August 16, 2026
Greetings:
We’re a little earlier than usual this week due to travel. As I have often said, don’t get used to it.
TWO new news directors (including ONE who will oversee THREE stations in ONE market.)
TWO new ND openings (both in top 20 markets.)
TWO paid help wanted ads, including ONE for an EP job at a family owned station in a top 20 market, the other for a job which promises a good life/work balance.
NO obituaries or GM changes again.
And we have these stories.
- The National Edward R. Murrow Awards are announced. And an independent station won Overall Excellence for Large Markets. We have the full list.
- California’s Attorney General responds to DAVID ELLISON’s essay defending the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal.
- Nexstar is replacing many Tegna board members.
- Does the future show a single station broadcasting multiple networks in the same market? HANK PRICE thinks so.
- Some Names in the News, including an UPDATE on a news director who left news…but not her station.
- And we’re repeating our story from last week about a former Hearst and Raycom executive who made it to the FBI 10 Most Wanted List!
Those stories and much more below.
Newly Named News Directors:
Sullivan
WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN…AMY SULLIVAN will be the next news director for this Rincon Broadcasting owned FOX affiliate. She’s been the Director of News Coverage and Digital Content for Rincon since February, when she left her job as ND for KOKI-TV in Tulsa. Amy’s held a number of ND jobs as you’ll learn from her Linkedin profile. She replaces RANDY WARDELL who departed to become the ND for Nexstar’s WKRN-TV (ABC) in Nashville.
Parker
KATC/KADN/KLAF-TV, Lafayette, LA…a series of station ownership changes has resulted in Gray Media owning all three of these stations. JIM PARKER (who’d been GM and ND for KADN & KALF, which had been owned by Allen Media) will be Director of News for the triopoly. Jim sent me this note with more on the ownership history, and what he says will be an increase in live programming and that jobs will be maintained.
New News Director Openings:
Zugasti
WLTV, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, FL…Media Moves is reporting that YOLANDA ZUGASTI is out as news director for this TelevisaUnivsion owned station. She was apparently the victim of layoffs across many of the company’s stations. Yolanda’s been ND here since November, 2023
Schnell
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA…DEREK SCHNELL‘s been promoted to VP/News for station owner Hearst. (He’s been a Regional ND.) Derek’s been ND for this NBC affiliate since December, 2018, when he was promoted from Assistant ND. He’s a Hearst lifer: in 20 years with Hearst, he’s worked in Oklahoma City and Kansas City. He’s also worked in Columbia, MO. His replacement will be announced soon: Hearst typically does a great job of promoting from within.
Help Wanted Ads:
Executive Producer, KSTP-TV, Minneapolis, MN:
KSTP 5 Eyewitness News is the award-winning ABC network affiliate for the Twin Cities. Part of Hubbard Broadcasting, KSTP-TV is a longtime market leader, and is committed to excellence in all that it does-broadcast news with hyper-local coverage, important public service that deals powerfully with today’s issues, and now, more than ever, top-notch digital content, to reach our viewers and followers with information the way they want to receive it.
When you work for KSTP, or our other local, independently operated station KSTC, Channel 45, you will find yourself among dedicated, passionate people who work hard every day to improve our product and our community.
If you have the qualifications, and you are a person of talent and integrity, we invite you to apply!
KSTP-TV is currently looking for an Executive Producer who will be responsible for raising the bar on storytelling as well as pushing for personal, and memorable stories. This position will be responsible for story selection, cultivation, and crafting with reporters, anchors and producers.
If you are interested in learning more and possibly applying, please see: KSTPTVExecutiveProducer
Director of News and Public Affairs, Arizona PBS:
Arizona PBS – a licensee of Arizona State University – is expanding its news and public affairs content to better serve the fast-growing Phoenix and greater Arizona markets.
To do that, we’re looking for an experienced, strategic, and innovative Director of News and Public Affairs to lead our newsroom and public affairs content efforts across broadcast, digital, and emerging platforms.
The ideal candidate is a mission-driven newsroom leader who understands the evolving role of journalism, particularly that played by non-profit newsrooms and public media.
This is not a “business-as-usual” news leadership role. Our ideal hire must be an exceptional journalist, collaborative leader, and forward-thinking media professional who can guide teams through an evolving, multi-platform media landscape while maintaining the highest standards of editorial integrity.
The Director of News and Public Affairs will work closely with the Senior Director of Content to define and execute a strong editorial vision while leading a team of reporters, producers, editors, hosts, and student workers/interns. Key priorities include growing digital news audiences, working with the Senior Director of Content to develop platform-specific content strategies, as well as collaboration and innovation with other non-profit news providers in Arizona across broadcast and digital platforms.
This is a unique role in that provides a life-work balance in the news industry with generous paid time off for holidays and vacation as well as the added benefits of working at Arizona State University, which include: health, dental, and vision care coverage; retirement savings plans; and tuition reduction for employees and dependents.
To learn more and apply, please click here.
Position Closing Date: September 4, 2026
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WXIA/WATL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 7/26/26)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 8/2/26)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 8/9/26)
KFSM-TV, Fayetteville, AR (listed 7/12/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 7/26/26)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, relisted 7/12/26)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 6/21/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 8/9/26)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (AM EP, listed 8/9/26)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (listed 8/2/26)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (Special Projects Producer, listed 8/2/26)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul. MN (listed 8/16/26, see ad above!)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital EP, listed 7/26/26)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 7/26/26)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Digital EP, listed 7/26/26)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Multiplatform EP, listing revised 7/19/26)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 7/12/26)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 6/21/26)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, listed 7/26/26)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 7/5/26)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 6/21/26)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 7/26/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 7/26/26)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 7/19/26)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 7/26/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 6/21/26)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (PM EP, listed 7/26/26)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 7/26/26)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, relisted 8/9/26)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 6/21/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (listed 7/26/26)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 7/26/26)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (listed 6/14/26)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 7/5/26)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 6/7/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 8/16/26:
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (Executive Reporter)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (Executive Reporter)
Relisted 8/9/26:
Arizona PBS, Phoenix, AZ (Dir. of News & Public Affairs, see ad above!)
Listed 8/9/26:
WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (Digital Media Director)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Executive Reporter)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Executive Reporter)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Multi-Media Managing Editor)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Multi-Media Managing Editor)
Listed 8/2/26:
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (Story Desk Manager)
WNEP-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (Story Desk Manager)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Story Desk Manager)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Director of Multiplatform Content)
Listed 7/2t/26:
E. W. Scripps, remote in any state where Scripps operates (SVP of News)
Listed 7/12/26:
KSAT-TV, San Antonio, TX (Manager of Coverage and Content)
Names in the News (and other stuff):
Congratulations to this year’s RTDNA National EDWARD R. MURROW award winners. Here’s the complete list, with a shout out to the two Overall Excellence Award Winners: In large markets, Gray Media’s WANF-TV (independent) in Atlanta. And in small markets, Griffin’s KOTV (CBS) in Tulsa took the top honor.
California Attorney General ROB BANTA fired back to DAVID ELLISON’s essay in the New York Times (shared here last week) on the proposed Paramount/Warner Bros. merger.
In other merger news, responding to a court order, Nexstar has begun replacing Tegna board members who work for Nexstar.
Former GM and consultant HANK PRICE sees one result of all the M & A activity: stations will be home to two or more network affiliates: It’s already happening in markets as big as Miami and St. Louis.
Some Names in the News:
Last week’s story on a former Raycom and Hearst executive’s move to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List got, as you might expect, a lot of views.
In case you missed it, here’s the story on MARY CLAIRE McDONNELL’s rise (fall?) to infamy.
Kane
We told you earlier this summer that JESSIE KANE was stepping away from local news and leaving her job as news director for Tegna’s KREM-TV in Spokane. What we didn’t know then…but do now…is that while she stepped away from news, she did NOT step away from KREM! Her linkedin post explains her new role at the station.
After 12 years at this FOX affiliate (under multiple owners) SARAH KOLKER has been promoted to Executive Reporter for WMXI-TV in Grand Rapids, MI, now owned by Scripps.
General Manager News and Notes:
To the best of my knowledge, no GM changes again this week.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 16, 2026:
It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these m have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com
WPVI-TV 4100 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
KGO-TV 900 Front St, San Francisco, CA 94111
KMGH-TV 2323 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80203
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Miami, FL, 33178-2301
KCRA-TV 3 Television Circle, Sacramento, CA 95814
KTXL-TV 4655 Fruitridge Road Sacramento, CA 95820-5299
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
WWL-TV 1024 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70116
WREG-TV 803 Channel 3 Drive, Memphis, TN 38103
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E. McKinley Ave., Fresno CA 93727
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KCEN-TV 215 N. 3rd Street Temple, TX 76501
WCHS-TV 1301 Piedmont Road, Charleston, WV 25301
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WMAZ-TV 1314 Gray Highway, Macon, GA 31211
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KNOE-TV 1400 Oliver Rd., Monroe, LA 71201
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KCAU-TV 5993 Gordon Dr., Sioux City, IA 51106
KNBN-TV 510 North Cambell Suite 8. Rapid City, SD 57701
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station