March 17, 2019
Monday, March 18, 2019 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Sorry to tell you that a longtime general manager (and former news director) is stepping down for health reasons.
Vann
LES VANN, who’s spent the last years two years as GM of Meredith’s WHNS-TV (FOX) in Greenville, SC, told his staff this afternoon that he is leaving to concentrate on his battle against Parkinson’s. More in this email that Les sent me earlier today, which includes his email address for anyone wishing to send him a note.
In addition to WHNS, Les has held, by my count, GM jobs at eight other stations and spent 17 years in Champaign, Springfield, IL, as a news director and anchor.
That emailed note Les sent me did include one bright note…he’s being inducted into the Illinois State University Television Hall of Fame late this spring. That’s his alma mater.
One other note: about three dozen of you were nice enough to email me pointing out that in yesterday’s story about former Ft. Wayne ND DICK FLOREA‘s induction to the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, a typo turned ‘inducted’ into ‘indicted’.
He was not indicted.
Journalism is not a crime in Indiana.
At least not yet.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Is your bracket finished yet? 🙂
Our weekly list of news director and news management changes includes TWO new news directors and THREE new openings. See if you can find the common thread among the new openings. (To be honest, we’re making it pretty easy for you.)
The number of stations looking for a news director remains at 27. Check out the listing for ONE of those jobs, featured among our THREE paid help wants ads.
Sadly, THREE obituaries this week, including one for a former news director who just left his last post in September.
We’ll tell you about a big honor for a longtime industry maintstay. That’s among the items in Names in the News. There are several news managers on the moves, and we have not one, not two, but FOUR stories about former news directors.
Read on!
Newly Named News Directors:Â
Varner
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN…KIRK VARNER will be the next news director for this Hubbard Broadcasting owned ABC affiliate. Details in this news release. Kirk’s currently the ND for Nexstar’s WSPA-TV in South Carolina (more on that below) and has been an ND in several markets, held management jobs for cable news operations and once served as ND for ESPN. He replaces ANNE WITTENBORG who announced last December she would be leaving the station after ten years and three as ND.
Shill
WQOW-TV, Eau Claire, WI…KRISTEN SHILL is being promoted and will replace DAN SCHILLINGER as the ND for this Quincy owned ABC affiliate. She’s currently the Assistant ND there as you’ll learn in this memo from GM DAVE BOOTH. She’s held a wide number of jobs during her career there. We told you last week that Dan is retiring but will still do some work for Quincy.
New News Director Openings:Â
Careful readers will note a common thread in our THREE openings this week.
WSPA-TV, Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville, SC… we told you above that KIRK VARNER is headed north to be ND at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis. WSPA is a CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar.
Tortora
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY…JIM TORTORA is apparently leaving as the job is posted. He’s been there for more than three years, and is a longtime upstate New York news manager who also spent three years as VP/News and Station Manager for WGGB-TV in Springfield, MA. WROC is a CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar.
WJMN-TV, Marquette, MI…another apparent departure as this job is posted as well. My records show that CYNTHIA THOMPSON has been ND here for more than five years. Let’s say it together: WJMN is a CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar.
Also, please note the ad below for the news director job at KIRO-TV in Seattle, WA.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA:
KIRO-TV in Seattle seeks a dynamic leader with solid news judgment to oversee all aspects of daily news and digital content. The News Director will be responsible for leading an experienced news team of 115+ in the execution of top quality newscasts while growing audience ratings and our digital products. This station broadcasts 5.5 hours of local news each day.
As a part of Cox Media Group, KIRO 7 News is dedicated to straightforward breaking news coverage and informing the community in Western Washington. Our team at Cox Media Group is creating innovative ways to deliver news and information, tell entertaining stories and hold the powerful accountable.
The News Director will provide strategic and tactical direction for day-to-day news coverage, breaking news, special projects, investigative reporting, special event coverage for all distribution channels, including creating content for OTT channels.
You will supervise executive producers, producers, and managing editor in carrying out the organization’s policies and goals, and you’ll work collaboratively to integrate digital platform into everything we create. You’ll have the opportunity to grow and develop a diverse staff, to include identifying, recruiting and retaining top talent from a wide variety of sources.
Click here and apply to join our team, and help us build the future of media together.
Executive Producer, WJAR-TV, Providence, RI:
WJAR, Southern New England’s News Leader, and one of America’s most successful NBC stations, has a rare opening for an energetic and creative Executive Producer.
The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the production of relevant, compelling newscasts with high production value.
Strong news judgment, communication, and leadership skills are a must.
Rhode Island is a small state, but we play big, often competing with Boston on big stories. If you are looking to dive into management, or move to a bigger market, you can’t ask for a better shop.
Our team is experienced, hard-working, and driven to stay on top. We’ve been #1 for 70 years – we’re looking for someone to help keep us there.
As an added bonus, you’ll get to enjoy a spectacular restaurant scene, oceanfront views, and some of the best beaches in America. (P.S. We hear the football team that’s 20 minutes from our front door is pretty good, too!)
To learn more or apply, please click on this link:
Newscast Producer (Weekend), KNTV, San Jose, CA:
KNTV is looking for a highly motivated Weekend Newscast Producer with outstanding news judgment and digital skills, a sense of good production value, and the ability to pitch great stories for a highly competitive, high pressure newsroom.
The Producer will be responsible for producing a newscasts in conjunction with the Executive Producer, Assignment Editors, Reporters, Anchors, Writers and other Producers. They will desktop edit, write and produce news content for broadcast, digital and web platforms. Successful candidates will be active on social media and understand how to leverage those platforms for all stories in the show.
Qualifications/Requirements:
Basic Qualifications:
* A degree in Broadcasting, Journalism or related field
* A minimum of 3 years’ experience producing in a broadcast or cable news environment in a middle-to-major news market.
Desired Characteristics:
* Strong news writing skills and the ability to write, edit, produce and gather content under heavy deadline pressure, without compromising accuracy or credibility
* Must be a team player and work well with Reporters, Assignment Editors, Writers and other Producers
* Must be active on social media and understand how to leverage those platforms for all stories
* Passion to develop and present story ideas
* Invested and engaged in the local community and authentically understands and represents the local viewer
* Knowledge and understanding of various media platforms, including broadcast, web and mobile
* Strong computer skills, with basic understanding of multi-media file formats
* A pioneering spirit with the desire the learn emerging technologies
.
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KTVT-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 2/10/19)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (relisted 2/3/19)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 2/3/19)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (new listing this week)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 3/3/19)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/3/19)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 2/3/19)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 3/10/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 3/10/19)
KDLT-TV, Sioux Falls, SD (listed 1/13/19)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (relisted 1/20/19)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, relisted 1/6/19)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 1/13/19)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 1/20/19)
Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC (listed 2/24/19)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 2/10/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 3/10/19)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Digital EP, listed 3/10/19)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 3/3/19)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (relisted 3/10/19, see ad above!)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, relisted 1/27/19)
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (listed 3/3/19)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (PM EP, listed 1/27/19)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 3/10/19)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted this week)
MANAGING EDITOR:
OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
New listings this week:
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 3/10/19:
KOIN-TV, Portland, OR (Digital Director)
WRKG, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 3/3/19:
Rocky Mountain Public Media, Denver, CO (Chief Content Officer)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV Digital Executive Producer)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital Executive Producer)
Relisted 2/10/17:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Editorial Content)
E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (National Executive Producer)
WTOC-TV, Savannah, GA (Digital Content Manager)
Obituaries:
Hirsch
STEW HIRSCH died March 8th after what this obituary calls a brief illness. He was just 53 years old. Stew most recently was the ND for WFFT-TV in Ft. Wayne. His career took him around several stations in Ohio and other parts of the country, and also to jobs outside our business. More in his Linkedin page.
Carlson
DENNIS CARLSON, a longtime Montana news anchor and news director, died last Friday at the age of 58. He lost a battle with pancreatic cancer. More in this tribute posted by KTVH-TV in Helena.
Finally, JEFF LYLE died at the age of 56 of a stroke. He was the GM of a company called SSN Media Gateway. The firm serves as a major broadcast and master control service outsourcer for TV stations around the country.
Names in the News (and other items):
Connell
Congratulations to SANDRA CONNELL, well known in our industry. She’s being honored with Dallas-For Worth Alliance for Women in Media Silver Award of Excellence. You know (or at least should) that Sandra is the President of Talent Dynamics, now in its 22nd year after a long career with Audience Research & Development. Sandra will be given the award at a gala next month in Dallas.
WXIX-TV in Cincinnati has a new executive producer. NICK HELTON, who’s been a producer for this Gray TV owned FOX affiliate, gets bumped up. He’s also worked for another Cincinnati station.
Bradley
VICKI BRADLEY is the new Assistant NDÂ Morning EP (corrected 3/17/19) for WTXL-TV in Tallahassee. That’s the Scripps owned ABC affiliate in Florida’s capital city. She’s a former ND in Tyler, TX, and has worked for two stations in the Greensboro-High Point market, as well as in Wilmington, NC, and for the Weather Channel.
BRIT STACK joins WJHL-TV in the Tri-Cities market (covering parts of Virginia and Tennessee) as the Assistant ND. Most recently she was the Senior Producer for WCYB-TV, the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities. She’s also worked in New Orleans and Alexandria, LA, and in Harlingen, TX.
Several items about former news directors in the news:
Adams
KAREN ADAMS, once a news director in Charlotte but perhaps better known as a longtime anchorfor WPRI-TV in Providence, has donated one million dollars to her endowment at the University of Rhode Island. It’s aimed at helping female students in the media school there.
Chard
DEBI CHARD has retired just one month short of her 43rd anniversary with WCSC-TV in Charleston, SC. She served the station primarily as an anchor, but besides anchoring, she has been the medical reporter, a managing editor, an assignment editor, a producer and even news director for a time.
Florea
Longtime Ft. Wayne anchor and news director DICK FLOREA is one of five people being inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. He retired in 2001 after 35 years at WJKG-TV (now WISE-TV).
Renick
And the Miami Herald dug deep into the archives for a long look at the long career of groundbreaking Miami ND and anchor RALPH RENNICK. He spent 35 years as anchor and ND for WTVJ-TV before hanging it up in 1985. He then launched a short lived run for governor of Florida which ended after a few months.
General Manager News and Notes:
Kravetz
Longtime Boston newsman CHARLIE KRAVETZ abruptly left his post as GM of WBUR-FM this week. He’s a former GM of New England Cable News and spent 12 years as a news manager for WCVB-TV there.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, March 17, 2019:
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
News 12 New Jersey 450 Raritan Center Parkway Edison, NJ 08837
News 12 The Bronx 930 Soundview Avenue Bronx, NY 10473
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121 (see ad above!)
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
WSPA-TV 250 International Drive Spartanburg, SC 29303
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WHBQ-TV 485 S. Highland. Memphis, TN 38111
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave, Fresno, CA 93727
KARK-TV 1401 West Capitol Avenue, # 104 Little Rock, AR 72201
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WHEC-TV 191 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
WGME-TV 81 Northport Drive. Portland, ME 04103
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KAAL-TV 1320 Salem Rd SW, Rochester, MN 55902
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
WJMN-TV 3165 Wright Street, Suite 101 Marquette, MI 49855
**: Spanish language station