week at WQRF (FOX) and WTVO (ABC.) This is an exceptional opportunity to join the nation’s largest media company. We offer more news and locally produced programming than any other station in the market as well as unmatched digital delivery on https://www.mystateline.com/.

The Rockford market is just a stone’s throw from Chicago, settled along the banks of the Rock River and the serene rolling green hills of Northern Illinois.

We have all the amenities of a big city, but with a “small town” feel.

Ready for your next challenge?

Then click here and apply!