July 18, 2009
Greetings:
Is it possible that no new news directors have been hired in the past two weeks? I’m not aware of any….if you are, please share the news with me via email at: rick@rickgevers.com
We do know of THREE new ND openings, bringing the total number of open ND positions to 21.
Also, last week we reported GREG CATLIN’s promotion to General Manager at WBNG-TV in the Binghamton, NY market, and listed that position as open. We were partly right. Greg is the new GM, but he is assuming those additional duties and continuing as ND.
There are two ads this week: one for one of the newly created ND openings, and the other a repeat of last week’s ad for a great new program from the Carole Kneeland Project.
Big changes MAY be afoot with the annual RTNDA conference. The organization is talking with SPJ about a possible joint conference with SPJ…that story is in Names in the News, along with the retirement of a longtime newsman and a new job for a former news director.
We also have the obituary of a mother of a former Missouri and Arkansas ND.
All that and more after this week’s changes:
NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
Geoff Roth
KSEE-TV, Fresno, CA…GEOFF ROTH is joining the journalism faculty at Hofstra University in New York. Geoff’s been the ND for this Granite owned-NBC affiliate since July, 2007, and has also been ND for another Fresno station as well as in San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Ft. Myers. He’s also worked in Pittsburgh, Washington, Denver, Miami, Richmond, and Jacksonville.
KBCI-TV, Boise, ID…YVONNE SIMONS is leaving to become the Assistant ND for WBTV in Charlotte. Yvonne’s been the ND here for more than two years, and has also worked in Las Vegas, Columbus, Raleigh, Norfolk, and Champaign, IL, much of that time as a reporter and anchor. KBCI is a CBS affiliate owned by Fisher Broadcasting. Learn more about this opportunity in the paid ad below.
WEAU-TV, Eau Claire, WI…this Gray Television owned NBC affiliate is now advertising for a new ND to replace JOHN HOFFLAND who passed away earlier this month.
NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
None that I know of.
**** ***** ****
PAID ADS:
NEWS DIRECTOR, KBCI-TV, BOISE, IDAHO:
KBCI-TV, Boise, is looking for a dynamic News Director with a passion for news, weather and interactive coverage. KBCI is the heritage CBS station in a highly competetive news market (DMA 112). Boise is the statecapitol, home to the largest university in Idaho, and one of the “top ten cities to live in” according to Money Magazine (2006).
Send resume and cover letter to hr@kbcitv.com.
EOE.
**** ***** ****
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
**** ***** ***
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)
**** ***** ****
OBITUARY:
Our sympathy to former ND (Kansas City, Little Rock) ND RICK ILER on the death of his mother, BETTY ANN GILLESPIE. She died Monday, July 6th at the age of 71. This obituary contains many more details. Your note of sympathy would reach Rick at: rick_iler@yahoo.com
**** ***** ****
NAMES IN THE NEWS:
Not really a ‘name in the news’ but worth reporting that RTNDA and SPJ are in discussions to hold a joint conference in 2011. RTNDA will hold its 2010 conference in conjunction with NAB in Las Vegas next April. The proposed joint conference would be held in the fall of 2011 in a city yet to be determined. More details in this news release from RTNDA.
Bob Feldman
Longtime AP executive and former ND BOB FELDMAN is retiring at the end of the month. Bob joined AP in 1992 after serving as ND in Scranton and Baltimore and was the longtime Assistant ND at WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. At AP, he helped launch APTV video (now APTN) and has served as the Northeast Regional TV Executive since 1996. He’s at the AP until July 27, so presumably your well wishes will reach him at: bfeldman@ap.org
Dan Weiser
One time Sacramento and Lancaster, PA, ND DAN WEISER is headed to DC, where he’s been named Senior Web Editor for the United States House of Representatives. He’ll oversee overall operations of five websites, include house.gov. Dan tells me it’s tough to leave California, but the move puts him closer to family. Dan’s email is: dan@weiser.tv
**** ***** ****
Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Saturday, July 18, 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
KSEE-TV 5035 E. McKinley Ave. Fresno CA 93727
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
KBCI-TV 140 N. 16th St. Boise ID 83702 (see ad above)
WMGT-TV PO Box 4328 Macon GA 31208
WEAU-TV 1907 S. Hastings Way Eau Claire WI 54701
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)