June 9, 2008

Greetings:

Lots of activity to tell you about, with SIX new NDs named since our last report. And I show just ONE new opening.

You’ll see names of many veteran news directors in this week’s report, some because they’ve taken a new ND job, and some because they’re advancing in station or network management positions. And we’ll tell you about one long-time Tennessee news director who’s retiring at the end of the month.

My figures now show 23 stations with an opening for a news director.

As mentioned above, we have some interesting names in our Names in the News segment. And we’re re-running two ads this week, one for the ND job at a VERY strong Illinois station, and the other is a blind box ad for the news director’s job at another Midwest station.

All that, and more, after this week’s changes.

NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:

WSTM-TV, Syracuse, NY…PEGGY PHILLIP is leaving this Barrington owned NBC affiliate to become ND for Baltimore’s WMAR-TV. More on that move below. Peggy’s previously been a news director in Memphis and Tulsa, and has also worked in Chicago, Boston and Miami.

NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:

WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD…as noted above, PEGGY PHILLIP will be the next ND for his Scripps owned ABC affiliate. Peggy’s been the ND for WSTM-TV in Syracuse for the last year or so. At WMAR-TV, she replaces DAVID SILVERTSTEIN who left the station in March after about 18 months as ND. She becomes the fifth ND here in the last 5+ years.

WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN…SANDY BOONSTRA is being promoted to ND for this Landmark-owned (at least for now) CBS affiliate. She’s currently the Assistant ND there and has worked at the station for 18 years. She replaces MIKE CUTLER who announced his retirement Thursday, effective at the end of the month. Mike’s been the ND here for ten years, and was also an ND at KVBC-TV in Las Vegas. He’s also worked in Columbus, OH, Cincinnati, and at CNN. Join me in wishing Mike well in his well-deserved retirement after 34 years in TV news.

KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT…TOM BELL fills one of the longest running open positions on our list as he returns to the ND chair at this Newport TV owned-ABC affiliate. Tom most recently was ND at KPHO-TV, and previously worked as ND at WKBD-TV in Detroit. He also worked (twice) as an Assistant ND at KMOV-TV in St Louis. At KTVX, he replaces JON FISCHER who left the station in June, 2007.

KAIT-TV, Jonesboro, AR…HATTON WEEKS has been promoted to ND for this Raycom owned ABC affiliate. He has been the Assistant ND here, and replaces RANDY PARROT who left the station in March.

KTVM-TV, Bozeman, MT…we’re apparently a little late in reporting to you that ANDY KEMP is the new ND for this NBC affiliate.

KTVH-TV, Helena, MT…CURTIS GREVENITZ has bee named ND for this NBC affiliate. He replaces SEAN HARKNESS who left the station in February.

Finally, apologies to MANNY FANTIS whose name I misspelled last week in reporting his appointment as ND for KTVL-TV in Medford, OR.

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HELP WANTED ADS

NEWS DIRECTOR, WEEK-TV, PEORIA, IL

WEEK-TV, one of the best medium sized television stations in America has a very rare leadership opportunity!

We are seeking a News Director/Multimedia Content Manager who will be responsible for producing and managing great journalistic and visual content for WEEK-TV, Peoria, Illinois most honored broadcast, internet and related information outlets.

The candidate chosen will have an obvious enthusiasm for the future of local news in a rapidly advancing environment. She/he will carry on a 30 year tradition of news dominance guiding an outstanding award-winning veteran staff while recruiting and shaping future talent, using all tools available to new media. He/she will oversee a staff that produces and publishes innovative and compelling presentations for the web that will attract, engage and grow our viewers, users and subscribers.

The position includes operation of WEEK s WeatherPlus, as well as news operations for partner station WAOE, My59 (MyNetwork) WEEK is committed to the new frontier of video journalism as it serves our traditional business and new media.

Candidates must be capable of working in a collegial environment to achieve budgetary and qualitative yearly goals.

Apply to:

WEEK-TV Human Resources
2907 Springfield Road
East Peoria, IL 61611

or via email to: elouck@week.com

WEEK-TV is owned by Granite Broadcasting Corporation, an equal opportunity employer. We offer full benefits including medical, dental and eye care, life insurance, mathcing 401K plan, etc.

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NEWS DIRECTOR OPENING, MID-SIZED MIDWEST MARKET

A mid-sized market in the Midwest is looking for its next news director.

Are you ready to lead, motivate and manage a News Department

Do you have a producing background and understand quality, local, television news

Are you results driven

Are you capable of learning and growing too

If your answers are YES, then you may be the News Director we re looking for.

If your answers are YES, then we look forward to talking with you.

Send all the information you think we ll need to see and understand your abilities and possibilities to:

Blind Box Ad 5/30
c/o Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville, IN 46077

or via email to: NDad@rickgevers.com

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

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OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 5/16/08)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 5/23/08)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted this week)
WMTW-TV, Portland, ME (new listing this week)
KVIA-TV, El Paso, TX (new listing this week)
KHBS/KHOG, Fort Smith, AR (listed 5/9/08)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (2 Openings, AM and PM, listed 4/18/08)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 4/18/08)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis, MN (listing revised 5/2/08)
WOIO/WUAB-TV, Cleveland, OH (Nightside EP, listed 4/4/08)
KDVR-TV, Denver, CO (Weekend EP, relisted 4/25/08)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Morning EP, listed 4/18/08)
WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC (Nightside EP, relisted 4/18/08)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 5/9/08)
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 4/25/08)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (Morning EP, relisted 4/18/08)
WSYX/WTTE, Columbus, OH (relisted 5/16/08)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Dayside EP, listed 4/18/08)
WPTV, W. Palm Beach, FL (Dayside EP, listed 5/30/08)
WHP-TV, Harrisburg, PA (relisted 4/25/08)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (2 jobs, Dayside & AM EP, relisted 4/18/08)
KTUL-TV, Tulsa, OK (Nightside EP, relisted 4/18/08)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER of INVESTIGATIONS:

KCTV, Kansas City, MO (relisted 5/9/08)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN (relisted 5/16/08)

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NAMES IN THE NEWS

PRINCELL HAIR has been named Senior VP of News Operations for Comcast SportsNet. He’ll oversee news, studio programming, and digital content for Comcast’s ten regional sports networks. Princell most recently had bee VP/News for CNN, and is a former ND in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore.

One time news director JEFF HOFFMAN moves up the GM ladder as he takes over at Local TV’s WTKR-TV in Norfolk. Jeff has been the GM at Raycom’s WAFF-TV in Huntsville, AL. He was an ND in Louisville, ND and Station Manager in Columbia, SC, and has also worked in Philadelphia and Baltimore.

KPTV (Portland, OR) ND PATRICK McCREERY has assumed additional duties as station manager for this Meredith-owned FOX affiliate. Patrick’s been the ND here for four years, and has also worked in Toledo and Phoenix.

KSHB-TV News Director RICK ILER has been appointed to the RTNDA Board of Directors. He fills the spot held by STACEY WOELFUL who was voted Chair-Elect of the organization at the April convention in Las Vegas.

I’m sorry to tell you that RANDAL STANLEY’s mother died Tuesday, June 3, at the age of 66. Randal is the GM/ND for News 12 New Jersey, and has previously been an ND in Washington, Cleveland, and Buffalo. It’s been a rough year for Randal, who lost his father last February. His mother CAROL STANLEY, died at her Missouri home after a long battle with cancer. More details on her life and family can be found here. You can send your sympathy to Randal via email at: rwstanley@news12.com

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Please let me know about corrections, updates, deletions, and additions via email or telephone at the addresses and numbers below.

Here is the complete list of stations looking for a news director as of Friday, June 6, 2008. There are no guarantees that these jobs remain open. (These jobs are listed in order of market size.)

KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 KVEA-TV 3000 W, Alameda Ave. Burbank CA 91523 WGCL-TV 425 14th St. NW Atlanta GA 30318 KPHO-TV 4016 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix AZ 85017 WEWS-TV 3001 Euclid Ave. Cleveland OH 44115 KGTV 4600 Air Way San Diego CA 92102 KOB-TV 4 Broadcast Plaza SW Albuquerque NM 87104 KMPH-TV 5111 E. McKinley Ave. Fresno CA 93727 WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd. Albany NY 12204 KOKI-TV 2625 S. Memorial Tulsa OK 74129 WOWK-TV 555 Fifth Ave. Huntington WV 25701 WCSH/WLBZ-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101 WSTM-TV 1030 James St. Syracuse NY 13203 WAAY-TV 1000 Monte Sano Boulevard Huntsville AL 35801 WLTX-TV 6027 Devine St. Columbia SC 29209 KFSM-TV 318 N. 13th St. Ft. Smith AR 72901 KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502 WEEK-TV 2907 Springfield Rd. E. Peoria, IL 61611 (see ad above) KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 S. Beaumont TX 77701 KBTV 6155 Eastex Freeway #300 Beaumont TX 77706 KOBI-TV 125 South Fir St. Medford OR 97501 KPSP-TV 42650 Melanie Place Palm Desert CA 92211 KIDK-TV 1255 E.17th St. Idaho Falls ID 83404

Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com

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