August 12, 2018
Friday, August 17th, 2018 UPDATE:
Greetings:
A top 20 ABC affiliate is getting a new news director.
McGarvy
It’s SEAN McGARVY, who will join Scripps’ WEWS-TV in Cleveland on August 27th as its next ND. Here’s the news release from the station.
Sean’s been the interim ND at WEWS since JEFF HARRIS left earlier this summer to become ND for Chicago CBS o-and-o WBBM-TV. It’s a move within Scripps for Sean, who had been the Assistant ND for KMGH-TV in Denver.
He first went to Denver as the Managing Editor for KDVR/KWGN-TV. Sean’s also worked in Indianapolis, several jobs in Washington, Des Moines, and Columbia, MO. His full background is here.
Another busy week…we’ll have all the details in our full newsletter later this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
Thursday, August 16th, 2018 UPDATE:
Two stories for you today, the first very sad.
Deana Reece
I’m very sorry to report the sudden passing of longtime news director DEANA REECE.
Deana, who’d been the news director for Nexstar’s WTWO-TV in Terre Haute since January, 2014, died suddenly this morning of an apparent heart attack. Nexstar’s VP/Local Content Development JERRY WALSH sent this email.
Here’s her bio from the station’s website and her Linkedin page.
She previously spent four years as an ND for WICS/WICD-TV in Central Illinois and, before that, was an ND at KVAL-TV in Eugene, OR, for seven years. She’s also worked in Rochester, NY and Columbia, MO, where she was graduated from the University of Missouri.
There’s no information yet on arrangements. I’ll add those here when I receive them and include them in this week’s full newsletter.
Our sympathy to Deana’s family, friends, at co-workers at WTVO.
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Passman
Happier news from Dallas/Ft. Worth, where LAURIE PASSMAN has been promoted to news director for KTVT/KTXA-TV, the CBS owned duopoly there.
Here’s the news release from the station.
She’s been the interim ND since ANDREA PARQUET-TAYLOR was promoted to Station Manager last month. She joined the station as Assistant ND in 2015.
Laurie’s a former ND in Albuquerque and has worked for two stations in Phoenix. Details on her Linkedin page.
More in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
A busy week as you already know from the FOUR UPDATES we published covering ND changes in big markets.
In all, there are THREE newly named news directors (all in top 50 markets) and FOUR new openings, TWO in top five markets.) Those changes move our list of openings to 31.
ONE of those openings is featured in a Paid Help Wanted ad below.
In Names in the News, a former Lansing ND gets a promotion at Fox News, a new Assistant ND in New York and new morning EPs in Tampa and San Diego.
Newly Named News Directors:
Miller
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, OH…it was a busy week for Tegna as it filled two jobs. ADAM MILLER was named director of content here. It’s a homecoming, as he grew up in Northeast Ohio and once worked at this NBC affiliate as a production assistant. But he’s spent most of his career at the Today Show. This Cleveland Plain-Dealer article details his background and changes to the management structure. DENISE POLVERINE continues as director of digital while JON ADKINS was promoted to director of news content. BRENNAN DONNELLAN had been the ND before leaving in March to pursue other projects after 5 1/2 years as ND and seven at the station.
McKinney
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV…TRACIE McKINNEY gets her first ND position at this Scripps’ owned ABC affiliate. She’s been the interim ND since MIKE DELLO STRITTO left in June to become ND for KOVR/KMAX-TV in Sacramento. Tracie most recently was the Assistant ND at Scripps’ WXYZ-TV in Detroit. She’s also held Assistant ND jobs for Tegna stations in Tampa and Norfolk, worked as an EP for two different St. Louis stations, and began her career as a reporter for stations in Virginia and West Virginia.
Wolfe
WHAS-TV, Louisville KY…the second Tegna ND job was filled by JULIE WOLFE who takes over at this ABC affiliate. She’s been the Assistant ND at Tegna’s WXIA-TV in Atlanta. More from the station’s website. Julie’s joined WXIA in 2006 as a multi-media journalist and rose through the ranks. She’s also worked for Tegna’s WGRZ-TV in Buffalo. At WHAS, she replaces DAVID SEALS who left the station earlier in March after four years as ND.
New News Director Openings:
Lyons
WGN-TV, Chicago, IL…JENNIFER LYONS has announced her departure from this Tribune owned station. She’s been ND here for four years, and worked here for 25. and is taking a job VP/Communications and External Relations for Catholic Extension, which supports and strengthens poor mission dioceses nationwide. Her note to the staff…as well as the note from GM PAUL RENNIE are included in this story from ROBERT FEDER.
Ginther
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX…the biggest surprise of a busy week came from the NBC o-and-o where veteran news director MARK GINTHER has left the station after three years. Dallas TV writer ED BARK has details. Mark has been a news director in Seattle (KING-TV, more than seven years) and Des Moines (WHO-TV, three years), spent two years at Dallas’ WFAA-TV as Assistant ND, and spent much of his early career in Minneapolis where he worked in both radio and TV.
Levy
KCTV, Kansas City, MO…SCOTT LEVY has left this Meredith owned CBS affiliate after two years as news director. Scott’s got his first news director’s job in October, 2012, at WETM-TV in Elmira, NY. Since then, he’s held ND jobs at WTAJ-TV in Altoona and WIVB-TV in Buffalo. He’s also worked for News 12 Bronx/Brooklyn, and in Dallas, Memphis, Oklahoma City (two stations) and Tulsa.
KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA…congratulations to TRACI ZERAVICA who’s been promoted to Director of Content and Marketing for parent company Cowles. She’s been the ND here for two years in her third stint at the station. (She earlier had been an EP and a producer, and then worked for Cowles stations in California which the station has since sold). Traci also spent two years as the Assistant ND for KATU-TV in Portland, OR. You can learn more about this opportunity in the paid help wanted ad below.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
News Director, KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA:
This won’t be your average News Director job posting.
Sure, we could talk about the “Spokane Surprise” and all of the cool things our gorgeous, growing area has to offer. Or we might highlight the state-of-the-art facility in the heart of downtown that inspires awe from our visitors. We could even mention that we’re part of a privately owned broadcasting company that doesn’t believe in the corporate top-down approach.
But why bore you with those details? Let’s get to the good stuff!
KHQ is on the leading edge of the content revolution, from technology to workflows to employee engagement. We also blow the competition out of the water when it comes to ratings. This gives us the license to try even more cool things. When was the last time you talked about staffing eGaming marathons on your local sports channel? How often have you game-planned customized OTT channels? When was the last time you approved a purchase order for the station’s own line of coffee?
Despite all of these unusual things, we are deeply committed to powerful storytelling. And we’re still about basic blocking and tackling. We need a strong leader who practices “relaxed intensity” (this is a real thing). We need a pied piper who can motivate and inspire generations X, Y and Z. And we need a skilled journalist who can deploy our robust staff in a way that ensures we keep our lead on all platforms virtually every hour of every day.
If this seems like “you,” please get in touch: newsdirector@khq.com
No phone calls please. EOE, women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 6/17/18)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (new listing this week)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/15/18)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 7/1/18)
WLOS-TV, Asheville, NC (listed 6/17/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 7/1/18)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (listed 6/24/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 6/24/28)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 7/1/18)
WALB-TV, Albandy, GA (listed 8/5/18)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (AM EP, relisted 6/8/18)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (AM EP, listed 7/1/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 7/8/18)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (Senior EP, listed 7/1/18)
KARE-TV, Minneapolis MN (listed 7/22/18)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (2 jobs, Special Projects & PM EP, listing revised 7/15/18)
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 7/1/18)
WOIO-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 8/5/18)
WBTV, Charlotte, NC (listed 7/29/18)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 7/1/18)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, listing modified 7/15/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 7/1/18)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM & PM EPs, listed 6/17/18)
KOB-TV, Albuquerque, NM (listed 7/15/18)
WMC-TV, Memphis, TN (AM EP, relisted 7/15/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Senior EP, listed 7/8/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (THREE EP openings, listed 7/8/18)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (listed 7/1/18)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 7/22/18)
WKOW-TV, Madison, WI (Senior EP, relisted 7/22/18)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (listed 7/1/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted this week)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 6/17/18)
Names in the News (and other items):
One time Lansing News Director CHERIE GRZECH has been promoted to Vice President of the Washington Bureau for Fox News. Details here. She’s also worked in Portland, OR, and Raleigh.
Flores
WABC-TV in New York has a new assistant news director. ELIZABETH FLORES makes the trip north from Miami where she’s been the Assistant ND at WTVJ-TV. In a remarkable coincidence :), she once worked with WABC ND CHAD MATTHEWS at WTVJ. Here’s the note Chad sent to the staff announcing her appointment.
KIRSTIN COOK has been promoted to Morning Executive Producer for WFTS-TV in Tampa, the Scripps owned ABC affiliate there. She’s been a morning newscast producer and previously worked in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA.
Another promotion to Morning EP comes at KUSI-TV in San Diego where ANDREA TOBIAS gets the nod. She’s been the longtime Senior Producer for this independent station.
General Manager News and Notes:
Again, I’m not aware of any changes again this week. A reminder that we always welcome your tips via email.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 12, 2018:
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
WGN-TV 2501 West Bradley Place, Chicago, IL 60618
KXAS-TV 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155
KTVT-TV 5233 Bridge Street, Fort Worth TX
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
KPIX-TV 5855 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KARE-TV 8811 Olson Memorial Hwy, Golden Valley, MN 55427
WEWS-TV 3001 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH 44115
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KATU-TV 2153 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232
WTNH-TV 8 Elm St. New Haven CT 06510
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Fairway, KS 66205
WWMT-TV 590 W Maple St, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WTKR-TV 720 Boush Street Norfolk, VA 23510
WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd, Albany, NY 12204
KOTV 303 N. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74103
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St, Dayton, OH 45409
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201 (see ad above!)
WOWT-TV 3501 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201
WTVG-TV 4247 Dorr St. Toledo, OH 43607
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
KION-TV 1550 Moffett St. Salinas, CA 93905
WRBL-TV 1350 13th Ave. Columbus, GA 31901
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
KHSL/KNVN-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
KPVI-TV 902 E Sherman St, Pocatello, ID 83201
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
WABG-TV 849 Washington Ave. Greenville MS 38701
**: Spanish language station