December 3, 2010
Greetings:
Lots to report this week, not unusual for the first full week after a major rating period.
That news includes TWO new News Director openings, offset by TWO people named to fill ND positions.
That leaves our count of open ND jobs at 22.
We have lots of new EPs named in markets small and large, some updates to our list of Other Management Openings, a paid ad for an EP/Special Projects job in Milwaukee, and a few items in Names in the News.
There’s also a reminder about next year’s RTDNA conference, set for September in New Orleans.
That’s all below…after this week’s changes:
New News Director Openings:
KOIN-TV, Portland, OR…LYNN HEIDER has left this New Vision owned CBS affiliate after almost three years as ND. Lynn’s a former news director in Cleveland, Kansas City, and Jacksonville, FL.
Benz
News 8 Austin, Austin, TX…KEVIN BENZ is leaving this Time Warner Cable news operation after 11 years as news director. The station is about to re-brand itself as Your News Now. Kevin remains chair-elect of RTDNA and is responsible for planning next year’s convention in New Orleans. See below for a note from him about that gathering.
Newly Named News Directors:
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV…it was a short-lived opening. We told you just last week of the search here for a full-time ND as GM/ND MARY BETH FARRELL was going to concentrate on her GM duties. She wasted little time in promoting Assistant ND MATT McCONICO to be ND. Matt’s been there about a year, was previously an EP in Ft. Myers, FL, and has also worked in Green Bay and Eau Claire, WI. KRNV is an NBC affiliate, owned by Sunbelt Communications.
Maisel
KXII-TV, Sherman/Denison, TX…ANTHONY MAISEL has been named ND for this Gray TV-owned CBS/FOX duopoly. Anthony spent more than nine years as the ND for KDAF-TV in Dallas, and has also been an ND in Houston (Telemundo) Jacksonville, FL, and El Paso, TX. He’s been recovering from an accident for the past year or so which resulted in back surgery but tells me he anxious to return to a newsroom. At KXII, he’ll replace CHARLIE HALDEMAN who left the station in September. He’s now the ND for KPLC-TV in Lake Charles, LA.
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Help Wanted Ad:
EP, Special Projects, WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI:
Duties:
Produce demo-targeted, in-depth stories; research stories, set up and conduct interviews, log and write stories; work with investigative, health and consumer reporters on their projects; work with other departments to coordinate graphics, editing, and teases; post content to website; produce half-hour investigative, health and consumer specials; fill in as newscast line producer on occasion; and other duties as assigned by management; candidate must be willing to work odd, long hours and be willing to travel.
Skills:
Candidate must have strong writing and interviewing skills; knowledge of investigative procedures; ability to coordinate graphics, video and web content; and the ability to produce demo-targeted, in-depth, compelling stories; ability to work closely with others under deadline pressure; excellent written and verbal communication skills necessary.
Experience:
Minimum of three years news producing experience preferred; must have field-producing experience.
Education:
College degree with broadcast communication or journalism emphasis preferred.
Send resume and cover letter to:
Bill Berra
VP News
720 E. Capitol Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53212
or via email to: bberra@todaystmj4.com
Journal Broadcast Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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Other News Management Openings:
Assistant News Director:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 11/28/10)
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 10/3/10)
KMBC-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 10/22/10)
WBMA-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 10/22/10)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 11/14/10)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (listed 11/21/10)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (listed 10/29/10)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 8/20/10)
WCTI-TV, New Bern, NC (listed 10/22/10)
Executive News Producer:
WRNN-TV, Rye Brook, NY (listed 10/22/10)
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (AM EP, relisted 11/14/10)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (AM EP, listed 10/22/10)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (Nightside EP, listed 10/15/10)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 11/14/10)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Special Projects EP, listed 9/6/10)
WKRC-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 8/13/10)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (PM EP, listed 11/5/10)
WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 10/29/10)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 11/14/10)
KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (new listing this week)
KOKI-TV, Tulsa, OK (AM EP, relisted this week)
KSLA-TV, Shreveport, LA (Morning EP, relisted this week)
KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 9/6/10)
Special Projects Producer:
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (listed 11/28/10, see ad above!)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 10/10/10)
Managing Editor:
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (listed 11/21/10)
Digital Media Manager:
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 10/3/10)
Senior Manager News Operations:
Source Media Group, Cedar Rapids, IA (listed 9/10/10)
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RTDNA Convention:
This message from KEVIN BENZ, RTDNA Chair-Elect, who is responsible for planning next year’s convention in New Orleans:
Tag: So You’re Reviewing Your Budgets and Checking Them Twice…
Be sure to include the RTDNA/SPJ Excellence in Journalism: 2011 National Conference on the list! The “Excellence in Journalism: 2011” conference to be held September 25 – 28, 2011 in New Orleans, will host more than 1,000 journalists looking to add online and visual tools to their storytelling arsenals.
Dozens of sessions will be featured from extended leadership training for newsroom leaders to hands-on advanced media sessions, taught by the best in our business. To make sure you receive the education and training required to excel in your job, the Call for Programs is open and ready for your ideas! Please visit the conference website at: www.excellenceinjournalism.org, for more information.
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Names in the News:
In case you missed the announcement today, ABC NEWS reached back to its past by naming BEN SHERWOOD as its next President. Sherman’s a former EP of Good Morning America. He left the network in 2006 to write books. More in this story from the New York Times.
Lots of stations have filled vacant EP openings:
- KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA: CHARLES BERNARD, formerly an EP at KMAX-TV in Sacramento.
- KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA: BRAD LUCK, who’d been producing for KTLA-TV in Los Angeles.
- KENS-TV, San Antonio, TX: LaQUNTA DIXON, from sister Belo station, WHAS-TV, in Louisville.
- WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL: TONYA ESTES, who makes the journey to FL from KIRO-TV in Seattle.
- WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA: MIKE JANTZEN, who was Senior News Producer for WNEM-TV in Saginaw.
- KBAK-TV, Bakersfield, CA: JACQUELINE RAMIREZ has been promoted to morning EP from 5:00 producer.
And we have one new Managing Editor. That’s at WPTV, where NICOLE LEASURE joins the staff from WTVR-TV in Richmond, VA.
Schuler
Congratulations to Raycom VP/News SUSANA SCHULER who will receive RTDNA’s First Amendment Service Award at a dinner next March in Washington, DC. CNN’s WOLF BLITZER and Hearst TV President DAVID BARRETT will also be honored. Details here.
Finally, best wishes to longtime WLS-TV (Chicago) producer VICKI GIAMMONA who is retiring from this ABC o-and-o after a 32 year career.
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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 Friday, December 3, 2010.
If you know of any additions/deletions/changes/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com
KHOU-TV 1945 Allen Parkway Houston TX 77019
WCCO-TV 90 S. 11th St. Minneapolis MN 55403
KOIN-TV 222 SW Columbia St. Portland OR 97201
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46204
WTNH/WCTX-TV 8 Elm St. New Haven CT 06510
News 8 Austin 1708 Colorado St. Austin TX 78701
WJXT-TV 4 Broadcast Place Jacksonville FL 32247
WWL-TV 1024 N. Rampart St. New Orleans LA 70116
WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd. Albany, NY 12204
KMSB-TV 1855 N. 6th Ave. Tucson, AZ 85705
WNWO-TV 300 S. Byrne Rd. Toledo OH 43615
KVEO-TV 349 N. Expressway Brownsville TX 78521
WSBT-TV 1301 E. Douglas Rd. Mishawaka IN 46545
WJAC-TV 49 Old Hickory Lane Johnstown PA 15905
KSFY-TV 300 N. Dakota Ave. #100 Sioux Falls SD 57104
KVAL-TV 4575 Blanton Road Eugene OR 97405
WMGT-TV PO Box 4328 Macon GA 31208
KTKA-TV 2121 SW Chelsea Dr. Topeka KS 66614
WJHG-TV 8195 Front Beach Rd. Panama City Beach FL 32407
KTEN-TV 10 High Point Circle Denison TX 75020
KGNS-TV 120 W. Delmar Blvd. Laredo TX 78045
KFBB-TV 3012 Highwoods Blvd. Great Falls MT 59403