July 10, 2009
Tuesday, July 13 UPDATE:
There will be no former funeral service for longtime talent coach FLO SIKES, whose death we reported below. Flo died Friday in San Diego, with her sister and daughter by her side. She had suffered for a while with complications from back surgery, but died of heart problems. Flo worked for many years for AR&D. Former AR&D executive ED BEWLEY offered these thoughts about his former colleague: Flo was a true character. For me, she was kinda hard to love but easy to respect. While she was a difficult friend at times, she rewarded friendship with deep loyalty, a keen sense of humor and dedication to whatever project we worked on together. Among other gifts, Flo introduced me to the phrase; “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” and used it as a mantra to her coaching clients. But, despite her pronouncement, she was indeed a perfectionist. She had high standards for herself and others. To this day, I hear her correcting my grammar – even in retirement. She taught me a lot, especially about performance, that I carried with me throughout my career. For that and her friendship I say, “bravo.”
Monday, July 12, UPDATE:
This week’s newsletter has been amended to reflect the accurate situation at WBNG-TV in Johnson City, NY. GREG CATLIN has been promoted to General Manager, but is assuming those responsibilities in addition to his role as News Director. Consequently, there is no ND opening here. We’ve moved that item to Names in the News below. Congrats to Greg and apologies for the inaccurate report.
Also, we now have a link to the obituary for former news director and news manager JERRY MORING whose death we reported in the newsletter below.
Greetings:
The floodgates opened this week and THREE new news director openings rushed in. And as far as I know, there are NO new news directors since our last report. All these openings are for jobs previously held by veteran NDs.
My count of open ND jobs increases to 18.
We have a paid ad for a new program from the Carole Kneeland Project. It sounds very interesting, and almost everything is paid for! Read on for details.
We’ve had too many obituaries lately, and this week is no exception, unfortunately. There are three: a Wisconsin ND, a former ND from Baltimore and Washington, and a pioneering talent coach.
We do have some good news…a new and healthy baby for a Minneapolis news director.
All that and more after this week’s changes:
NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
Donnellan
WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH…we told you earlier this week that BRENNAN DONNELLAN is leaving this Hearst-owned NBC affiliate after six years here. Before Cincinnati, Brennan was a news director in Syracuse. He’s also worked in Boston, Atlanta, Norfolk, and Columbus, OH. (By the way, please note it is now Hearst Television, not Hearst-Argyle, after Hearst Corporation took the company private.)
Forrest Carr
KRQE-TV, Albuquerque, NM…FORREST CARR has left this LIN-owned CBS affiliate after just ten months on the job. Forrest has also been an ND for WFTX-TV in Ft. Myers, KGUN-TV in Tucson, and WFLA-TV in Tampa.
KITV, Honolulu, HI…in another move we reported earlier this week, TOD PRITCHARD has left this Hearst owned ABC affiliate. Tod’s been the ND there since 2001 and had earlier been a news director in Madison, WI.
NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
None that I know of.
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PAID AD:
NEW PROGRAM AT THE CAROLE KNEELAND PROJECT:
Don’t be left behind. Apply today!
The Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism presents the New Media Leadership Forum: Leading Journalists in the Digital Era. This entirely new session for experienced, dynamic, and innovative news directors will be held October 7-10, 2009 in Dallas, Texas.
You can’t afford to miss these three days!
Thanks to our generous funders, this opportunity is nearly free for you. The Kneeland Project pays for all tuition costs as well as your hotel and several meals. You cover only your transportation and a few meals — we’ll take care of the rest.
This year, our goal is to unite some of the industry’s most seasoned, veteran news directors in a forum during which we hope you will both share and gain knowledge. It will be a three night, four-day event focusing on the dramatic challenges facing your news operation today. We will tackle such issues as:
- What the broadcasting world will look like in the next three, five, ten years and beyond
- How our process and systems need to be changed to meet the challenges of the next decade
- International journalism – what we can learn from the world
- How our newest customers are changing the face of our business
- Challenges and opportunities in times of change, including leading change, helping others find and maintain focus
- Leading Millennials
- Leadership and ethics in a 24-hour socially networked world
- A GM’s perspective
- Community journalism
- Creating positive newsrooms: proven systems that work
Most importantly, you’ll leave the program with a solid plan to guide your leadership decisions starting the day you return to your newsroom. This isn’t theoretical stuff that you’ll put on a shelf and neglect.
Our participants will be joined by some of the best & brightest experts in the country to help lead & facilitate the sessions, but they won’t provide didactic, one-way lectures. On the contrary. We need high-level expertise, insight, and experience like yours to make this the best, most useful forum it can be. You will teach as much as you will learn. You’ll also build relationships with fellow news director colleagues that we hope will endure and provide assistance to you for years to come.
It’s an intensive program unlike any other. It’s practical. It’s highly interactive. It produces long-lasting results. You’ll return to your newsroom refreshed and ready to tackle the sometimes overwhelming challenges news directors now face.
Click here for more information and to apply.
Only 18 news directors will be selected for this program. Apply today!
For additional information, please visit our website at www.KneelandProject.org or contact Stacy Baum, Executive Director, at: stacybaum@comcast.net
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OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (listed 4/25/09)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (relisted 6/19/09)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (PM EP, relisted 6/14/09)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (relisted 5/15/09)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Morning EP, relisted 6/19/09)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 6/19/09)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 6/14/09)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (listed 5/22/09)
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OBITUARIES:
John Hoffland
Funeral services were held this past Wednesday for WEAU-TV (Wausaw, WI) News Director JOHN HOFFLAND, who died suddenly at his home last weekend at the age of 64. John spent more than 25 years as ND for WEAU in two stints. He retired in 2007, went to work for an area radio station before returning to WEAU-TV last year. He also worked in LaCrosse, WI, Waterloo, IA, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. He’s survived by his wife and son. More details, including details on a new scholarship fund in his name, are in this obituary from WEAU.
I’m saddened to report the death of FLORENCE ‘FLO’ SIKES, a former talent coach for Audience Research & Development. I’m told she died yesterday in San Diego, but I have few other details. Flo was a school teacher who became one of the early talent coaches in television news. If/when I learn more, I’ll update the website version of this newsletter:
And former news director JERRY MORING has died. He was in his 70’s and had been battling cancer, though apparently his heart failed. Jerry had been a news director in Baltimore and Washington in the 60s and 70s, worked briefly for ESPN, and also worked in Houston and for several stations in New York City. He was a former GM of Metro Video News in Houston, and was once married to former NBC News executive JO MORING.
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NAMES IN THE NEWS:
Greg Catlin
Congratulations to GREG CATLIN who has assumed additional duties as General Manager for WBNG-TV in Johnson City, NY (that’s in the Binghamton market). He’s a former anchor who’s been at the station for more than 25 years. WBNG is a CBS affiliate owned by Granite Broadcasting.
And congratulations to KSTP-TV (Minneapolis) News Director LINDSAY RADFORD on last month’s birth of daughter SAMANTHA. She was born on June 14th, weighing seven pounds, 14 ounces, and is the second child for Lindsay and her husband. Samantha joins brother JACKSON who is 21 months old.
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Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Friday, July 10, 2009. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com
WNBC-TV 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York NY 10012
WDIV-TV 550 W. Lafayette Blvd Detroit MI 48231
KXLN-TV 9440 Kirby Dr. Houston TX 77054 ***
WTVJ-TV 15000 SW 27th Ave. Miramar FL 33027
WLWT-TV 1700 Young St. Cincinnati OH 45210
WOOD-TV 120 College SE Grand Rapids MI 49503
WZZM-TV 645 Three Mile Road NW Grand Rapids MI 49504
KRQE-TV 13 Broadcast Plaza Albuquerque NM 87104
WKRG-TV 555 Broadcast Dr. Mobile AL 36606
KITV-TV 801 South King St. Honolulu HI 96813
WAND-TV 904 South Side Dr. Decatur IL 62525
WFFF-TV 298 Mountain View Dr. Colchester VT 05446
WLNS-TV 2820 E. Saginaw St. Lansing MI 48912
WNCT-TV 3221 S. Evans St. Greenville NC 27834
WPBN/WTOM-TV 8518 M 72 West Traverse City MI 49684
WMGT-TV PO Box 4328 Macon GA 31208
KTEN-TV 10 HighPoint Circle Denison TX 75020
KSAX-TV PO Box 189 Alexandria MN 56308
(BOLD indicates new opening this week.
*** indicates Spanish language station)