May 11, 2009
Greetings:
Lots of activity to tell you about for the middle of a major rating period. Though, as I noted in a mid-week update to those of you who receive this newsletter via email, it seems to happen every year.
This week, there are TWO new ND openings to report, while TWO new NDs were named both at top 30 market stations in California. One of those new NDs replaces a 12 year veteran ND in San Diego.
Be sure to check out the paid ad for one of those newly-opened jobs, especially if you’d like to live in a city that’s full of great restaurants.
These changes leave our count of open ND jobs at 19.
Also this week, a new job for a former Houston ND…and she won’t have to move. We have the obit for the mother of a former Chicago and Miami ND who’s now a consultant, and we’ll pass along some information about the lineup for this year’s IRE conference, always one of the most valuable conferences in our industry.
All that and more following this week’s changes:
NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
WZZM-TV, Grand Rapids, MI…TIM GERAGHTY is moving up within station owner Gannett to become VP-Information Director of another Gannett-owned ABC station, KXTV in Sacramento (more on that below). Tim has been ND here since July, 2004, and previously had been the ND for WTVJ-TV in Miami. He’s also worked in Kansas City, Decatur, IL, Kalamazoo, MI, and Columbia, MO.
WGNO/WNOL-TV, New Orleans, LA…BOB NOONAN is leaving this Tribune-owned ABC/CW affiliate to become the Assistant ND for sorta-sister station WREG-TV in Memphis. (WREG, the CBS affiliate in Memphis, is operated by LocalTV LLC, which has a shared services arrangement with Tribune.) Back to Bob: he’s been the ND here since February, 2004. More on this opportunity in the paid ad below.
NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA…as reported above, TIM GERAGHTY is the new VP/Information Director for this Gannett-owned ABC affiliate. Tim heads west from another Gannett/ABC station, WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, MI. He’s also been ND for WTVJ-TV in Miami, and has worked in Kansas City, Decatur, IL, Kalamazoo, MI, and Columbia, MO. At KXTV, he replaces STACY OWEN. She left the station in February after 3 1/2 years as ND.
KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA…DEAN ELWOOD will be the new ND for this Midwest Television-owned CBS affiliate. Dean has been the Assistant ND here. He replaces longtime ND FRED D’AMBROSI who has left the station after 12 years as ND. Fred’s a former ND in Milwaukee who’s also worked in Cleveland and Columbia, MO.
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PAID AD:
NEWS DIRECTOR, WGNO-TV, New Orleans, LA:
Tired of being told by your boss “You can’t take risks with your newscast in this economy”? We disagree! Tribune Broadcasting is looking for a News Director bursting with ideas, attitude and the creativity to reinvent our industry. The job is in New Orleans and the conservative need not apply. A News Director position in The Big Easy is anything but easy.
We need a strong leader that will bring change. Are you the one to bring it? Benefits include a wild time at Mardi Gras, a tasty Po Boy and some adrenaline driving weather coverage along with a good salary and employment benefits.
Scare us with one of your crazy ideas and you just might get the job. Send your resume and a paragraph why you want this job to:
Phil Waterman
WGNO/WNOL-TV
One Galleria Blvd., Ste. 850,
Metairie, LA 70001
via fax to: 504-569-0952
or via email to: pwaterman@abc26.com
EOE.
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OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (listed 4/25/09)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 1/11/09)
WBTV, Charlotte, NC (listed 4/10/09)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (listed 3/8/09)
WTEN-TV, Albany, NY (listed 4/3/09)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (PM EP, listed 2/13/09)
WFOR-TV, Miami, FL (Morning EP, relisted 1/23/09)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 1/30/09)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Morning EP, listed 1/30/09)
WZTV, Nashville, TN (relisted 1/23/09)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 1/16/09)
KITV, Honolulu, HI (listed 2/27/09)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 4/3/09)
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OBITUARY:
Our sympathy to former ND and current Senior VP for SmithGeiger MARK TONEY on the death of his mother, CATHERINE ‘KITTY’ TONEY. Mrs. Toney died March 4th at the age of 78. Mark’s a former ND in Chicago, Miami, and Oklahoma City. In addition to Mark, Mrs. Toney is survived by her husband and two daughters. Click here to read a detailed obituary, which includes information on where you can make memorial contributions.
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NAME in the NEWS:
KATHY WILLIAMS proves you can go home again…without having to move. She’s returning to KPRC-TV in Houston as Assistant ND, where she’d worked earlier in her career. Most recently she’d been the ND for KRIV-TV in Houston, and has also been an ND at two stations in Cleveland. She’s also worked in Chicago and Washington.
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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
I’ve told you before that I think the annual IRE conference is among the best in the business, and this year’s upcoming gathering in Baltimore appears to have a great lineup of speakers and panels. And good news…there’s still time to get the hotel and the early registration discount! IRE Board Member PHIL WILLIAMS of WTVF-TV in Nashville covers some of the highlights here.
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Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Friday, May 8, 2009. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com
WDIV-TV 550 W. Lafayette Blvd Detroit MI 48231
KRIV-TV 4261 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77027
WTVJ-TV 15000 SW 27th Ave. Miramar FL 33027
KDKA-TV One Gateway Center Pittsburgh PA 15222
KPTV/KPDX 14975 NW Greenbrier Parkway Beaverton OR 97006
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak Street Kansas City MO 64112
WSYX/WTTE-TV 1261 Dublin Rd. Columbus OH 43215
WZZM-TV 645 Three Mile Road NW Grand Rapids MI 49504
WGNO-TV One Galleria Blvd, #850 Metairie, LA 70001
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Dr. Cranston RI 02920
WKRG-TV 555 Broadcast Dr. Mobile AL 36606
WAND-TV 904 South Side Dr. Decatur IL 62525
WAFF-TV 1414 N. Memorial Pkwy. Huntsville AL 35801
KWWL-TV 500 East Fourth St. Waterloo IA 50703
WFFF-TV 298 Mountain View Dr. Colchester VT 05446
KWQC-TV 805 Brady St. Davenport IA 52803
WMGT-TV PO Box 4328 Macon GA 31208
KOBI-TV 125 South Fir St. Medford OR 97501
KSAX-TV PO Box 189 Alexandria MN 56308
Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900 (phone)
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com
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