March 3, 2019
Tuesday, March 5, 2019 UPDATE:
Another day, still another departure of a large market news director. But today it’s Tribune, not Tegna, and it’s the number one market.
Burns
VICKIE BURNS has been named news director for Tribune’s WPIX-TV (CW) in New York City. According to her Linkedin page, she worked as a consultant for Tribune from 2013-2015.
Vickie’s run newsrooms for NBC owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington. Her last of those jobs was at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. When she left in 2012, she said she wanted to live east of the Mississippi.
Waldman
At WPIX, she replaces AMY WALDMAN, an eleven year veteran of ‘PIX 11, as the station is branded. She was promoted to news director in 2015 after a one year stint as Senior Executive Producer. She’s also worked at Court TV, CNBC, and Fox News Channel, as well as in Buffalo and Erie, PA. Her last day at the station will be March 15th.
Feder
Also, of note…Tribune’s SVP of News BART FEDER is now serving as GM of WPIX, after the departure of CHRIS WAYLAND. He left last month to become VP/Station Manager of the NBC operations in Boston.
The way things are going, it’s possible you’ll hear from me again before our full newsletter this weekend. (No, I don’t know of anything, but it’s been a steady stream of changes.)
regards,
Rick Gevers
Monday, March 4, 2019 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Another day, another departure of a Tegna news director in a top 30 market.
Elwood
Today’s it’s DEAN ELWOOD, the VP/News for Tegna’s KFMB-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Diego. Here’s the memo from General Manager ALBERTO MIER Y TERAN.
Dean’s been the ND since 2008, and also oversees the KFMB radio stations. If I’m not mistaken, he’s spent his entire career here. His bio from the station’s website has more.
More on this story in our full newsletter later this week.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Another busy week with FOUR newly named news directors, and TWO new openings. Our count of stations looking for an ND stands at 27.
ONE of those open positions is one of THREE paid help wanted ads.
LOTS of interesting items (well, I think they’re interesting, why else would I include them) in Names in the News, including a few news managers on the move, items about TWO former news directors and the books they’re written, a profile of a former ND turned ESPN talent recruiter, turned theatre board president, and details about the retirement of a former Kentucky news director.
And we have TWO new general mangers to tell you about.
All that and more below!
Newly Named News Directors:
Rosetti
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN…JEFF ROSETTI moves up to ND for this Dispatch Broadcast Group owned NBC affiliate. Here’s the news release. He’s been the Assistant ND since 2011 and replaces KATHY HOSTETTER who left last year to become ND for KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh. Jeff’s worked for CNN, and for local stations in Washington, Tampa, Raleigh, and Jacksonville, FL.
Jacob
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN…DENISE ECK is out and MITCH JACOB is in at this Meredith owned NBC affiliate. We have the news release on this switch, too. Mitch was most recently the ND for Sinclair’s WJLA-TV in Washington: he left there in November to ‘take a break’ from daily news. He’s also been an ND in Phoenix, Columbus, OH, Toledo, Wichita, and Harlingen, TX. Denise was ND here for almost two years.
Sullivan
KGBT-TV, Harlingen, TX…AMY SULLIVAN will be the next news director for this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate. She is currently ND for KVII-TV in Amarillo, TX, also a Sinclair station. Amy’s also worked in Tulsa, Wichita, and Alexandria, LA. At KGBT, she replaces ZOLTAN CSANYI-SALCEDO who left earlier this year to become news director for KYTX-TV, the Tegna owned CBS affiliate in Tyler, TX.
Greg S.
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV…GREG SCHIEFERSTEIN started Friday as the news director for this owned by Cunningham but operated by Sinclair NBC-FOX duopoly. Here’s the email from GM AMIE CHAPMAN. Greg most recently was the ND for KPVI-TV in Pocatello, ID, a job he left last year. He’s also been an ND in Peoria, Augusta, GA, and Missoula, MT, and has worked in Seattle, Toledo, and Rockford, IL. He replaces SCOTT FITZGERALD who left in November after two years to become ND for KJRH-TV in Tulsa.
New News Director Openings:
Lupenski
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO…this Tegna owned NBC affiliate is looking for its third news director in four years after Friday’s resignation of TIFFANI LUPENSKI. GM ALICIA ELSNER sent this email to the staff Friday afternoon. Tiffani spent less than a year and a half there, is a former ND in San Diego and Portland, OR, held management jobs in Seattle and Denver. She began her career on-air, working in Lake Charles, LA, and Birmingham. Tiffani also worked for CNN and for radio stations in Atlanta and San Antonio.
KVII-TV, Amarillo, TX…AMY SULLIVAN is leaving to become ND for KGBT-TV in Harlingen, TX, as noted above.
Also, please note the ad for the open news director job at WFFT-TV in Ft. Wayne, the Fox affiliate there. That’s just below.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Chief Content Officer, Rocky Mountain Public Media, Denver CO:
Rocky Mountain Public Media located in Denver, Colorado, home to Rocky Mountain PBS and KUVO Radio, is the largest statewide, member-supported, multi-media network in Colorado.
Rocky Mountain Public Media’s mission is to strengthen the civic fabric of the state by engaging audiences across platforms with high-quality, trusted content. To further this mission and to help this public institution transition into the Digital Age, Rocky Mountain Public Media seeks a full-time Chief Content Officer to lead its duPont-Columbia Award-winning team.
As a key member of the senior leadership team, the Chief Content Officer works directly with the CEO and other organizational and community leaders to create relevant content engagement for Rocky Mountain Public Media’s current and future members. The Chief Content Officer oversees the Content team, including Television, Radio, Digital, and Programming. In addition, the Chief Content Officer works alongside the Development and Marketing team to ensure content is ultimately member-supported and that audience engagement and responsiveness is a pervasive value governing the work.
For more information, or to apply now, please visit this website.
News Director, WFFT-TV, Fort Wayne, IN:
If you are an experienced broadcast journalist with newsroom management and leadership experience, then we are interested in speaking with you. This is an excellent opportunity for someone to join and lead a highly competitive and accomplished newscast that has earned four Emmy nominations and twice awarded Best Newscast.
The successful candidate must have an ability to coach reporters to be enterprising with their story generation, as well as compelling and relevant with their content. This is a unique opportunity to take an award-winning product to the next level. Solid news judgment, great communication skills and exceptional leadership are a requirement.
The Fort Wayne market is an extraordinary place to live and work, offering affordable living and an active lifestyle. Fort Wayne has been honored with several awards for quality of life and is a multiple winner of the All-American City Award.
Please send resumes and support materials to: Newsdirector@wfft.com
WFFT is an equal opportunity employer.
Executive Producer, Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC:
Want to live in one of the fastest growing cities in the country? Want to be part of a great team and work in a brand new, beautiful newsroom?
Spectrum News in Charlotte has an immediate opening for a creative Executive Producer with solid showcasing skills . We’re looking for someone with several years of line experience who wants to help us use our gorgeous new news studios to their fullest. If you are passionate about producing accurate, timely, and interesting newscasts we want to talk with you.
Spectrum Networks is a series of 27 hyper-local news and 9 regional sports networks owned and operated by Charter Communications, Inc. We are in markets ranging from the 160s to the top ten so we are a company you can grow with.
To learn more about this opportunity and to apply, please click here.
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)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted this week)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (new listing this week)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 2/3/19)
WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 1/20/19)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 12/30/18)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (listed 1/6/19)
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, see ad above!)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 2/10/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, listed 1/6/19)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 2/10/19)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (new listing this week)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted this week)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (listed 2/17/19)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, relisted 1/27/19)
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (new listing this week)
WATE-TV, Knoxville, TN (TWO openings, listed 12/30/18)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (PM EP, listed 1/27/19)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 12/30/18)
MANAGING EDITOR:
OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
Listed this week:
Rocky Mountain Public Media, Denver, CO (Chief Content Officer) See Ad Above!
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (Digital Executive Producer)
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)
Names in the News (and other items):
Gratias
KNBC-TV has filled its morning executive producer opening by luring VALERIE GRATIAS from cross-town rival KTLA-TV. She’s been the AM EP for the last two years and worked there as a producer for four years before that. Valerie has also worked as a writer/producer for KABC-TV in Los Angeles and has worked in Monterey, CA, and Augusta, GA.
Levy
SCOTT LEVY is headed back to a newsroom as the Assistant News Director for WSYX/WTTE-TV in Columbus, OH. That’s the Sinclair owned ABC/FOX duopoly. News Director JAMIE JUSTICE sent this email to her staff. Scott’s a former ND in Kansas City, Buffalo, Altoona, PA, and Elmira, NY.
WHAS-TV’s (Louisville/Tegna/ABC) General Manager CHRISTY MORENO and news director JULIE WOLFE were profiled in this story from a Louisville weekly.
Here are two stories about former news directors turned authors.
Washingtonian Magazine interviews BILL LORD about what it calls his ‘poignant memoir’ about his service in Vietnam. Bill’s a former ND in Washington, Los Angeles, Seattle and Nashville.
And former Toledo news director LOU HEBERT has written Hidden History of Toledo about the city where he’s worked several times at several stations. The local newspaper talked with Lou about the book.
Jaffe
AL JAFFE, a former news director who may be better known for his long stint as a talent recruiter for ESPN, hasn’t written a book (as far as I know) but is keeping busy in retirement. Al was just named president of Board of Trustees of the Ivoryton Playhouse. You can learn more in this profile.
Finally, congratulations to former Lexington, KY, (WLEX-TV) news director JIM ALLISON who is retiring as Assistant Vice President of Communications of Georgetown College. Click here to learn what he did there to earn the nickname “The Voice of Georgetown College.”
General Manager News and Notes:
Gray Television has named new general managers at two of its stations. ERIC KREBS will run WWNY-TV in Watertown, NY, while ED WOLOSZYN has been tapped to lead KEYC-TV in Mankato, MN.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, March 3, 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
KSTP-TV 3415 University Ave W Saint Paul, MN 55114
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
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
WHNT-TV 200 Holmes Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35801
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 (see ad above!)
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
KMBT-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
KREX-TV 345 Hillcrest Drive Grand Junction, CO 81501
**: Spanish language station