February 17, 2019
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Patti M.
A memorial service for PATTI McGETTIGAN will be held this Saturday, February 23, 2019 from noon-3:00 PM at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. (If you don’t know the Lorraine Motel, shame on you.)
We told you this weekend that Patti, a former news director in Memphis, Indianapolis and Grand Rapids, had lost her battle with breast cancer. She was just 53 years old and leaves a daughter and son.
In our newsletter, we shared with you online obits from two of her former stations, WOOD-TV and WISH-TV.
WHBQ-TV in Memphis (where Patti had been ND until illness forced a medical retirement last December) also shared this tribute.
Plans for a memorial service in Grand Rapids are pending.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ***
ONE newly named news director.
ONE new ND opening.
And both moves involves the same person. We’ll fill you in below.
That means our list of stations looking for a news director stays at 30.
There are FOUR paid help wanted ads this week, including ONE for that new opening.
Sadly we have FOUR obituaries, including one for a three time ND who just left her last job on a medical retirement in December. And there’s an obit for the mother of a longtime CBS News marketing executive who many of you know.
TWO items in our General Manager section…including a new GM in St. Louis. In Names in the News, a promotion for a Meredith newsman and several news managers on the move.
All that and more below.
Newly Named News Director:
Laughrin
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI…JOHN LAUGHRIN proves you CAN go home again as he returns to his native Green Bay as ND for this Scripps’ owned NBC affiliate. He’s been the ND for WBNG-TV in Binghamton (more on that below) but earlier in his career was the ND for WAOW-TV in Wausau, WI. John now completes the Green Bay hat trick, having served as a former EP and sports producer for WLUK-TV and as a producer for WFRV-TV. At WGBA, he replaces JULIE MORAVCHIK who left late last year to become the Assistant ND for the new Spectrum News operation in Milwaukee.
New News Director Opening:
WBNG-TV, Binghamton, NY…you read just about that JOHN LAUGHRIN is leaving this Quincy Media owned CBS affiliate to return to his native Wisconsin as ND for Scripps’ WGBA-TV. He’s been here since 2016. You can learn more about this opening by checking out the Paid Help Wanted ad just below.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WBNG-TV, Binghamton, NY:
WBNG-TV in Binghamton, NY seeks a dynamic News Director to help guide our news department to new heights of journalistic and ratings success. This is an exciting opportunity to join a great team in one of New York’s most beautiful places to live.
The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing and maintaining market leading
standards for newsroom operations and content. Other duties include hiring, coaching, supervising and evaluating news personnel, as well as preparation and administration of newsroom budgets and capital requests. The News Director is expected to work closely with other department managers to achieve the company’s overall performance goals.
A minimum of 4 years television news management experience and a college degree in broadcast journalism preferred. Must be able to demonstrate strong working knowledge of community issues and sound journalistic principles. Must have the ability to make fast, accurate journalistic and logistical judgments.
If you have a passion for excellence, and a desire to lead the best local broadcast news operation in Binghamton, NY, we want to hear from you.
Please send your resume and cover letter to: rkrummenacker@wbng.com
Bob Krummenacker
General Manager
WBNG-TV
560 Columbia Dr.
Johnson City, NY 13790
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
WBNG is part of Quincy Media, a family owned company with television stations in 9 states. Throughout Quincy, positions are available for candidates with all levels of experience and the advancement you are seeking. Visit www.quincymediacareers.com for links to all stations and opportunities.
WBNG-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Assistant News Director, KTVT-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX:
Everything is bigger in Texas! CBS O/O in Dallas is looking for an Assistant News Director with a big personality to help lead a vibrant and seasoned team of journalists.
Must be collaborative, creative and an effective communicator. Must hate the phrase “we’ve always done it this way”. We are not ambulance chasers. We focus on hyper local, enterprise story-telling with an emphasis on long form investigative content. Weather is a priority.
Ideal candidate must be able to identify engaging content and guide the daily editorial conversation with respect and consideration. You must play nice in the sandbox. If this is YOU, we want you to join our winning team!
Responsibilities & Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, management or related field OR comparable television management work experience preferred. The candidate must have a proven ability to lead, coach, motivate and solve problems. Applicants should have a minimum 8 years of experience in a medium/large television market or network, with at least three years in management. A flexible schedule is required.
Senior Manager of Editorial Operations, WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH:
Hey Gevers friends,
I’m looking for a rare breed of journalist/leader; someone who has the skills and experience to run the middle of our newsroom in the middle of the day, and at the same time the digital chops to manage the people, platforms and processes that give life to our perennially-award-winning digital content.
We’re WCPO in Cincinnati, Scripps’ hometown station, and we’re the most decorated shop in the market for journalistic quality and innovation on every platform. In addition to 7 hours of weekday newscasts, we produce digital-only enterprise stories, podcasts, comics, documentaries and tireless investigations. We have the market’s only news helicopter, a significant advantage in breaking news. We have all the resources we need to win. What we need now is an experienced newsroom leader who works collaboratively with others to put it all in motion every day. We need someone with fire in the belly to move the newsroom quickly and accurately when news breaks.
This position is one of four co-equal senior managers who, with me, share overall responsibility for the entire newsroom. This position is perfect for someone who has significant experience in both television and digital, with breaking news and enterprise content. This position is perfect for someone with senior leadership experience and the ambition to be a news director in the near future.
You can read our more formal job posting here. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Chip Mahaney
News Director
WCPO / Scripps / Cincinnati
chip@wcpo.com
513-852-4040
Executive Producer, WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH:
A great station in a great town!
Cincinnati’s #1 news station has an immediate opening for a dynamic, creative, and bold Executive Producer. WXIX is seeking someone who is not afraid to take the reins, with the ability to use showcasing skills and production tools to make the newscast sizzle.
5+ years of line producing experience is required. Executive Producer experience is preferred. Must be a news geek and have the ability to find and dig for stories.
Qualified candidates will have experience working closely with digital team to create content on all platforms. Must be strong at multi-tasking and must possess solid people/management skills.
Qualified applicants, please apply online by clicking here and attach your resume and link to your most recent work.
No phone calls please. EOE-M/F/D/V
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KTVT-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 2/10/19, see ad above!)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (relisted 2/3/10)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 2/3/10)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 12/30/18)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 2/3/10)
WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 1/20/19)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 12/30/18)
WJHL-TV, Johnson City, TN (listed 12/23/18)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (listed 1/6/19)
KDLT-TV, Sioux Falls, SD (listed 1/13/19)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (AM EP, relisted 12/16/18)
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (relisted 1/20/17)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, relisted 1/6/19)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 1/13/19)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 1/20/19)
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN (AM EP, listed 12/23/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 12/23/18)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 2/10/19)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, relisted 12/2/18)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, listed 1/6/19)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 2/10/19, see ad above!)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 12/30/18)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (new listing this week)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, relisted 1/27/19)
WATE-TV, Knoxville, TN (TWO openings, listed 12/30/18)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (PM EP, listed 1/27/19)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 12/9/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 12/30/18)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (relisted 1/27/19)
OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
Relisted 2/10/17:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Editorial Content) See ad above!
E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (National Executive Producer)
WTOC-TV, Savannah, GA (Digital Content Manager)
Obituaries:
Patti M.
We have more information on the passing of PATTI McGETTIGAN, who died yesterday in Memphis of cancer at the age of 53. Patti was a three-time news director who left her last job at WHBQ-TV in Memphis last December on what she told me was a medical retirement.
Patti fought breast cancer three times over the last 14 years and also suffered a heart attack last fall.
She’d also been an ND at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, MI, and WISH-TV here in Indianapolis, and worked in Pittsburgh and Columbus, OH. WOOD-TV and WISH-TV posted tributes on their websites: Here’s WOOD’s, and here’s WISH’s.
(Update: After this week’s newsletter was published I found this obituary from WHBQ.)
Patti is survived by her 20 year old daughter, MOLLIE, and an 18 year old son, WILLIAM, and two sisters. Services are pending but most likely will be held in her home state of Michigan. I’ll add that to this website when it’s available.
Hennes
We also have more information on the passing of longtime KCEN-TV (Temple, TX) news director and anchor TONY HENNES. We told you earlier this week that Tony died on Monday of an apparent heart attack. We told just a few weeks ago that he was running for City Council in Texas. More details on his life and career…and post-TV career…in this obituary.
Howell
HANEY HOWELL, a former CBS Vietnam war correspondent who later taught for many years at Winthrop University, died Monday at the age of 75. He spent more than 20 years at Winthrop after a long broadcasting career that took him to Texas, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. You can learn more about his life…and the book he wrote about covering Vietnam…by clicking here.
Finally, GLORIA SEHRT, mother of former CBS News marketing executive THERESE DUKE, died last night after a long illness. She was 91. In addition to Therese, she is survived by five other children, eleven grandchildren, and six great-grand children. Mrs. Sehrt lost her husband of 63 years, FRANK, in 2015. Many of you know Therese, who spent more than ten years at CBS working with affiliates with her husband JOE DUKE. She also worked at WWL-TV in New Orleans. A nice note will reach Therese at: trezzyduke@gmail.com.
Names in the News (and other items):
Brown
GARY BROWN gets a promotion at Meredith, less than a year after he returned to the company as Vice President of News and Marketing. His new title is Senior Vice President of Content. Details in this memo from Meredith’s Local Media Group President PATRICK McCREERY. Gary’s a former ND in San Diego, Hartford, Providence, Toledo, and Steubenville, served as VP of News for Newport Television, and spent five years as an agent.
Araiza
Speaking of Meredith, its Atlanta station, WGCL-TV, has a new Assistant News Director. KAREN ARAIZA has been working there on an interim basis since the first of the year helping with Super Bowl coverage. ND STEVE DOERR notified the staff via this email. It’s a reunion for Steve and Karen…they worked together at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia. She also served as an ND in Portland, ME.
KATHY STONE heads south to become the new Assistant News Director at WKRN-TV in Nashville. She’s spent the last 20 years at WLEX-TV in Lexington, most recently as the Assistant ND.
GARRETT WEINDORF has been promoted to Assistant ND at Scripps’ KJRH-TV in Tulsa. He had been an EP for this NBC affiliate and earlier spent ten years at another Tulsa station.
Finch
Triton, the latest documentary from Washington & Lee Assistant Professor of Journalism KEVIN FINCH, will be shown later this month on the W & L campus. Triton is a nuclear-powered radar picket submarine that completed the first completely submerged circumnavigation of the Earth almost 60 years ago. Triton spent spent 60 days, 21 hours under water. Kevin’s a longtime Indianapolis newsman turned educator who served as ND for both WISH-TV and WRTV.
General Manager News and Notes:
Krueger
Tribune Broadcasting has promoted KURT KRUEGER to be GM of its St. Louis duopoly, KTVI/KPLR-TV (FOX/CW). He’s been the Station Manager since 2016 and has worked there since 1998 in a number of sales positions. More from the station’s website.
MARK CONTRERAS moves from Dean of School of Communications at Quinnipiac University to become CEO of Connecticut Public Broadcasting.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, February 17, 2019:
It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these may have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com
News 12 New Jersey 450 Raritan Center Parkway Edison, NJ 08837
News 12 The Bronx 930 Soundview Avenue Bronx, NY 10473
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KSTP-TV 3415 University Ave W Saint Paul, MN 55114
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
WHBQ-TV 485 S. Highland. Memphis, TN 38111
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave, Fresno, CA 93727
KARK-TV 1401 West Capitol Avenue, # 104 Little Rock, AR 72201
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
KGBT-TV 9201 West Expressway 83. Harlingen, TX 78552
WHNT-TV 200 Holmes Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35801
WHEC-TV 191 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
WGME-TV 81 Northport Drive. Portland, ME 04103
WAPT-TV 7616 Channel 16 Way Jackson, MS 39209
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Dr. New Bern, NC 28560
KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
WTVA-TV P.O. Box 320 Tupelo, MS 38802
KMBT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KAAL-TV 1320 Salem Rd SW, Rochester, MN 55902
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790 (see ad above!)
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
KREX-TV 345 Hillcrest Drive Grand Junction, CO 81501