June 1, 2009

Greetings:

We’re a little delayed with this week’s report due to travel, but we do have several things of interest to tell you about.

THREE new news directors were named since our last report, and there’s just ONE new opening. That brings the number of stations with an open ND position to 18, according to my unscientific figures.

If you’re looking for a new job, be sure to check out out paid ad for an EP in “The Biggest Little City in the World”.

Also this week:

News about a former California ND who’s recovering from a gunshot wound. There’s an obituary for a one-time Kentucky ND, and…on the bright side…a new Assistant ND at an Albany, NY, station.

All that and more following this week’s changes:

NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:

KTEN-TV, Denison, TX…this Lockwood Broadcasting owned NBC station is advertising for a new ND. STEVE KORIOTH has been the ND here for almost four years. He’d previously worked in Huntsville, Tucson, Dallas and Chicago.

NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:

KPTV/KPDX, Portland, OR…COREY HANSON has been promoted to News Director for this Meredith Broadcasting owned FOX/MyNetworkTV affiliate. She’s been the EP of Special Projects, and has also worked as EP and Creative Services Director there. Corey replaces PATRICK McCREERY who was promoted to GM last October.

WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD…KELLY GROFT will be the next ND for this Scripps’ owned ABC affiliate. She’s currently the Assistant ND here and has been at the station almost ten years in a variety of roles, including producer, Executive Producer, and Ass’t. ND. She replaces PEGGY PHILLIP who is moving to another Scripps station after one year as ND here. More on that in the next entry. (And apologies to Kelly, whose last name I misspelled in an emailed ND List UPDATE earlier this week.)

KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO…as noted above, PEGGY PHILLIP is moving from Scripps’ WMAR-TV in Baltimore to become ND for this Scripps-owned NBC affiliate. The move allows her to be closer to her parents in South Dakota. In addition to one year as ND in Baltimore, Peggy’s also been an ND in Memphis, Syracuse, and Tulsa. She’s also worked in Reno, Miami, Boston and Chicago. At KSHB, Peggy replaces RICK ILER who left the station in March after almost a year and a half as ND.

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PAID AD:

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, KRNV-TV, Reno, NV

Northern Nevada’s first fully high definition television station seeks a creative, energetic individual to join its team. We have earned a reputation as the market’s technological and news coverage leader by presenting well-balanced, informative newscasts.

If you seek an opportunity with a progressive news station dedicated to providing useful, timely information, while refining your own skills with the cutting edge of technology, then apply immediately.

Typical Duties:

Supervise newscast producers, reporters, assignment editors and photographers;
Direct the focus of news stories;
Participate in daily news editorial meeting;
Understand and implement the news philosophy of the news director;
Work closely with the News Director to make news judgments on coverage and presentation of the day’s news events;
Make contacts and gather information about news issues and events in Northern Nevada and the West;
Work with producers, reporters, assignment editors and photographers to make sure KRNV completely, accurately and fairly covers news events;
Oversee all graphic and visual elements of the newscasts;
Establish a good working relationship with the engineering, production, sales, programming and operation departments;
Assist in ratings and long-range planning for the News Department;
Write interesting news stories from wire copy, field reports and telephone interviews;
Line produce newscasts when necessary to cover shifts;
Produce interesting, viewer friendly newscasts, and Perform other tasks related to the position as assigned, which may include website contribution.

Requirements:

Be a take charge person with leadership skills;
Passion for news;
High level of creativity;
Three to five years experience as a television news producer;
Thorough understanding of SNG and ENG;
Must be able to find creative and unique ways to make the news interesting and understandable;
Ability to meet daily deadlines, work cooperatively with and motivate other staff members;
Newsroom computer experience (iNews preferred);
Good phone etiquette;
Pass pre-employment drug test and have a valid driver’s license.

Contact:

Human Resources
Sierra Broadcasting Company
1790 Vassar Street
Reno NV 89502

Fax: 775-785-1208

Email: cwalker@krnv.com

SIERRA BROADCASTING COMPANY: AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER This employer does not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, marital or veteran’s status.

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OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (listed 4/25/09)
WBTV, Charlotte, NC (relisted 5/15/09)
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 5/15/09)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Morning EP, listed 1/30/09)
WZTV, Nashville, TN (relisted 1/23/09)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 1/16/09)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (listed 5/22/09, see ad above!)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 5/15/09)

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OBITUARY:

I’m sorry to report the passing of long-ago Lexington News Director FLOYD “BUZZ” RIGGINS who died last week of colon cancer at the age of 75. He also anchored the news while serving as ND for WKYT-TV. Mr. Riggins left the station in 1975. More on his life, career, and family at: http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/808973.html

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NAMES in the NEWS:

ELAINE PEAKE is the new Assistant ND for WTEN-TV in Albany, NY. She’s a veteran New York City newswoman, having spent almost 20 years in Big Apple newsrooms, including WABC-TV and WCBS-TV. She’s also worked in Miami and Jacksonville, FL.

Former KGTV News Director DON WELLS is recovering from a gunshot wound to his hip suffered last Friday. Police in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa arrested his wife Kalisa and charged her with the shooting. More details in this report from KFMB-TV. Don was ND at KGTV for just over a year about ten years ago, but spent most of his career in promotion.

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Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Sunday, May 31, 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
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
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
WFFF-TV   298 Mountain View Dr.           Colchester VT 05446
WPBN/WTOM-TV 8518 M 72 West               Traverse City MI 49684
WMGT-TV   PO Box 4328                     Macon GA 31208
KOBI-TV   125 South Fir St.               Medford OR 97501
KTEN-TV   10 HighPoint Circle             Denison TX 75020
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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