June 21, 2026
Greetings:
Thanks to those of you who reached out with tips after a slow week of news last time. Thanks to our readers, we have lots of news this week.
TWO new news directors were named this week, with TWO new openings
Our count of ND openings grows to 24.
TWO obituaries, including one of a former two-time network correspondent who was a key character in a (to me, at least) fascinating 1977 magazine article called The Great St. Louis Street Fight. (Fascinating to me because I started working in St. Louis shortly after it was published.)
Again this week, NO general manager changes that I am aware of.
Also this week:
- Near record attendance at this week’s IRE convention. It’s always a great conference and terrific to see old friends and meet new ones.
- Members chose new board of director members, with a growing representation by broadcasters.
- The conference was not without controversy coming out of an NBC meeting on Wednesday.
- A local newspaper goes in-depth on DuJUAN McCOY, head of Circle City Broadcasting which owns TWO Indianapolis TV stations.
- And we have news about managers taking new jobs.
A reminder, again, that we always welcome your tips about items worthy of inclusion. Let me hear from you!
We’ll be back next week.
Newly Named News Directors:
Gibilisco
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA…STEPHANIE RUIZ GIBILISCO returns to this Tegna/CBS affiliate as its next ND. Here’s the memo from Tegna’s JULIE WOLFE, VP/Content West. Stephanie’s been working out of TV for the last three years, but earlier had been both Assistant ND and EP there. Stephanie’s also worked in Omaha, Tucson, and Lincoln, NE. At KREM, she replaces JESSIE KANE who decided to step away from local news. She was ND here for six years.
WLFI-TV, Lafayette, IN…according to her Linkedin page, JANICE O’SHEA is the new news director for this recently acquired by Gray Media CBS affiliate. She’s also worked in Indianapolis.
New News Director Openings:
Tracey
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA…TRACEY WATKOWSI is leaving this ABC o-and-o after 14 years as news director and an earlier seven years as the Assistant ND. Here are the memos that GM DAVID WURTZEL and Tracy sent the staff. Her time at KGO was split by her 5 1/2 years as ND for sister o-and-o KFSN-TV in Fresno. She also worked in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and at CNN in Atlanta.
Dancy
KNBN-TV, Rapid City, SD…CHRIS DANCY is retiring after just over ten years at this Forum Communications NBC affiliate. He began his career working for NBC NewsChannel, both in Charlotte and the Washington bureau for more than ten years. and spent the next 14 years working in PR for two aviation associations. Some of you may remember Chris’ father, JOHN DANCY, a longtime NBC correspondent.
Help Wanted Ads:
No ads this week. There’s no better place to advertise your news management openings. Email me for details.
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (listed 5/25/26)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 6/7/26)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC listed 5/25/26)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (relisted 5/17/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 5/25/26)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, listed 5/10/26)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (Boston market) (listed 5/17/26)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 6/21/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 6/7/26)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 4/19/26)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 5/17/26)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Lifestyle Show EP, listed 6/7/26)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted 5/17/26)
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 5/17/26)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 6/21/26)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 4/19/26)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 6/21/26)
WPBF-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 5/17/26)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (listed 5/17/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 5/17/26)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 6/7/26)
WBBH-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 5/17/26)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 5/17/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 6/21/26)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 4/19/26)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 5/17/26)
WFXR/WWCW-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 6/7/26)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, listed 5/25/26)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 6/21/26)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (listed 6/14/26)
WETM-TV, Elmira, NY (Digital EP, listed 5/2/26)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 6/7/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Relisted 4/19/26:
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (Digital Director)
Listed 5/31/26:
Hubbard DC, Washington, DC (Market President)
Listed 5/25/26:
KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO (General Manager)
Arizona PBS, Phoenix, AZ (Dir. of News & Public Affairs)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (Executive Reporter)
Listed 5/3/26:
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Senior Producer, Nighttime Newscast)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Newscast Producer)
Relisted 4/19/26:
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (Digital Director)
Listed 4/12/26:
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (GM of Student Broadcast Media and Instructor)
Obituaries:
Ryan
Our Monday update reported the passing of former Post-Newsweek CEO BILL RYAN. He was 85 when he died last April. Bill was twice GM for WPLG-TV in Miami when PNS owned it, and was also a past chair of NAB. He also played professional baseball. Old friend STEVE WASSERMAN, who worked for Bill at Post-Newsweek, passed along these fun facts about his friend.
Gilmour
SANDY GILMOUR, who worked for CBS and NBC News, as well as local stations in St. Louis and Salt Lake City, died Tuesday from complications following a heart procedure. He was 83. More details about his career in this obituary. And he was a featured character in a 1977 St. Louis Magazine story called the Great St. Louis Street Fight. It’s a long but VERY entertaining read about a huge shift in St. Louis television.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
It’s always great to see so many news directors at the annual IRE conference, held this week in National Harbor, MD. Attendance this year topped 1,900 people, close to the record set in 2019 in Houston. A shout-out to Gray Media which sent more than 175 employees there.
IRE voters elected seven new members to the board of directors and the group is close to announcing a new executive director to succeed the late DIANA FUENTES.
A statement made at the conference by NBC executive ANZIO WILLIAMS about his company’s relationship with the Trump administration also made news. Anzio told me his comments were taken out of context. More about his remarks and a longer response from him in this story from The Daily Beast.
McCoy
The Indianapolis Star has this detailed profile of DuJUAN McCOY, owner of Indianapolis based Circle City Broadcasting. An Indianapolis native, DuJuan bought WISH-TV (CW) from Nexstar in 2019 and purchased WRTV (ABC) from Scripps in March, pledging to increase local content. But he was widely criticized for firing almost all the WRTV employees, though a few have since been rehired. Interestingly, he would not talk to the Star for its story.
Some personnel moves:
Vap
Veteran investigative journalist NICOLE VAP starts a week from tomorrow as the Public Affairs Editor at Colorado Public Radio. She wrote about her new job on Linkedin. She spent much of her career at KUSA-TV in Denver before becoming EP of Content Development for CBS News and Stations though CBS eliminated her job three years later. She’s also worked in Phoenix, Green Bay, and Austin, MN.
Yarbro
LATONYA YARBRO moves to WFAA-TV (Tegna/ABC) as the morning executive producer. Here’s the note from ND LESLIE McCARDEL to the staff. She’s been the nightside EP for KMOV-TV (Gray/CBS) in St. Louis and has also worked in Indianapolis.
General Manager News and Notes:
I’m not aware of any GM changes again this week. As always, appreciate your tips.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, June 21, 2026:
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
WPVI-TV 4100 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
KGO-TV 900 Front St, San Francisco, CA 94111
KMGH-TV 2323 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80203
KSDK-TV 1001 Highlands Plaza Dr. St. Louis, MO 63110
WKRN-TV 441 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37210
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St Baltimore, MD 21211
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WLKY-TV 1918 Mellwood Ave. Louisville, KY 40206
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KAKE-TV 1500 N. West St. Wichita, KS 67203
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KCEN-TV 215 N. 3rd Street Temple, TX 76501
KKTV 3100 N Nevada Ave, Ste B, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WHBF-TV 231 18th St. Rock Island, IL 61201
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KRIS-TV 301 Artesian Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KIFI-TV 1915 N Yellowstone Hwy Idaho Falls, ID 83401
KNBN-TV 510 North Cambell Suite 8 Rapid City, SD 57701
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station