August 4, 2008
Greetings:
It’s been a busy week for ND movement, with changes in three top 20 markets.
In all, there are THREE new ND openings to tell you about and FOUR new ND hires to report, two of them in top 20 markets.
By my count, 30 stations are looking for a new ND.
You may already know that veteran Boston ND JIM THISTLE died earlier this week at the age of 66 after a long battle with cancer. We have links to the obituaries from the two Boston daily newspapers.
We also have details on new management jobs for several people, and happy news of recent weddings for two ND’s.
All that and more below, after this week’s changes:
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NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
CLTV, Chicago, IL…JILL MANUEL is leaving this Tribune owned Chicago area cable news operation to become ND for WEWS-TV in Cleveland. More on that below. She’s been the ND here for more than 3 years.
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY…ELLEN CROOKE has been promoted to Gannett’s WXIA-TV in Atlanta, where her title will be Director of the News and Information Center. She’s been ND here for more than six years, and previously was an ND in South Bend, IN for nine years.
KDBC-TV, El Paso, TX…RICK BAGLEY is leaving this Pappas owned CBS station after just more than a year as ND. As you’ll see below, he’s been named ND for KFSM-TV in Ft. Smith, AR.
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NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA…ELLEN CROOKE remains with Gannett as she moves south to become (as Gannett calls it) Director of the News and Information Center for this NBC affiliate. As reported above, Ellen’s been the ND for Gannett’s WGRZ-TV in Buffalo. She replaces CAL CALLAWAY who will remain with the station in a job that allows him to be more involved with day-to-day newsgathering. Cal was ND here for more than five years.
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH…JILL MANUEL will be the next ND for this Scripps owned ABC affiliate. Jill has been ND for Tribune’s CLTV for the past 3 1/2 years, and previously worked as an EP at WBBM-TV. At WEWS, she’ll replace STEVE HYVONNEN who left the station in March after 20 months as ND.
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR…RICK BAGLEY moves north to become the new ND for this Local TV owned CBS affiliate. We told you a few paragraphs above that he’s been the ND for KDBC-TV in El Paso for the last year or so. He replaces JAMES WARNER who left in May after one year as ND to take the same job at WCSC-TV in Charleston, SC.
KOBI-TV, Medford, OR…has filled its open ND job by hiring BILL KELLY, most recently the Chief Meteorologist for KPNX-TV in Phoenix. Bill worked as a meteorologist in the Medford market earlier in his career and wanted to return for family reasons. He replaces veteran ND DAN ACKLEN who retired…at least from TV…in April, after almost five years as ND here.
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OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 5/16/08)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 6/6/08)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 6/13/08)
WMTW-TV, Portland, ME (listed 6/6/08)
KVIA-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 6/27/08)
KHBS/KHOG, Fort Smith, AR (listed 5/9/08)
KRCR-TV, Redding, CA (listed 7/10/08)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (AM EP, relisted 7/10/08)
KPHO-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 6/20/08)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, listed 7/03/08)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 7/25/08)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis, MN (listing revised 5/2/08)
KDVR-TV, Denver, CO (Weekend EP, relisted 7/3/08)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 6/20/08)
WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC (Nightside EP, relisted 6/27/08)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted this week)
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 6/27/08)
WZTV, Nashville, TN (listed 6/20/08)
WSYX/WTTE, Columbus, OH (relisted 5/16/08)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Dayside EP, relisted 6/27/08)
WOAI-TV, San Antonio, TX (listed 6/20/08)
WHP-TV, Harrisburg, PA (relisted 7/03/08)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (Dayside EP, listing revised 7/03/08)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 7/03/08)
KVIA-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 6/27/08)
WGGB-TV, Springfield, MA (listed 6/20/08)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, SPECIAL PROJECTS:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 7/25/08)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KSLA-TV, Shreveport, LA (listed 7/25/08)
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OBITUARY:
I’m sorry to report the death of veteran Boston News Director JIM THISTLE. He died earlier this week after a long battle with cancer. He was the only man to have served as ND for three Boston TV stations. The obituaries from The Boston Herald and The Boston Globe have many more details.
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NAMES in the NEWS:
STEVE CHARLIER is assuming additional responsibilities as Senior VP/News and Operations for the management company formed by Tribune and Local TV. It’s all explained in this article from Mediaweek.
Former KOIN-TV News Director JEFF ALAN is suing that Portland, OR, station. You can read the details here. And you can see a copy of the suit by clicking here.
KTLA-TV in Los Angeles has two new Executive Producers: SCOTT WARREN is the new morning EP, while LIZ APPLEGATE is the new evening EP.
Best wishes to a prominent Lafayette, LA, news woman on her retirement, at least from TV. MARIA PLACER first worked at KLFY as a receptionist in 1966, became the first woman anchor in Southwest Louisiana and eventually became the first female news director. She’s taking a new job as Executive Director for a referral center for health and human services agencies.
Former WAAY-TV (Huntsville, AL) ND BEN BOLES is leaving this station after 13 years to take a job with local company working with digital media. Ben began as a photographer, worked his way up to ND, and most recently has been director of new media for the station.
Congratulations to two news directors who were recently married:
WESH-TV (Orlando, FL) ND BARB MAUSHARD married RANDY JONES in June. Randy works on the entertainment/marketing side of television. The couple met in Orlando. Barb has been ND there for about two years, and has also been an ND in Milwaukee and Ft. Smith, AR. You can wish her well via email at: bmaushard@hearst.com
And TRACEY WATKOWSKI, news director at Fresno’s KFSN-TV, married JIM SILVA in late May. Jim works in management for the Jamba Juice chain, but I can save you some time and trouble: there is NOT a discount if you mention Tracey’s name. (I asked. You can’t blame a guy for trying.) Tracey’s been the ND at KFSN since for two years, and previously worked in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati. Your good wishes would reach her at: tracey.watkowski@abc.com
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Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Friday, August 1, 2008. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com
KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
CLTV News 2000 York, Suite 114 Oak Brook IL 60523
WSNS-TV 430 W. Grant Place Chicago IL 60614 *
KIAH-TV 7700 Westpark Dr. Houston TX 77063
KPHO-TV 4016 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix AZ 85017
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AZ 85013
KMGH-TV 123 Speer Blvd, Denver CO 80203
KGTV 4600 Air Way San Diego CA 92102
KUTH-TV 525 South 300 West #1 Salt Lake City UT 84101 *
WPBF-TV 3970 RCA Blvd., Suite 7007 Palm Beach Gardens FL 33410
WGRZ-TV 259 Delaware Avenue Buffalo NY 14202
KMPH-TV 5111 E. McKinley Ave. Fresno CA 93727
WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd. Albany NY 12204
WOWK-TV 555 Fifth Ave. Huntington WV 25701
KSNW-TV 833 N. Main Wichita KS 67203
KWCH-TV 2815 East 37th Street North Wichita KS 67219
WCSH/WLBZ-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101
KYTV 999 W. Sunshine Springfield MO 65807
WSTM-TV 1030 James St. Syracuse NY 13203
WAAY-TV 1000 Monte Sano Boulevard Huntsville AL 35801
WAFF-TV 1414 N. Memorial Pkwy. Huntsville AL 35801
WIS-TV 1111 Bull St. Columbia SC 29201
KWWL-TV 500 East Fourth St. Waterloo IA 50703
WQAD-TV 3003 Park 16th St. Moline IL 61265
KDBC-TV 2201 E. Wyoming Ave. El Paso TX 79903
WEEK-TV 2907 Springfield Rd. E. Peoria, IL 61611
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 S. Beaumont TX 77701
KMIR-TV 72920 Parkview Dr. Palm Desert CA 92260
KTUU-TV 701 E. Tudor Rd. #220 Anchorage AK 99503
KIDK-TV 1255 E.17th St. Idaho Falls ID 83404
# indicates Spanish language station
Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900 (phone)
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
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