December 16, 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 UPDATE:

Valentine

MICHAEL VALENTINE, who’s been the news director for Belo’s WFAA-TV in Dallas since 2005, has been promoted toVP of Content for the company.  He’ll work from Belo’s Dallas headquarters.  Michael had earlier been the ND for the company’s WVEC-TV in Norfolk, and has earlier been and ND in Evansville, IN.

His promotion was announced Tuesday, just one day before the station won another Alfred I. Dupont Award for investigative reporting.  WFAA was one of four local stations honored, joining WSB-TV in Atlanta, WTVF-TV in Nashville, and Detroit Public Television.

We’ll have more on these stories and tell you about a couple of new news directors when we update the full newsletter later this week.

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Greetings:

We’re always happy to report when a News Director is being promoted to General Manager, and that happened with a Memphis ND this week. And her assistant ND was promoted to be the next ND there. That’s one of TWO new NDs to tell you about this week, while we have THREE new news director openings.

Our list of open ND jobs now totals 28.

We have help wanted ads for two of those open ND jobs, for two Assistant ND jobs, and for a producer opening at a station in New England.

We’ve updated our list of Other News Management Openings, and we have two news managers on the move in Names in the News.

And we have two obituaries: one for a former Maryland ND and anchor, and the other for the mother of a three time ND.

All that, and so much more (even I can’t say that with a straight face) after this week’s changes:

New News Director Openings:

KOLO-TV, Reno, NV…DAVE BEECH has left this ABC affiliate after three years as ND. Dave previously was an ND in Grand Junction, CO. His replacement will be the seventh ND in just over ten years for the Gray Television owned station.

KNOE-TV, Monroe, LA…this Hoak Media owned CBS affiliate is advertising for a new news director. My records show MARLA GILCREASE has been ND there since April, 2009.

KWES-TV, Midland, TX…MARK KURTZ is leaving this NBC affiliate to become the new Assistant ND for WAVY-TV in Norfolk. That’s the LIN Media-owned NBC station there. Mark spent almost four years as ND for this Drewry-owned station. He’s also worked in Waco and Corpus Christi, TX.

Newly Named News Directors:

Whitmeyer

KDFW-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX…as we first reported to you yesterday, ROBIN WHITMEYER will be the next ND for this Fox o-and-o. Robin most recently was ND for WSOC-TV in Charlotte, a job she left in February after eight years as ND and a total of 30 years at the station. At KDFW, she replaces another longtime ND, MARIA BARRS, who served as ND for 13 of her 17 years at the station. Maria left in August to become GM for KXTV in Sacramento.

Phillips

WMC-TV, Memphis, TN…TAMMY PHILLIPS has been promoted to ND for this Raycom-owned NBC affiliate. She’s been the Assistant ND there and has worked at the station for ten years. And congratulations to the woman she replaces, TRACEY ROGERS, who’s being promoted within Raycom to become GM of KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, AR. Tracey spent four years as ND in Memphis, and earlier was an ND in Huntsville and Paducah, KY. Tracey’s a Tennessee native and has also worked (for three stations) in Nashville.

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Help Wanted Ads:  

Senior Director of News, Central Florida News 13, Orlando, FL:

Central Florida News 13 is seeking its next great Senior Director of News. This person will be overseeing an award-winning team of journalists providing around-the-clock local television news coverage for viewers in the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, FL, market. The largest television newsgathering team in Central Florida needs a hands-on leader who can coach and develop talent, inspire a passion for excellence, and who thrives on new technology and innovation.

Previous News Director experience a must, along with a track record of aggressive and strategic news and weather coverage.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

** Developing news coverage strategy for 24-hour local news channel, web site, and on-demand products;
** Daily newscast analysis for quality control and program growth;
** Collaborating editorially with other stations within Bright House Network’s Local Programming Group;
** Leading and inspiring a talented and accomplished team committed to providing outstanding local coverage.

This is an exceptional opportunity to take your career to the next level at a station utilizing the very latest state-of-the-art technology. We have the finest tools available and an exceptional team using them. In the past year alone News 13 has won, among others, a national SPJ breaking news award, regional Edward R. Murrow award for its website, and a national Walter Cronkite Award for Political Reporting. The best candidate for this job will be a leader who appreciates the tradition of television news and who is also constantly looking for ways to establish new and creative coverage traditions for News 13 and its viewers.

Apply online at: www.mybrighthouse.com

Central Florida News 13 is an EOE – all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

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Assistant News Director, KDAF-TV, Dallas, TX:

Our non-traditional newsroom seeks a non-traditional manager to help us evolve our non-traditional news product in the nation’s 5th Market.

KDAF-TV, the Tribune, CW station in Dallas-Fort Worth, has an immediate opening for a Deputy Content Czar, aka Assistant News Director. The person hired will help us break old school TV rules as we pursue our non-traditional news audience while still maintaining Big J values.

We are looking for someone who leads by example and is equally comfortable producing for the web as they are producing for air. Primary duties include direct oversight of newscasts, work with producers and reporters to create compelling content, and work with our Content Czar to set the tone and direction for the newsroom.

If you have television news management experience, a strong Klout score, and social media skills that equal your journalism skills, send your resume and news philosophy to openings@the33news.com or snail mail to:

Content Czar
KDAF-TV
8001 John Carpenter Freeway
Dallas, TX 75247

EOE

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Assistant News Director, KTXS-TV, Abilene, TX:

KTXS Television is searching for an Assistant News Director. The ideal candidate would have 3 or more years of experience in television news. Some supervisor experience a plus.

The Assistant News Director will work closely with the ND, and play a major editorial role in the day to day operation. We’re looking for an aggressive journalist who can take charge of a highly motivated newsroom.

KTXS is a station that puts news first, we have the area’s only satellite truck, the market’s only live Doppler radar, and we’re the only station that broadcasts our news in High Definition.

If you’d like to be a part of this team, email your resume to: levesque@ktxs.com

or via mail to:

Assistant News Director Search
KTXS-TV
4420 N. Clack
Abilene, TX 79601

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Producer, WLNE-TV, Providence, RI:

ABC6 in Providence, Rhode Island is looking for a creative and energetic newscast producer who has the ability to juggle breaking and daily news. We want a producer who takes ownership of the newscast and understands relevant news content and viewer benefit.

Only producers with significant booth and editorial experience will be considered. Please send your resume by 12/31/2011 to:

Anne Marie Menard
Business Manager
WLNE/ABC6
10 Orms Street
Providence, RI 02904

No phone calls please. WLNE-TV / ABC6 is and equal opportunity employer.

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News Director, KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK:

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Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WFLD-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted this week)
KDAF-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 12/9/11 see ad above!)
WOIO/WUAB-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 10/14/11)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted this week)
WISH-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 10/28/11)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 10/28/11)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 11/25/11)
WTEN-TV, Albany, NY (listed 11/25/11)
WRDW-TV, Augusta, GA (listed 11/25/11)
KTXS-TV, Abilene, TX (listed 12/9/11, see ad above!)
KTVM-TV, Bozeman, MT (relisted this week)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

KYW-TV, Philadelphia, PA (listed 12/2/11)
The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (relisted this week)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (AM EP, listed 10/7/11)
KUNS-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 11/25/11) **
KTVI/KPLR-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted this week)
KPTV, Portland, OR (AM EP, relisted this week)
KOIN-TV, Portland, OR (listed 9/17/11)
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA (Dayside EP, relisted 11/25/11)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 11/11/11)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (AM EP, listed 10/28/11)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (PM EP, listing revised 8/12/11)
WPEC-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 10/7/11)
WPMT-TV, Harrisburg, PA (AM EP, listing revised 10/14/11)
WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 9/23/11)
WINK-TV, Fort Myers, FL (Dayside EP, relisted 12/9/11)
WBAY-TV, Green Bay, WI (listed 12/9/11)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (relisted 12/9/11)

Obituaries:

Borngesser

A one time Maryland News Director and anchor, BOB BORNGESSER, died this week of cancer at the age of 79. He worked for 19 years for WHAG-TV in Hagerstown. Bob also worked in Washington as a correspondent for NBC, where he went by the name BOB KEANE. He retired from WHAG in 1997. Bob’s survived by his wife, daughter, and several grandchildren.

Our sympathy to veteran news director ADAM BRADSHAW on the death of his mother.  INEZ P. BRADSHAW died Wednesday at the age of 88, less than a month after she was diagnosed with cancer. Mrs. Bradshaw was a retired school teacher for the Urbana, IL school district who also hosted a cooking show for the blind on the University of Illinois radio networks for several years. She is survived by her husband, Glenn R. Bradshaw, and 5 children, including Adam. He’s currently ND at KVVU-TV in Las Vegas, has previously been an ND in Rochester, NY, and Salt Lake City, and also worked in Los Angeles. Your kind note would reach him via email at: mrnews5@gmail.com

Names in the News:

TIM LIVINGSTON heads west to become the morning EP for KXAS-TV, the NBC o-and-o in Dallas/Ft. Worth. Tim’s currently the Assistant ND for WKEF/WGRT-TV in Dayton, OH. He’s a former ND in Toledo.

Who says you can’t go home again? JULIE JOHNSON has returned to KTUL-TV in Tulsa, this time as Assistant News Director. She worked for the station for eight years before taking a four year break, during which she worked in a variety of positions in town, including the Tulsa World and Cox.

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The Full List:

To the best of my knowledge, here is the list of stations with open news director jobs, as of December 16, 2011.

If you know of any additions/deletions/changes/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

NY 1 News                                             75 Ninth Ave. New York NY 10011
New England Cable News                160 Wells Ave. Newton MA 02459
WFDC-TV                                            101 Constitution Ave. NW Washington DC 20001  **
Central Florida News 13                  20 N. Orange #13, Orlando, FL 32801
KGW-TV                                                1501 SW Jefferson St. Portland OR 97201
WITI-TV                                               9001 N. Green Bay Road Milwaukee WI 53209
WLNE-TV                                            10 Orms St. Providence RI 02904
WACH-TV                                            1400 Pickens St. Columbia SC 29201
WICS/WICD-TV                                2680 E. Cook St. Springfield IL 62703
KHGI-TV                                              13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
KOLO-TV                                         4850 Ampere Dr. Reno, NV 89502
KCOY/KKFX-TV                              1211 W. McCoy Santa Maria CA 93455
KVII-TV                                                One Broadcast Center Amarillo TX 79101
KNOE-TV                                         1400 Oliver Rd. Monroe, LA 71211
WJFW-TV                                           3217 County Road G Rhinelander WI 54501
KRCG-TV                                            Highway 54 North Holts Summit MO 65043
KAUZ-TV                                             PO Box 25 Wichita Falls TX 76309
WFXL-TV                                             1211 N. Slappey Blvd. Albany GA 31707
KTUU-TV                                          701 E. Tudor Rd. #220 Anchorage AK 99503 (see ad above!)
WTOV-TV                                           9 Red Donley Plaza Steubenville OH 43952
KWES-TV                                         11320 W. County Rd. 127 Midland, TX 79711
KSWT-TV                                             1301 Third Ave. Yuma AZ 85364
KYMA-TV                                           1385 S. Pacific Ave. Yuma AZ 85365
KGNS-TV                                             120 W. Delmar Blvd. Laredo TX 78045
KKCO-TV                                             2325 Interstate Ave. Grand Junction CO 81505
KGWN-TV                                           2923 E. Lincolnway Cheyenne WY 82001
KSAX-TV                                             PO Box 189 Alexandria, MN 56308
WYIN-TV                                           8625 Indiana Place Merrilville IN 46410

** Spanish language station

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