December 1, 2008

Greetings:

Befitting a holiday weekend, there are only a few changes to tell you about in our weekly newsletter covering the comings and goings of news directors and news managers.

There are TWO new news director openings (one in a top 15 market), while just ONE job was filled during the last week.

These changes mean there are 27 stations with openings for a news director.

Also this week, we’re sorry to tell you about the death of an award winning Special Projects producer in Indianapolis. That’s below, along details about a promotion for an Indiana news director….though he’s still keep the ND job, as well.

That and more after this week’s changes:

NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:

WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL…CHRIS JADICK is leaving this Scripps’ owned ABC affiliate to become VP/Communications for locally based Salem Enterprise Solutions. Chris has been the ND here for more than three years, and previously was ND at WAVE-TV in Louisville, KY.

KRCG-TV, Jefferson City, MO…GREGG PALERMO is leaving this Barrington owned CBS station after two years as ND. Gregg has also worked in Victoria, TX, Ft. Myers, and Minneapolis.

NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:

WRTV, Indianapolis, IN…SHELDON RIPSON heads east on I-70 as he moves from St. Louis to become ND for this McGraw-Hill owned ABC affiliate. Sheldon had been the ND for KPLR in St. Louis before that job was eliminated when his newsroom merged with LocalTV’s KTVI-TV. Sheldon had been at KPLR for ten years, and previously had been the ND for WMTV in Madison, WI. (We had incorrectly listed his Madison stop as WKOW in our emailed update earlier this week.) At WRTV, he replaces JASON HEATH who left the station this summer after three years as ND.

One more note. In last week’s report, we listed the wrong address for Chicago’s WBBM-TV, which currently has an ND opening. The new and correct address is listed at the end of this newsletter, in the complete list of stations with open ND jobs.

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OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 10/31/08)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (listed 10/3/08)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 11/21/08)
KHBS/KHOG, Fort Smith, AR (relisted 8/15/08)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

KPHO-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 8/29/08)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (Nightside EP, listed 9/14/08)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 9/26/08)
WFOR-TV, Miami, FL (Nightside EP, listed 9/26/08)
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA (AM EP, listed 9/19/08)
WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC (Nightside EP, relisted 9/19/08)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 11/21/08)
WZTV, Nashville, TN (relisted 9/26/08)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 11/21/08)
WHP-TV, Harrisburg, PA (relisted 9/26/08)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (Dayside EP, relisted 9/26/08)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 11/21/08)
KOLD-TV, Tucson, AZ (AM EP, relisted 11/21/08)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 10/03/08)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, SPECIAL PROJECTS:

KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 10/31/08)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KSLA-TV, Shreveport, LA (relisted 11/21/08)

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OBITUARY:

I’m sorry to report the death of HOLLY WHISENHUNT STEPHEN, the EP of Special Projects and Investigations for WTHR-TV here in Indianapolis. Holly died early Friday morning in Abilene, TX, one year to the day after being told her cancer had returned. She was 38, and is survived by her husband, JOSH STEPHEN, a photojournalist at WTHR. While she at WTHR, the station’s investigative unit was awarded a Peabody Award and a National Headliner Award, among others. Holly had also worked in Waco, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Memorial services will be held Saturday, December 13, in Abiliene, and on Saturday, December 20, in Indianapolis.

WTHR is establishing a scholarship through IRE in her memory. You can contribute by mailing a contribution (checks made out to IRE) to:

Holly Stephen Scholarship Fund
c/o Carolyn Williams
WTHR-TV
1000 N. Meridian
Indianapolis, IN 46204

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NAME in the NEWS:

ED KRAL is assuming additional duties as Station Manager for WSJV-TV, the Quincy Newspapers owned Fox affiliate in Elkhart (South Bend), IN. He’ll continue as ND, too, a job he’s held for more than eight years.

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Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Sunday, November 30, 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
WBBM-TV   22 W. Washington                Chicago IL 60602
WFTS-TV   4045 N. Himes Ave.              Tampa FL 33607
WWSB-TV   1477 10th St.                   Sarasota FL 34236
WSFL-TV   200 E. Las Olas Blvd.           Fort Lauderdale FL 33301
KDVR-TV   100 Speer Blvd.                 Denver CO 80203
WESH-TV   1021 N. Wymore Rd.              Winter Park FL 32789
WXIN-TV   6910 Network Place              Indianapolis IN 46278
KGTV      4600 Air Way                    San Diego CA 92102
KUTV      299 S. Main St. #150            Salt Lake City UT 84111
KMPH-TV   5111 E. McKinley Ave.           Fresno CA 93727
WEYI-TV   2225 West Willard Road          Clio MI 48420
WFTX-TV   621 SW Pine Island Rd.          Cape Coral FL 33991
WSTM-TV   1030 James St.                  Syracuse NY 13203
KDBC-TV   2201 E. Wyoming Ave.            El Paso TX 79903
WTXL-TV   1620 Commerce Blvd.             Midway FL 32343
KIVI-TV   1866 E. Chisholm Dr.            Nampa (Boise) ID 83687
KBAK/KBFX 1901 Westwind Dr.               Bakersfield CA 93301
WTVA-TV   PO Box 350                      Tupelo MS 38802
KNOE-TV   1400 Oliver Rd.                 Monroe LA 71211
KRCG-TV   Highway 54 Nortn                Holts Summit MO 65043
KMID-TV   3200 LaForce Blvd.              Midland TX 79711
KIDK-TV   1255 E.17th St.                 Idaho Falls ID 83404
WGEM-TV   513 Hampshire St.               Quincy IL 62306
WCAV/WVAW 999 2nd St. SE                  Charlottesville VA 22902
KKCO-TV   2325 Interstate Ave.            Grand Junction CO 81505

Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900 (phone)
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com

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