Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

November 23, 2025

Greetings:

TWO new news directors this week, including a changing of the guard at Miami’s WSVN-TV. And there’s ONE new opening at a FOX o-and-o.

Our list of open ND jobs remains at 26, with ONE of those openings featured in a Paid Help Wanted ad.

We have an obituary for a longtime NBC executive who many of you may have worked with over the years, and details about a college fund to help the suddenly orphaned granddaughter of a longtime consultant.

And these stories Names in the News:

Is BARI WEISS going ‘blow this up” at CBS News?
Tears flow as the hosts of CBS Saturday Morning said goodbye.
60 Minutes looks at how STEVE HARTMAN is trying to change how we think about school shootings.
JANE PAULEY gets a lifetime achievement award
And JOHN OLIVER is auction off some of his junk for a good cause.

All that…and more…below.

Newly Named News Directors:

WSVN-TV, Miami, FL…a changing of the guard at this Sunbeam TV operation. VP News ALICE JACOBS will retire in January after 36 years at what is now a FOX affiliate, but was the NBC affiliate when Alice started there. And now…it’s added the ABC affiliation. Here’s the note Alice sent the staff. And here’s two-fer for you. Alice’s husband, WSVN reporter PATRICK FRASER, is also retiring. Here’s Alice’s note about his departure.

Gonzales

But you can put your resume down. Alice’s role as Vice President of News will be filled by TOM GONZALEZ . He’s a 37 year veteran of the station who’s held the title of news director for the last 21+ years. Tom first joined the station in 1988 as a writer before moving to the assignment desk, then managing editor, before spending five years as the Assistant News Director.

Vucsko

WBAY-TV, Green Bay, WI…this Gray Media ABC affiliate has hired LISA VUCSKO has its next ND. Here’s the note GM STEVE LAVIN sent the staff. She most recently spent five years as the Assistant ND for WFLD-TV, the FOX o-and-o in Chicago, where she’d been the Managing Editor for eleven years before that. She’s replacing JULIE MORAVCHIK, who stepped down to concentrate on her cancer battle.

Diener

Of note: Lisa’s arrival in Green Bay means the second retirement this year for SCOTT DIENER, who stepped in to serve as the interim ND when Julie’s health turned. Scott’s first retirement this year came in July after nine years as the news director for Gray’s KMOV-TV in St. Louis.

New News Director Openings:

Bailey

WITI-TV, Milwaukee, WI…BRANDICE BAILEY has left this FOX owned station after just over three years as news director. Before joining WITI, Brandice had served as the Assistant ND for WIS-TV in Columbia, SC, and also held management positions in San Francisco, Houston, and Miami, and has worked in Las Vegas, Chattanooga, and for CNN.

And it’s not a new opening, but please check out the Paid Help Wanted ad just below for the VP/News Position at CBS o-and-o KOVR-TV in sunny California.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

VP/News, KOVR/KMAX-TV, Sacramento, CA:

Can you lead a team that does Accountability Community Journalism? And fun, engaging community television? Keep reading…

The duopoly of KOVR’s CBS Sacramento and KMAX’s Good Day is looking for the next Vice President of News.

First the News:

We at CBS Sacramento cover our entire DMA with an army of Community Journalists embedded in our counties with a focus on enterprise, accountability journalism in line with the station’s mission of Getting Answers for our audiences on all platforms. Our First Alert Weather Team is the best in the market. Our broadcast ratings are up. Our streaming numbers are up. Our digital traffic is up. The next leader will work with the newsroom and department heads to build on the momentum we have made and work to keep local content

Now the Fun:

Good Day recently celebrated 30 years of fantastic and fun live programming four hours a day, seven days a week. It’s a show like no other in the country with fiercely loyal viewers on linear and stream who love how we focus on the good in our communities by promoting everything from local schools and sports; to restaurants and wineries; and non-profits and artists.

We are a stronger team thanks to deep collaboration with CBS News and Stations. We are proud to be a market leader in the audience transition to streaming.

Sound appealing?

We’d like to hear from you.

Click here for more information and details on how to apply!

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WDCA/WDVM, Washington, DC (listed 11/9/25)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 11/9/25)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, ND (listed 11/2/25)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (relisted 11/16/25)
WJTV, Jackson, MS (listed 10/12/25)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 10/19/25)
KIII-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 10/19/25)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Digital EP, relisted 11/23/25)
WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 11/23/25)
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (Streaming & Digital EP, listed 11/9/25)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 10/19/25)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (Streaming Content EP/Host, modified 10/26/25)
KTVI/KPLR-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 11/9/25)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Morning EP, listed 11/16/25)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 10/26/25)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (listed 11/9/25)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 10/19/25)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, listing modified 9/21/25)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (EP of Digital Streaming) listed 10/26/25)
WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre, PA (Sr. EP of News & Streaming, relisted 11/2/25)
WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre, PA (listed 10/26/25)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (Morning EP, listing revised 11/16/25)
KHON-TV, Honolulu, HI (listed 10/5/25)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (Digital Content Director, listed 9/28/25)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (relisted 9/28/25)
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA (listed 10/19/25)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (AM EP, listed 11/23/25)
WBOY-TV, Clarksburg, WV (Digital EP, listed 11/16/25)
WETM-TV, Elmira, NY (Digital EP, listed 10/26/25)

Other News Management Openings:

Listed 11/16/25:

WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (Executive Reporter)

Listed 11/2/25:

WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Digital Content)

Listed 10/26/25

KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (Executive Reporter)

Listed 10/5/25:

WDHN-TV, Dothan, AL (Digital Content Manager)

Obituaries:

Siegel

If you worked for an NBC affiliate from the 1992 until 2014, chances are you had some interaction with LLOYD SIEGEL. He worked at NBC for more than 44 years, but it was during that time frame that he worked with the network’s affiliates, eventually rising to VP/News Partnerships. Lloyd died November 12, losing a battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 78. More in his obituary.

Jennifer Morris

Former consultant MACKIE MORRIS has launched a college fund to aid his granddaughter, LEIGHTON, after the death last month of Mackie’s daughter and Leighton’s mom, JENNIFER. Jennifer suffered from oral cancer but died of an issue with her lungs. Here’s Mackie’s note about the college fund effort: there are several easy ways to contribute and all the money becomes available to Leighton when she turns 18.

Names in the News (and other stuff):

The Wall Street Journal headline quotes new CBS Editor-in-Chief BARI WEISS as saying “I Wanna Blow this up.” Here’s the Journal’s story.

Some of those changes at CBS involve the network’s Saturday morning program. Yesterday was the last day for hosts MICHELLE MILLER and DANA JACOBSON who teared up as they said goodbye.

CBS continues, of course, to do good work. Sunday’s 60 Minutes featured this story on STEVE HARTMAN’s quest to change how America remembers school shootings.

CBS Sunday Morning host JANE PAULEY received the 2025 Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism. This story mentions old friend LEE GILES who hired Jane for her first TV job at WISH-TV in Indianapolis in 1972.

The folks at Last Week Tonight with JOHN OLIVER are auctioning off some of the’ ‘junk’ (their word, not mine) that’s accumulated over the years. It’s all to raise money for public broadcasting. Details here, but you need to hurry: The auction ends Monday, November 24.

Anchor STACIE LOPEZ has been promoted to Assistant ND at KTAB-KRBC-TV in Abilene, TX.

General Manager News and Notes:

I’m not aware of any GM changes this week. Please let me know if I’ve missed something.

Our List of Open News Director Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, November 23, 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

WDCW/WDVM-TV 2121 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20007
KOVR/KMAX-TV 2713 KOVR Dr. W. Sacramento, CA 95605 (see ad above!)
WBTV, 1 Julian Price Place Charlotte, NC 28208
KSWB/KUSI-TV 7191 Engineer Rd., San Diego, CA 92111
WKRC-TV 1906 Highland Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45219
WITI-TV 9001 N Green Bay Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53209
WXMI-TV 3117 Plaza Drive NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525
WZZM-TV 645 3 Mile Rd. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49544
WAVE-TV 725 S. Floyd St. Louisville KY 40203
WFTX-TV 621 SW Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral, FL 33991
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Road, Madison, WI 53719
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WTVC-TV 4279 Benton Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37406
KXRM-TV 560 Wooten Road Colorado Springs CO 80915
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WPSD-TV, 408 Kentucky Ave, Paducah, KY 42003
WCTV 1801 Halstead Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32309
WEAU-TV 1907 S. Hastings Way Eau Claire, WI 54701
WSAW-TV 1114 Grand Ave. Wausau, WI 54403
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KSWO-TV 1401 SE 60th St. Lawton, OK 73501
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501

**: Spanish language station

November 16, 2025

Greetings:

It’s rare week with NO changes in the ND ranks, but we do have other news of note.

Our list of open ND jobs remains at 26.

TWO of those openings are featured in Paid Help Wanted ads.

We have TWO obituaries. One’s for a legendary Kentucky broadcaster, the other a long ago set designer who worked for CBS News, CBS Sports, and later had his own company that did sets for local stations.

In Names in the News:

Is CBS going to disband its Standards and Practices Unit?
New moves in a lawsuit by a former ND against his former station.
A Kansas County writes a check and apologies after a raid on a newspaper.
And a number of news managers on the move.

There’s ONE GM announcement as Scripps makes a promotion to fill one of its combo GM/Department Head positions.

All that…and more…below.

Newly Named News Directors:

To the best of my knowledge, there are NO new news directors this week. Always happy to be corrected if I missed something. You can email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

New News Director Openings:

To the best of my knowledge, there are NO new news director openings this week. Always happy to be corrected if I missed something. You can email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

And it’s not a new opening, but please check out the Paid Help Wanted ad just below for the VP/News Position at CBS o-and-o KOVR-TV in sunny California.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

VP/News, KOVR/KMAX-TV, Sacramento, CA:

Can you lead a team that does Accountability Community Journalism? And fun, engaging community television? Keep reading…

The duopoly of KOVR’s CBS Sacramento and KMAX’s Good Day is looking for the next Vice President of News.

First the News:

Now the Fun:

We are a stronger team thanks to deep collaboration with CBS News and Stations. We are proud to be a market leader in the audience transition to streaming.

Sound appealing?

We’d like to hear from you.

Click here for more information and details on how to apply!

News Director, WISC-TV, Madison, WI:

Here is your chance to TRULY make a change.

Only a handful of people have had this role over the last 5 decades. But this is not the same opening as before. We are looking for someone to break the mold and connect with local consumers in a new way. We produce 40 hours of linear television news a week but more importantly we are transitioning to a new era of news gathering and multi-platform content creation from all parts of the operation.

The right candidate will have a proven track record of audience/consumer growth and understand how to achieve success in both current and emerging platforms.

In this role, you’ll be asked to set and execute a strategy for this next generation content-focused editorial team. You’ll lead transformational efforts and build a top-notch staff. You’ll need to be aggressively moving resources to meet the demand of a shifting content consumption marketplace. You’ll be asked to make critical editorial decisions with a deep understanding of journalism ethics.

You’ll be asked to inspire.

Our company has been in the journalism business since 1890…however, that long history is not our calling card…it is all about the future.

Click here to learn more and apply!