Rick Gevers & Associates

May 5, 2019

Thursday May 9, 2019 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Wouldn’t it be nice to take the summer off and enjoy it with your family?

Hofmann

That’s exactly what KSHB-TV/Kansas City News Director CARRIE HOFFMAN is going to do before looking for her next new adventure.

Carrie told her staff she’s leaving a few minutes ago: here’s the note she sent explaining her reasons.

She’s been ND for this Scripps owned NBC affiliate for more than six years, and has worked in a number of other markets, including Denver, Phoenix, Charlotte and Milwaukee.

Her last day is June 2nd.

We’ll have more on her move and all the week’s news in our full newsletter this weekend.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Wednesday, May 8, 2019 UPDATE:

Greetings:

A veteran news director who spent more than 20 years as news director for one station lost his battle with cancer this week.

  Ed W.

ED WICKENHEISER was 80 years old when he died Monday in his hometown of Columbia, PA.

More details about Ed’s life, survivors, funeral arrangements, and memorial contributions can be found in this obituary.

What’s not mentioned in the obit…but is detailed in this 2007 profile, among other interesting items…was the fact that Ed was the first reporter at Three Mile Island in 1979 (look it up if you have to). At the time he was working as a radio reporter: six months later he moved to WGAL-TV (NBC) in Lancaster as news director, a job he held until he retired in 2000.

I’ve heard from two friends who worked for Ed who had high praise for him, both as a journalist and a leader. Our sympathy to Ed’s family and friends.

We’ll see you with our full newsletter later this weekend.

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

It’s been a relatively busy week for the first week of a rating period. We have THREE new NDs to tell you about (TWO were promoted either by their current company or current station) and TWO new ND openings (ONE created by the retirement of a veteran ND.)

My always unofficial count of openings shows 30 vacancies.

TWO of those 30 openings are featured in Paid Help Wanted ads below.

Lots of items in Names in the News, including new Assistant ND’s in Dallas, Indianapolis, and Columbus, OH. A longtime morning anchor moves back home and becomes an EP at a CBS o-and-o and the Help Wanted sign is out at SPJ Headquarters.

All that and more below!

Newly Named News Directors: 

Henning

WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN…ADAM HENNING will be the next ND for this Cox Media owned FOX affiliate. Details in this news release. We told you last month that Adam was leaving Sinclair’s WPEC-TV (CBS) in West Palm Beach after about three years as ND. He’s been an news director in Huntsville, AL, Gainesville, FL, Greenville and Wilmington, NC, and also worked in Mobile and Raleigh. Adam replaces PATTI McGETTIGAN who stepped down on a medical retirement last December. Sadly, Patti died in February.

Jackson

WOWK-TV, Huntington/Charleston, WV…a transfer within Nexstar sends ROD JACKSON to this CBS affiliate from ND from the company’s WBRE-WYOU-TV in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Rod tells me while it may look like a lateral move, it gets him within 45 minutes of family. He’s a former ND in Cedar Rapids, worked as an Assistant ND in Topeka, spent 13 years with ABC’s NewsOne in Los Angeles, a managing editor in Salt Lake City, and worked as a reporter for 19 years. He replaces GRENDEL LEVY who left in March after a year as ND.

Myers

WECT-TV, Wilmington, NC…BRAD MYERS has been promoted to news director for this Gray Television owned NBC affiliate. Here’s the news release from GM MARK MENDENHALL. Brad’s been at WECT for three years, first as AM EP, then dayside EP. He replaces SCOTT SAXTON who announced in March he would be leaving in May. Scott has purchased the local franchise for Soccer Shots, a soccer education program for children.

New News Director Openings: 

WBRE/WYOU-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA…we told you above that Nexstar is transferring ROD JACKSON to WOWK-TV in Charleston/Huntington, WV. Rod was ND here for more than three years. More on his new opportunity above.

Noel S.

KTTC-TV, Rochester, MN…longtime ND NOEL SEDERSTROM is retiring after more than 11 years as ND for this Quincy Media owned NBC affiliate. He also served as ND for WWMT-TV in Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids, MI, for seven years before returning to his native Minnesota. Learn more about Noel in his station bio. And you can learn more about this job opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted ad just below.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KTTC-TV, Rochester, MN:

Here’s your chance to lead a truly special newsroom-in a place you would be proud to call home. NBC affiliate KTTC in Rochester, MN has a newsroom loaded with talent! We are committed to strong journalism and community service and we are #1 in southeastern Minnesota.

KTTC’s next News Director will be ready to lead our award-winning newsroom with established leadership skills and at least five years of experience. You must be a catalyst and a leader in our digital and social efforts and set the tone every day in the newsroom. Excellent coaching and communication skills are required.

This could be one of the best jobs you will ever have. SE MN is a beautiful part of the country recognized again and again for its incredible quality of life. Rochester itself is known for its incredible quality of life, with Mayo Clinic and IBM among our strong corporate citizens.

KTTC-TV is proud to be a Quincy Media station. Join our team and see why Quincy has been named one of the top companies to work for in the business. Visit www.quincymediacareers.com for links to all stations and opportunities.

If you think you’re qualified, want to work with a great group of people and live in one of America’s best cities, send your link, cover letter, resume and references to:

Jim McKernan
Regional Vice President
Quincy Media Inc.

jmckernan@quincymedia.com

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. EOE

News Director, WSEE/WICU-TV, Erie, PA:

Lilly Broadcasting is conducting a search for a news director to lead Erie News Now in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The successful candidate must be an outstanding journalist with at least three years of news management experience who leads, coaches and inspires team members to achieve continuous improvement.

Erie News Now produces news on NBC and CBS affiliates in Erie, multiple digital and OTT platforms and for One Caribbean Television and Lilly’s ABC and CBS affiliates in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This is an exciting opportunity to live in beautiful Northwest Pennsylvania and work for a family-owned company with a “viewers first” philosophy.

Interested candidates should reply to Brian Trauring, VP of News, Marketing & Content Development, Lilly Broadcasting at: btrauring@lillybroadcasting.com

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (new listing this week)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 3/17/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 3/3/19)
WTLV-TV, Jacksonville, FL (new listing this week)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 4/21/19)
KARK-TV, Little Rock, AR (listed 4/14/19)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (new listing this week)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 4/21/19)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 3/10/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 3/10/19)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (listed 3/24/19)
KIII-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (new listing this week)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 3/31/19)
Nexstar Washington Bureau, Washington, DC (new listing this week)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 3/31/19)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (2 openings, new listings this week)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 4/21/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 3/10/19)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Digital EP, listed 3/10/19)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Nightside EP, listed 3/31/19)
WJAX/WFOX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (new listing this week)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/31/19)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, new listing this week)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (AM EP, new listing this week)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (AM EP, new listing this week)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 3/31/19)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (relisted 3/10/19)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (Dayside EP, new listing this week)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/31/19)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 3/10/19)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 4/28/19)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 3/24/19)
KEYT-KCOY-KKFX-TV, Santa Barbara, CA (listed 3/31/19)
WQOW-TV, Eau Claire, WI (listed 3/24/19)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (relisted 3/31/19)

Other News Management Openings:

Relisted this week:

KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV Digital Executive Producer)

Listed 4/21/19:

WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital Executive Producer)

Listed 3/31/19:

WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital Content Executive Producer)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/24/19:

WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/10/19:

WKRG, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)

Names in the News (and other items):

Guyton

VALERIE BUTLER GUYTON is the new Assistant News Director for NBCs KXAS-TV in Dallas/Ft. Worth. She most recently was an EP for WXIA-TV in Atlanta. She’s also worked for another Atlanta station, two stations in Houston, and one in Nashville, as well as for the Weather Channel and CNN.

PERRY PACE returns to WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, this time as Assistant News Director. He was an EP there until 2016 when he left for three years at WVTM-TV in Birmingham as the AND there. He’s also worked for two stations in Houston.

Anderson

My longtime client and friend JOHN ANDERSON has moved behind the scenes as the new morning EP for WCCO-TV in his hometown of Minneapolis. John’s spent much of his career as a successful morning anchor in Philadelphia and Cleveland, so he knows the routine and he and his family are happy to be home.

ADRIENNE STEIN joins Scripps’ WPTV in West Pam Beach as an Executive Producer. She’s been the Assistant ND for WCSH-TV in Portland, ME, but spent most of her career on-air in Portland, Kansas City, Sarasota, Jackson, MS, and Columbia, MO.

Betts

WCMH-TV in Columbus, OH, has promoted BRIANNE BETTS to Assistant News Director. Brianne has worked for WCMH for eight years. She started as a producer, was promoted to EP in 2015, and then Senior EP in 2017. Brianne has also worked in Rochester and Syracuse, NY.

Congratulations to WNEP-TV (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) DAVE KRISANDA who’s retiring after more than 37 years as a producer and EP there. The station paid him appropriate tribute in this story.

And SPJ is looking for a new executive director. That’s because ALISON BETHEL MCKENZIE resigned this week after just 13 months on the job.

General Manager News and Notes:

Speaking of resigning (as we did in the last item above), MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ is leaving as GM for Tegna’s WTSP-TV in Tampa, the CBS affiliate there. The Tampa Bay Times has more.

Congratulations to ROBERT SARABIA who’s been named General Manager of Telemundo’s KVDA-TV in San Antonio.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, May 5, 2019:

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

Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KXTV 400 Broadway Sacramento, CA 95818
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KGW-TV 1501 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97201
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
KULX-TV 314 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 **
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WSPA-TV 250 International Dr. Spartanburg, SC 29303
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfield Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33407
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WBRE/WYOU-TV 62 S. Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
WROC-TV 201 Humboldt St. Rochester, NY 14610
WGME-TV 81 Northport Drive. Portland, ME 04103
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WICU/WSEE-TV 3514 State St. Erie, PA 16508 (see ad above!)
KTTC-TV 6301 Bandel Rd. NW Rochester, MN 55901 (see ad above!)
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd Gainesville, FL 32606
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
WJMN-TV 3165 Wright Street, Suite 101 Marquette, MI 49855

**: Spanish language station

April 28, 2019

Greetings:

We have an interesting development topping our moves this week…as a Sacramento/Tegna news director heads to Denver to become Chief Content officer for Rocky Mountain Public Media.

That’s one of several moves in this week’s report, which leaves our list of open ND jobs at 31. ONE of those 31 jobs is among our TWO paid help wanted ads this week.

We have a few news managers on the move in this week’s Names in the News section, ONE new GM to share, and it’s awards seasons….LOTS of winners announced this week.

All that and more below!

Newly Named News Directors: 

Cohen

Rocky Mountain Public Media, Denver, CO…SAMTHANA (SAM) COHEN will be the next Chief Content Officer for the PBS news operation. CEO AMANDA MOUNTAIN (perfect last name, don’t you think?) sent this email to the staff on Friday. Sam’s been the Director of Content for KXTV (Tegna/ABC) in Sacramento for the last two years. (Alert: Flagrant self-promotion ahead: I’m told she learned of the opening from the paid ad in this newsletter.)

New News Director Openings: 

KXTV, Sacramento, CA…we told you above that SAM COHEN is leaving this Tegna owned ABC affiliate. She’s off to Denver to become Chief Content Office for Rocky Mountain Public Media. Sam first joined KXTV as Executive Producer of Digital and Social in 2015 before becoming Director of Content in July, 2016, She previously worked for another Sacramento station as well as in Salt Lake City and Milwaukee.

Mello

WSEE/WICU-TV, Erie, PA…TIM MELLO will leave this Lilly Broadcasting owned NBC and CBS duopoly in a few weeks. I’m told he wants to stay in Erie and is looking for something out of the business. He’s been ND here for about five years and first joined the station in 2010 as an MMJ, rose to sports anchor/reporter, then assistant ND. You can learn more about this opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted Ad just below.

Tegels

Finally, it’s not an opening but KNBJ-TV (CBS/FOX) in Jonesboro, AR, and WNBJ-TV (NBC/CW) in Jackson, TN has eliminated the news director position at these stations owned by Waypoint Media. I’m told that news people will report to the GM there. That leaves veteran news director LON TEGELS looking for his next opportunity. If you have something that might be a fit, you can reach him at: lontegels@gmail.com

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WSEE/WICU-TV, Erie, PA:

Lilly Broadcasting is conducting a search for a news director to lead Erie News Now in Erie, Pennsylvania.

The successful candidate must be an outstanding journalist with at least three years of news management experience who leads, coaches and inspires team members to achieve continuous improvement.

Erie News Now produces news on NBC and CBS affiliates in Erie, multiple digital and OTT platforms and for One Caribbean Television and Lilly’s ABC and CBS affiliates in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This is an exciting opportunity to live in beautiful Northwest Pennsylvania and work for a family-owned company with a “viewers first” philosophy.

Interested candidates should reply to Brian Trauring, VP of News, Marketing & Content Development, Lilly Broadcasting at: btrauring@lillybroadcasting.com

Assistant News Director, WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY:

WHEC-TV (News10NBC), Rochester, NY a Hubbard Broadcasting station which is a family owned business, is looking for an Assistant News Director. You must be passionate and have a strong desire to teach, lead and learn with our award winning News Team. Previous experience as an Executive Producer in a Top 40 market preferred. You must be good with multitasking and prioritization in order to meet deadlines. As Assistant News Director, you will help direct and manage overall efforts of the news department and be part of a dynamic news team.

We produce 5 1/2 hours of news each weekday on television. Our television and digital content is marked by outstanding breaking news coverage, living our First Alert Weather brand, and reporters who dig, producing investigative reporting as a part of our daily journalism. Our digital team consistently ranks #1 in viewer engagement, attributable to strong story-telling. Candidate should have strong producing and writing skills.

We have built a team that is driven by excellence in journalism across all platforms. This year News10NBC won the national Edward R, Murrow Award for Best Newscast.

As a Hubbard Rochester, NY employee, you are surrounded by opportunities for growth while working with some of the very best talent in the industry. A welcoming hometown and a high performance workplace awaits at News10NBC. Rochester, NY is home to premier colleges and universities, and is a culturally lively community that offers a wonderful place to live.

To view the detailed posting and apply go to https://hubbardbroadcasting.com.

No phone calls please. EOE.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (relisted 2/3/19)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 3/17/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 3/3/19)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/3/19)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 4/21/19)
KARK-TV, Little Rock, AR (listed 4/14/19)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 4/21/19, see ad above!)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 3/10/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 3/10/19)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (listed 3/24/19)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 3/31/19)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 3/31/19)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 4/21/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 3/10/19)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Digital EP, listed 3/10/19)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Nightside EP, listed 3/31/19)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/31/19)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 3/3/19)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (relisted 3/10/19)
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (listed 3/3/19)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/31/19)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 3/10/19)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (new listing this week)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 3/24/19)
KEYT-KCOY-KKFX-TV, Santa Barbara, CA (listed 3/31/19)
WQOW-TV, Eau Claire, WI (listed 3/24/19)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (relisted 3/31/19)

Other News Management Openings:

Listed 4/21/19:

WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital Executive Producer)

Listed 4/21/19:

WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/31/19:

WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital Content Executive Producer)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/17/19:

WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/10/19:

WKRG, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/3/19:

KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV Digital Executive Producer)

Names in the News (and other items):

Hubbard

KGO-TV, the ABC owned station in San Francisco, has hired JOSH HUBBARD as Assistant News Director. ND TRACEY WATKOWSKI told the staff in this email. Josh has held the same job at Tegna’s KHOU-TV in Houston for the past four years. He’s no stranger to the west coast…he interned at Tech TV in San Francisco and worked in Sacramento for six years. He’s also worked in Denver, Syracuse, and Plattsburgh, NY.

Kachinsky

NOELLE KACHINSKY joins Spectrum News Charlotte as its new executive producer. She’s been an EP at WAVY-TV in Norfolk for the past year and has worked in a number of different stations as described on her Linkedin page.

At WQOW-TV in Wausau, Eau Claire, WI…anchor STEPHEN KELLY has added executive producer responsibilities to his anchor assignment for that Quincy owned ABC affiliate. He’s worked there since 2006 and anchors the 10:00 PM news.

Is it just me, or does it seem like everyone announces award winners at the same time? For instance:

The Peabody Award winners for news were announced. KING-TV in Seattle and WAGA-TV in Atlanta were (if my scrutiny of the list is correct) the only local TV station winners.

RTDNA revealed its regional Edward R. Murrow Awards this week.

And SPJ released the names of winners of the Sigma Delta Chi awards honoring exceptional professional journalism produced in 2018. Delighted to share with you that my long-time client CHRIS HALSNE and his team at KDVR/KWGN-TV in Denver were honored for large market investigative journalism.

General Manager News and Notes:

JOHN COCHRANE will be the next GM for WCAV-TV (Charlottesville, VA) once the company completes the purchase from Gray TV.

And apologies to JIM DOTY, the new GM for KERO-TV in Bakersfield, CA, whose first name I screwed up in reporting his appointment last week.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 28, 2019:

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

Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KXTV 400 Broadway Sacramento, CA 95818
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KGW-TV 1501 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97201
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
KULX-TV 314 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 **
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WSPA-TV 250 International Dr. Spartanburg, SC 29303
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfield Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33407
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WHBQ-TV 485 S. Highland. Memphis, TN 38111
WOWK-TV 350 Quarrier St, Charleston, WV 25301
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
WROC-TV 201 Humboldt St. Rochester, NY 14610
WGME-TV 81 Northport Drive. Portland, ME 04103
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
WECT-TV 322 Shipyard Blvd, Wilmington, NC 28412
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WICU/WSEE-TV 3514 State St. Erie, PA 16508 (see ad above!)
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd Gainesville, FL 32606
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
WJMN-TV 3165 Wright Street, Suite 101 Marquette, MI 49855

**: Spanish language station

April 21, 2019

Greetings:

If you celebrated Easter or Passover this weekend, I hope your holidays were pleasant.

I suspect the weekend was pleasant for the TWO people who received news director appointments last week. And we have TWO new openings as well, leaving our count of open ND jobs at 29.

There’s ONE new Paid Help Wanted ad for an Assistant ND job in upstate New York.

Pleased to have no new obituaries, though we do have funeral/memorial information for TWO people whose deaths we told you about in our last edition.

TWO general managers are leaving network owned stations…ONE a retirement and ONE is not. And there’s a new GM at a medium market California station.

And we have a number of items in Names in the News including big awards for TWO journalism professors who…if they didn’t teach you…almost certainly taught someone you’ve worked with.

One note: due to an computer burp I lost some items that I’d intended to include in this week’s report. If you sent me something and I didn’t not publish it, that’s likely why. Feel free to re-send it.

Read on for this week’s details.

Newly Named News Directors: 

Settle

NEWS 12 NEW JERSEY, Edison, NJ…JEREMY SETTLE will be the next news director for this 24 hour cable news operation owned by Altice. Here’s the staff note from the man he will replace, RANDAL STANLEY, who is now the VP/Operations for News 12 Networks. Jeremy’s been the AND here for six years, and earlier worked for Fox News Channel and NewsChannel 8 in Washington and for stations in Washington, DC, Wilkes-Barre, PA and Charlottesville, VA.

Saxon

WBTV, Charlotte, NC…congratulations to 15 year station veteran KIM SAXON who’s been named news director for this Gray Television owned CBS affiliate. She’s been the Assistant ND here for the past five years, and an EP and producer before that. Kim also spent four years as a broadcaster in the Air Force. She replaces DENNIS MILLIGAN who is retiring to his family farm after 18 years as ND for WBTV. He’s a former ND at WCBD-TV in Charleston, SC, and worked in San Francisco, Fresno and Bakersfield after beginning his career in radio.

New News Director Openings: 

KULX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT…this Telemundo station is advertising for a new news director.

Paras

WGFL-TV, Gainesville, FL…ANDY PARAS is leaving this Sinclair Broadcasting operated CBS affiliate (it’s owned by New Age Media) after two years as ND. Andy tells me he will share his next destination soon…and we’ll bring that to you when he does. Before WGFL, Andy was the Content Manager for WCIV-TV in Charleston, SC. That was his first TV job: he began as a reporter and later became Social Media Editor for the Charleston newspaper.

Assistant News Director, WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY:

WHEC-TV (News10NBC), Rochester, NY a Hubbard Broadcasting station which is a family owned business, is looking for an Assistant News Director. You must be passionate and have a strong desire to teach, lead and learn with our award winning News Team. Previous experience as an Executive Producer in a Top 40 market preferred. You must be good with multitasking and prioritization in order to meet deadlines. As Assistant News Director, you will help direct and manage overall efforts of the news department and be part of a dynamic news team.

We produce 5 1/2 hours of news each weekday on television. Our television and digital content is marked by outstanding breaking news coverage, living our First Alert Weather brand, and reporters who dig, producing investigative reporting as a part of our daily journalism. Our digital team consistently ranks #1 in viewer engagement, attributable to strong story-telling. Candidate should have strong producing and writing skills.

We have built a team that is driven by excellence in journalism across all platforms. This year News10NBC won the national Edward R, Murrow Award for Best Newscast.

As a Hubbard Rochester, NY employee, you are surrounded by opportunities for growth while working with some of the very best talent in the industry. A welcoming hometown and a high performance workplace awaits at News10NBC. Rochester, NY is home to premier colleges and universities, and is a culturally lively community that offers a wonderful place to live.

To view the detailed posting and apply go to https://hubbardbroadcasting.com.

No phone calls please. EOE.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KTVT-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 2/10/19)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (relisted 2/3/19)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 3/31/19)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 3/17/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 3/3/19)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/3/19)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (new listing this week)
KARK-TV, Little Rock, AR (listed 4/14/19)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (new listing this week, see ad above!)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 3/10/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 3/10/19)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (listed 3/24/19)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 3/31/19)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 3/31/19)
Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC (listed 2/24/19)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted this week)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 3/10/19)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Digital EP, listed 3/10/19)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Nightside EP, listed 3/31/19)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/31/19)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 3/3/19)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 3/31/19)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (relisted 3/10/19)
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (listed 3/3/19)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/31/19)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 3/10/19)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 3/24/19)
KEYT-KCOY-KKFX-TV, Santa Barbara, CA (listed 3/31/19)
WQOW-TV, Eau Claire, WI (listed 3/24/19)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (relisted 3/31/19)

Other News Management Openings:

New Listing this week:

WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital Executive Producer)

Listed 4/21/19:

WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/31/19:

WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital Content Executive Producer)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/17/19:

WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/10/19:

WKRG, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/3/19:

Rocky Mountain Public Media, Denver, CO (Chief Content Officer)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV Digital Executive Producer)

Obituaries:

While we have no new obituaries this week, we do have memorial or funeral arrangements for two people whose passing we reported last week.

Price

Visitation will be held next Thursday, April 25th, and a funeral service will be held next Friday, April 26th, for longtime Associated Press executive (and five time local news director) LARRY PRICE. Complete details about times, locations (and a lot of details about Larry’s life and career as well as memorial suggestions) are in this obituary. We told you last week that Larry lost his battle with cancer at the age of 71.

And a Catholic mass will be held Tuesday, April 23, at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church, 21682 Lake Forest Drive, Lake Forest, CA, for KNBC-TV (Los Angeles) producer STEVE GARCIA who died last week at the age of 51. Burial will follow at Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest. The family asks that those who wish to make donations in lieu of flowers send them to the California Chicano News Media Association at this PayPal account. Please write “Donation in memory of KNBC-TV News Producer Stephen Garcia” in the note line. CCNMA is a nonprofit organization known for awarding scholarships to qualified Latino students who are planning to pursue a career in journalism.

Names in the News (and other items):

Chiou

News 12 Westchester has a new assistant news director. PAULINE CHIOU joins the Altice owned 24 hour news operation from CNN International, where she was an anchor and correspondent. She’s also worked for CBS News, and for local stations in Boston and Houston.

Miossi

MOLLY MIOSSI has been promoted to Senior Manager of Editorial Operations at Scripps’ WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, She’s currently the Manager of Next Gen Content.

Former KSTP-TV (Minneapolis/St. Paul) news director and anchor STAN TURNER is back on the air in Minneapolis…on the radio. He hosted a popular program called the All Request and Dedication Show on a Stillwater station until that AM broadcaster went dark last year. Details on his new effort are here.

Two of my best friends…both college professors who may have taught you or someone you’ve worked with…received big honors recently.

Collins

KENT COLLINS, who retired last year after a long career on the Journalism Faculty at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is this year’s winner of the Edward L. Bliss Award for distinguished service to broadcast journalism education. The honor comes from AEJMC and will be presented later this summer at the group’s convention in Toronto. Kent spent about 35 years at Missouri (where he continues to organize the J-school’s broadcast recruiting efforts) and spent part of that time as ND for KOMU-TV. You can wish him well via an email to: collinsks@missouri.edu

And MAX UTSLER received the Tim Bengston Mentoring Award for his on-going stewardship of both current and former students during his 34 years at the University of Kansas. He’s pictured below along with KU Dean ANN BRILL and alum MARK MEARS who started the award. Max started his college teaching career at the University of Missouri’s j-school (full disclosure: I was in his first class and Max was best man at my wedding) He also worked for KPNX-TV in Phoenix and as Assistant ND for KSDK-TV in St. Louis. Max will retire at the end of the current semester, although he will continue to play baseball (not softball, btw), hockey, and work as a part-time official scorer for the Kansas City Royals. Your kind note can go to: utsler@ku.edu

Mark Mears, Max Utsler, Ann Brill

General Manager News and Notes:

Mauldin

STEVE MAULDIN, who’s been the GM for KCBS/KCAL-TV, the CBS owned stations in Los Angeles for almost ten years, will retire at the end of May after 20 years with CBS and 40 years in television. He’s also run CBS stations in Miami (WFOR-TV) and Dallas (KTVT-TV). More details in this story from Broadcasting and Cable.

Former news director (KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth) turned general manager (WVIT-TV, Hartford) SUSAN TULLY will leave that NBC o-and-o next month to return to Texas. Susan emphatically told me she is not retiring and shared this note she sent to her staff explaining WHY she’s returning to Texas. Susan’s a 28 year veteran of NBC stations, including four years as GM here, 14 years as ND at KXAS, and stints in both Philadelphia and San Diego.

JIM DOTY moves across country to become General Manager and Director of Sales for Scripps’ KERO-TV (ABC) in Bakersfield, CA. He’s spent the last five years as GM for Sinclair’s WJAC-TV (NBC) in Johnstown, PA. He’s previously worked in Memphis, Omaha, and Champaign, IL.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 21, 2019:

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

Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KGW-TV 1501 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97201
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
KULX-TV 314 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 **
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WSPA-TV 250 International Dr. Spartanburg, SC 29303
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfield Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33407
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WHBQ-TV 485 S. Highland. Memphis, TN 38111
WOWK-TV 350 Quarrier St, Charleston, WV 25301
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
WROC-TV 201 Humboldt St. Rochester, NY 14610
WGME-TV 81 Northport Drive. Portland, ME 04103
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
WECT-TV 322 Shipyard Blvd, Wilmington, NC 28412
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd Gainesville, FL 32606
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
WJMN-TV 3165 Wright Street, Suite 101 Marquette, MI 49855

**: Spanish language station

April 14, 2019

Greetings:

Always nice to see a few of you at NAB, even though my trip there was shorter than usual due to travel.

In this week’s report, we have ONE newly named ND, TWO new openings (both departures involving veteran NDs), leaving 29 stations looking for a new news director.

We have TWO items in Names in the News, TWO new general managers, and, sadly, FIVE obituaries.

All that and more as you read on!

Newly Named News Directors: 

Paulson

KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR…ERNIE PAULSON moves up at this Nexstar NBC/FOX operation. Details here. He’s been the Assistant ND there for almost seven years and earlier worked as a reporter there.  He also worked as an anchor/reporter in Oklahoma City and Palm Springs, CA. He made his first move into management as the Assistant ND for KNWA-TV in Fayetteville, AR. Ernie replaces AUSTIN KELLERMAN who took a corporate job at Nexstar’s headquarters in his native Texas.

One correction. In last week’s report on KELLY HATMAKER‘s promotion to News Director for Spokane’s KHQ-TV, we listed the wrong affiliation for the station. It’s an NBC affiliate. Apologies.

New News Director Openings: 

Jacobs

KGW-TV, Portland, OR…longtime Oregon newsman RICK JACOBS is stepping down as ND for this Tegna owned NBC affiliate. Rick told me that he and his wife have bought some land near the mountains and will build their home. He hopes to travel as well. A 20 year veteran of the station, Rick’s been ND since 2011, earlier had been an ND in Eugene, worked as a producer for another Portland station, and as an anchor/reporter in Medford.

Henning

WPEC-TV, West Palm Beach, FL…this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate has posted an opening for the news director position. My records show ADAM HENNING has been the ND here for just over three years. Adam’s also been an news director in Huntsville, AL, Gainesville, FL, Greenville and Wilmington, NC, and also worked in Mobile and Raleigh.

Thompson

And one update. We told you a few weeks ago that this search was on for a new news director for WJMN-TV, the Nexstar/CBS affiliate in Marquette, MI, though we had few details. We now learn in this article that ND CYNTHIA THOMPSON is leaving to take some time off. Cynthia has the Marquette hat trick having worked at three different stations in this Upper Peninsula market.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KTVT-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 2/10/19)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (relisted 2/3/19)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 3/31/19)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 3/17/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 3/3/19)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/3/19)
KARK-TV, Little Rock, AR (new listing this week)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 3/10/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 3/10/19)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (listed 3/24/19)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 3/31/19)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 3/31/19)
Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC (listed 2/24/19)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 2/10/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 3/10/19)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Digital EP, listed 3/10/19)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Nightside EP, listed 3/31/19)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/31/19)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 3/3/19)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 3/31/19)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (relisted 3/10/19)
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (listed 3/3/19)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/31/19)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 3/10/19)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 3/24/19)
KEYT-KCOY-KKFX-TV, Santa Barbara, CA (listed 3/31/19)
WQOW-TV, Eau Claire, WI (listed 3/24/19)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (relisted 3/31/19)

Other News Management Openings:

Listed this week:

WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (Digital Content Manager)

Relisted this week:

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

Listed 3/31/19:

WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital Content Executive Producer)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital Content Executive Producer)
WFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/17/19:

WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/10/19:

KOIN-TV, Portland, OR (Digital Director)
WKRG, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 3/3/19:

Rocky Mountain Public Media, Denver, CO (Chief Content Officer)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV Digital Executive Producer)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital Executive Producer)

Obituaries:

Too many obituaries this week.

Price

Funeral arrangements are still pending for longtime AP executive (and five time news director) LARRY PRICE. Larry lost his battle with cancer at the age of 71 on Fridy. His former AP colleague BOB YOUNG shared this obituary. Larry spent 25 years with the AP, and 25 in newsrooms, including ND jobs in Minneapolis, New Orleans, Providence, Albany, NY, and Portland, ME.

Garcia

KNBC-TV (Los Angeles, CA) producer STEVE GARCIA died this week at the age of 51. He spent 22 years at this NBC o-and-o in a variety of roles, often working on the early morning newscasts. Anchor COLLEEN WILLIAMS anchored this brief tribute to Steve on one of the station’s Friday newscasts.

Valiente

ABC News producer ALEXA VALIENTE was just 27 years old when she died this week. A six year veteran of the network, she worked primarily on 20/20 and Nightline, which aired this tribute to her. Alexa was graduated from Seton Hall University with a degree in diplomacy and international relations and loved to travel, with a goal of going to one new city every month.

RICHARD HAYNSWORTH BRIGGS died earlier this month in North Carolina. He was 79 and had been in declining health for several years. This obituary reports he was a former ND and anchor for WRDW-TV in Augusta, GA, and also worked at WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, SC.

Potter

Finally, we generally restrict our coverage to news managers and general managers, but I’ll make an exception as many of you know one of my best friends from college who lost his wife on Friday. JUDITH POTTER, wife of longtime Miami based network correspondent (ABC, CNN, and NBC) MARK POTTER, died Friday after a three year battle with ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed about the time Mark left NBC and he devoted himself to her care. Today’s Miami Herald has more.

Names in the News (and other items):

NEEL DHERE moves to Denver to become the National Executive producer for Scripps. He’s been an EP for KING-TV in Seattle, and has also worked in Jacksonville, FL, and Columbia, SC.

Ryan

College friend SCOOBIE RYAN (we worked together at the campus radio station at the Univeristy of Missouri) is now serving as the acting director of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism. In addition to her Missouri Journalism degree, Scoobie also has a law degree from Antioch. She’s been teaching at UK since 1996. Earlier, she reported and produced broadcast news in Indianapolis, Boston and Denver.

General Manager News and Notes:

Arguello

Denver’s Telemundo station has a new general manager. TATIANA ARGUELO will lead KDEN-TV. She began her career there as an intern 18 years ago and had been working as NBC Universal Owned Television Stations’ director of local and regional sales.

SUSAN WALTHER is being promoted from sales manager to general manager for Sinclair’s WGME-TV in Portland, ME. She’s worked in the market for 30 years.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 14, 2019:

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

News 12 New Jersey 450 Raritan Center Parkway Edison, NJ 08837
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KGW-TV 1501 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97201
WBTV 1 Julian Price Pl, Charlotte, NC 28208
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WSPA-TV 250 International Dr. Spartanburg, SC 29303
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfield Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33407
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WHBQ-TV 485 S. Highland. Memphis, TN 38111
WOWK-TV 350 Quarrier St, Charleston, WV 25301
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
WROC-TV 201 Humboldt St. Rochester, NY 14610
WGME-TV 81 Northport Drive. Portland, ME 04103
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
WECT-TV 322 Shipyard Blvd, Wilmington, NC 28412
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
WJMN-TV 3165 Wright Street, Suite 101 Marquette, MI 49855

**: Spanish language station