May 18, 2009
Greetings:
Another busy week of changes in the middle of an important rating period, with THREE new news director openings, and THREE new NDs to introduce to you.
Two of these new NDs are at stations which aren’t used to such changes: one has had just one ND in 25 years, the other only four news directors in 26 years.
These changes leave our count of open ND jobs at 21.
We have two paid ads this week: one for a company that can help you automate some of your newscast production needs. Check out their ad below and visit their website.
And the other paid ad is for a news director search in The Big Easy.
In Name in the News (a slow week there!) we’ll tell you about a big new job for a former Seattle and Florida ND who’s been working as a consultant.
All that and more following this week’s changes:
NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA…veteran news director JIM HOLLAND is leaving this Newport TV-owned CBS affiliate. Jim tells me he has a new job in TV, but won’t be able to share the details for a few days. He’s been the ND here for almost six years, and has previously served as an ND in Dallas, Albany, Wichita (where he was also station manager) and Syracuse. We’ll report his new job when we get the details.
WPBN-TV, Traverse City, MI…DOUG DeYOUNG is leaving this Barrington Broadcasting owned NBC affiliate to become Director of Government Relations for the Traverse City area Chamber of Commerce. He’s Doug’s been ND here for more than ten years, and previously worked in Lansing and Grand Rapids, MI, all at NBC affiliates. Full disclosure: Doug and I worked together at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids when I was the news director there.
KAVU-TV, Victoria, TX…this ABC affiliate is advertising for a new news director. My records show the most recent ND was DOUG TISDALE.
NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
WSYX/WTTE-TV, Columbus, OH…MITCH JACOB has been named ND for this Sinclair-owned ABC/FOX duopoly. Mitch won’t have far to move, as he is currently the ND for WTOL-TV in Toledo. He’s been ND there for almost five years, and previously has been an ND in Phoenix, Wichita, and Harlingen, TX. In Columbus, Mitch replaces LYN TOLAN who left the station in January after two years as ND.
WTOL-TV, Toledo, OH…ANDI ROMAN has been promoted to News Director for this Raycom-owned CBS affiliate. Andi has been the Assistant ND there, and moves up with the departure (noted immediately above) of MITCH JACOB to Columbus. Andi becomes just the fourth ND here in 26 years!
WCAX-TV, Burlington, VT…ANSON TEBBETS will be the next ND for this family owned CBS affiliate, where he had been a reporter before becoming Vermont’s Deputy Secretary of Agriculture in 2007. He’s also a former radio ND. Anson replaces longtime WCAX ND MARSELLIS ‘DIV’ PARSONS, who’s been news director here since 1984. ‘Div’ will continue to anchor the 6:00 pm news through the summer. He’s worked for WCAX since 1967, and is one of the true gentlemen in our business. I’ll miss seeing him at RTNDA and other industry gatherings.
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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 (relisted this week)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (listed 3/8/09)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (PM EP, listed 2/13/09)
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL (relisted this week)
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 (relisted this week)
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NAME in the NEWS:
Former Seattle (KIRO-TV) and West Palm Beach (WPEC-TV) news director HELEN SWENSON has been named VP of Live Programming for the Weather Channel. It’s a return to Atlanta for Helen, who lived there earlier in her career when she worked at WSB-TV. Helen most recently has been working as a consultant for Magid. She’s also worked in Pittsburgh, Orlando, and Miami.
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Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Friday, May 15, 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
WZZM-TV 645 Three Mile Road NW Grand Rapids MI 49504
WGNO-TV One Galleria Blvd, #850 Metairie, LA 70001 (See ad above!)
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Dr. Cranston RI 02920
KGPE-TV 4800 N. First St. Fresno CA 93726
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
WPBN/WTOM-TV 8518 M 72 WesT Traverse City MI 49684
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
KAVU-TV 3808 N. Navarro Victoria TX 77901
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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