June 19, 2022
Friday, June 24, 2022 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Hello from Denver and the always interesting and valuable IRE conference.
We have another major market news director opening today.
Rodriguez
ERICA HILL RODRIGUEZ has announced that she is leaving FOX’s KTTV in Los Angeles, where she’s been VP/News since late 2019. Earlier, Erica spent 6 1/2 years as news director for KCPQ-TV (FOX) in Seattle, where she worked for 12 years in her second stint there. She’s also spent time in Chicago and Boise.
Erica’s Linkedin page has much more on her background.
We’ll see you Sunday with our full report.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
I hope to see many of you at the IRE conference in Denver later this week.
(Check the forecast if you’re attending…highs are forecast in the mid-90’s Thursday and Friday.)
To our normal business…TWO top 25 markets are among those with news director changes this week.
THREE stations welcome new News Directors while TWO have vacancies in the ND office, leaving 30 stations on our list of open ND jobs.
We welcome a new advertiser this week, SciLine. It’s a free service that provides experts from Universities for interviews on scientific topics. Check out its ad just below.
And RTDNA is advertising its upcoming conference, which is, by the way, here in Indianapolis, making it easy for me to continue my streak of attending every RTNDA conference since 1979. Despite what you may have heard, I am NOT buying you dinner while you are here. 🙂
Also this week, one new GM at a network owned station in California, an unusual email from the CEO of Standard Media, sent to employees at Tegna, a company it’s trying to acquire. Also…we recap the big news involving longtime talent search leader TALENT DYNAMICS and we’ll tell you about a new EP in Los Angeles.
EXPERTS ON CAMERA – A FREE SCIENTIST-BOOKING SERVICE
SciLine, a philanthropically funded, free service for reporters, regularly tees up articulate scientific experts from universities across the country for windows of media availability. Reporters can sign up to book 15-min, broadcast-quality Zoom interviews and use the resulting clips in segments and stories.
June 22: Ticks and how to avoid them (Dr. Jean Tsao, Michigan State University)
June 23: Water safety and drowning risk (Dr. Linda Quan, Seattle Children’s Hospital)
June 30: Inflation (Dr. Martha Olney, UC Berkeley)
July 14: Monarch butterflies under threat (Dr. Karen Oberhauser, University of Wisconsin)
July 26: Racial inequities in pregnancy-related death (Dr. Rachel Hardeman, University of Minnesota)
Sign up to get notified about new experts as they’re added to the calendar.
Check out SciLine’s other free services for reporters.
Follow @RealSciLine on Twitter.
Newly Named News Directors:
Parker
News 12 New Jersey, Edison, NJ…you learned in Tuesday’s UDPATE that TEISHA PARKER will be the next ND for this Altice USA owned 24 hour cable operation. She’s currently the the Assistant ND for Tegna’s WTIC-TV (FOX) in Hartford. More in the note from SVP/GM JACQUES NATZ. At News 12, she replaces JEREMY SETTLE who is leaving after nine years, the last three as news director.
Boone
WHNT-TV, Huntsville, AL…RICK BOONE is being promoted within Nexstar to become ND for this CBS affiliate. He’s been the news director for KARD-KTVE-TV in Monroe, LA (more below) and has worked in a variety of large markets. Rick is replacing PAUL CARON who transferred to another Nexstar station, WBTW-TV in Myrtle Beach, after three years.
Bottger
KCAU-TV, Sioux City, IA…congratulations to ANDY BOTTGER who’s been upped ND at this Nexstar owned ABC affiliate. He’s been the Assistant ND there for 5 1/2 of his ten years as the station. Andy replaces DAN DELGADO who left in May to become ND for KXXV/KRHD-TV, ABC affiliates serving Waco, Bryan and Temple, TX.
New News Director Openings:
Rosetti
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN…Tuesday’s second UPDATE told you that JEFF ROSETTI has left this Tegna owned NBC affiliate after 3+ years as ND. He worked here for eleven years, first joining as Assistant ND in 2011. More in this short note from GM MICHAEL BROUDER. Before WTHR, Jeff worked at CNN and in Washington, Tampa, Raleigh, and Jacksonville, FL.
KARD//KTVE-TV, Monroe, LA…you learned above that RICK BOONE is moving to sister Nexstar operation WHNT-TV (CBS) in Huntsville, AL. He’s been ND here for about 18 months. (Nexstar owns KARD and operates KTVE for…everyone join in…Mission Broadcasting.)
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
There are no paid help ads this week. Email me for details about how you can get your management opening in front of the most targeted audience available.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Digital AND, relisted 4/17/22)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 6/19/22)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (listed 5/15/22)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (relisted 6/5/22)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 5/15/22)
KENS-TV, San Antonio TX (listed 5/15/22)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (relisted 6/5/22)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo NY (listed 5/15/22)
WPRI-TV, Providence, RI (listed 5/22/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (listed 6/5/22)
WAND-TV, Decatur, IL (relisted 6/5/22)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (relisted 5/22/22)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (relisted 6/5/22)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (listed 5/22/22)
KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 6/5/22)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (PM EP, listed 5/15/22)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 4/24/22)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 5/1/22)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (relisted 5/8/22)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (listed 6/12/22)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 6/12/22)
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 5/15/22)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (AM EP, listed 5/15/22)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (AM EP, listed 6/12/22)
KMOV-TV. St. Louis, MO (Special Projects EP, listed relisted 5/8/22)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 6/12/22)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (listing revised 5/8/22)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 5/8/22)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 6/5/22)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Special Projects EP. listed 5/15/22)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 5/30/22)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 6/12/22)
WJAX/WFOX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 5/1/22)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (PM EP, listed 6/12/22)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham AL (relisted 4/24/22)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (AM EP, listed 6/12/22)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point NC (listed 6/19/22)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 6/19/22)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (listed 5/22/22)
WPRI-TV, Providence, RI (listed 5/22/22)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 5/1/22)
WBAY-TV, Green Bay, WI (AM EP, listed 6/12/22)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (AM EP, listed 5/22/22)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (listed 6/5/22)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (two openings, AM & PM EP, listed 5/15/22)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 5/1/22)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 5/22/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 6/5/22)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (relisted 5/22/22)
WRDE-TV, Milton, DE (listed 5/22/22) **
SUPERVISING PRODUCER:
KOMU-TV, Columbia, Mo (relisted 6/5/22)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 6/12/22)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 5/15/22)
KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO (relisted 6/5/22)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 6/12/22:
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (Director of Digital Content)
KVEO/KGBT-TV, Rio Grande Valley, TX (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 5/30/22:
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (Director of Digital Content)
Listed 5/15/22:
Spectrum News NY1 (Senior Producer & Senior Producer-Politics)
Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, MO: (Supervising Producer, Documentary Journalism Center)
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, OH (Digital Content Director)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (Digital Content Director)
WLAX/WEUX-TV, LaCrosse, WI (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 5/15/22:
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ: (Assignment Desk Manager)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (Manager of Real Time Depth)
U. of Mississippi, Oxford, MS (Director of Student Media)
Relisted 4/17/22:
WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH: (Digital Content Director)
Obituaries:
Harris
KING HARRIS, who served as both the news director and anchor for KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara, CA, for many years, died Tuesday night. He was 75. His former station remembered him with this on-air story. King also worked at KCOY-TV in San Luis Obispo as a producer and was a radio news director and taught journalism. The Santa Barbara Independent has more in a nice tribute.
Williams
Sorry to report the passing of longtime WPVI-TV (Philadelphia-ABC owned) producer and executive producer RICK WILLIAMS (not to be confused with the WPVI anchor of the same name). Rick retired in 2021 after 40 years at the station and lost a battle to esophageal cancer Thursday. Veteran WPVI anchor JIM GARDNER reported Williams’ death in this story.
Lucy
A 41 veteran of St. Louis’ KMOV-TV (Gray owned/CBS), DON LUCY, died unexpectedly this week. He was 63 years old and worked as a director for the morning news, which honored him with this story. Don was the longest tenured employee at KMOV, joining one year after his father (who started there four days after the station went on the air) retired. He also worked as a TD for Bally Sports, working Cardinals and Blues games.
Names in the News:
In an unusual move during an acquisition, DEB McDERMOTT, Standard Media CEO, sent a note to Tegna employees saying the company has no intention of cutting staff. Poynter’s AL TOMPKINS has more in an in-depth look worth your time. (I’m guessing I won’t be the only person saving this story.)
We told you Friday that former Meredith executives PATRICK McCREERY and GARY BROWN have formed Glass City Talent and are acquiring Talent Dynamics. Longtime TD principal SANDRA CONNELL will continue as President of the company, with Brown serving as CEO and McCreery leading business development and serving as an advisor. Lots more information in the news release.
Negron
Finally, WILLIAM NEGRON has been promoted to executive producer for Univision’s KMEX-TV in Los Angeles. He’s been the senior producer there, and formerly worked for KVEA-TV in Los Angeles and for television stations in both Houston and his native Puerto Rico.
General Manager News and Notes:
Crawford
MELINDA “MISSY” CRAWFORD is moving up within NBC to become GM for the company’s San Diego operations, KNSD-TV (NBC) and KUAN-TV (Telemundo). She’s spent the last ten years as the VP/Marketing for WNBC-TV in New York. She’s a California native who worked at KGO-TV (ABC owned) in San Francisco for 15 years. She replaces TODD MOHKTARI who was promoted to GM for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles earlier this year.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, June 19, 2022:
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
WBZ-TV 1170 Soldiers Field Rd. Boston, MA 02134
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis, IN 46204
KSTU-TV 5020 West Amelia Earhart Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84116
KTVX-TV 2175 West 1700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104
WITI-TV 9001 N Green Bay Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53209
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WTLV/WJXX-TV 1070 East Adams Street Jacksonville, FL 32202
WGRZ-TV 259 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14202
WIVB-TV 2077 Elmwood Ave Buffalo, NY 14207
WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701
KGMB/KHNL-TV 420 Waiakamilo Rd. Suite 205, Honolulu, HI, 96817
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WSAV-TV 1430 East Victory Dr., Savannah, GA 31404
KTSM-TV 3801-D Constitution El Paso, TX 79922
KRNV/KRXI-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502
KNDO/KNDU-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave., Yakima, WA 98902
KAPP/KVEW-TV 601 N. Edison Kennewick, WA 99336
KADN-TV 1500 Eraste Landry Rd. Lafayette, LA 70506
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KTVE/KARD-TV 200 Pavilion Rd. West Monroe, LA 71292
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KULR-TV. 2045 Overland Ave. Billings, MT 59102
KALB-TV 605 Washington Street; Alexandria, LA 71301
WETM-TV 101 East Water Street Elmira, NY 14901
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd North, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
**: Spanish language station