November 15, 2015
Greetings:
A slightly slower week than the past few, but we still have TWO new news directors and TWO new openings in this week’s edition.
So, our count of open news director jobs remains at 20.
ONE of those open positions in among the FIVE paid help wanted ads below. All of this week’s ads are for positions in top 40 markets.
We have a few more details about the passing of former news director DOUG RETHERFORD, news of new jobs for former NDs and GMs, and we’ll tell you why the staff of a Fargo station duct-taped their news director to a flagpole.
Oh, and they threw a pie in his face, too.
That’s all below!
New News Director Openings:
Wood
KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ…we shared with you earlier this week that LEONA WOOD is stepping down as ND for this Meredith owned duopoly after the November rating period. She told her staff that is was to spend more time with her family. Leona was promoted to ND here just over two years ago. She’s a former news director in Spokane, and has also worked in Seattle. Her entire background is here on her Linkedin page.
Karli
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA…TODD KARLI is leaving this Scripps’ owned ABC affiliate, apparently for an anchor job in Salisbury, MD. He’s worked here for 13 years, at least eight of them as news director and anchor.
Newly Named News Directors:
McConico
WPMT-TV, Harrisburg, PA…MATT McCONICO has made the long drive east from Reno and will start Monday as the next news director for this Tribune owned Fox affiliate. He spent the last 5 1/2 years at KRNV-TV in Reno, 4 1/2 as ND, a job he left last April. He’s also worked in Ft. Myers (for two different operations), Green Bay, and Eau Claire, WI. At WPMT, he replaces DAVID SILVERSTEIN who left the station in August. David was ND there for almost three years.
Swope
WCHS/WVAH-TV, Charleston, WV…congratulations to CHRIS SWOPE who’s been promoted to news director for this Sinclair operated ABC/FOX duopoly. He’s been the Assistant ND here and, earlier, the EP, since March 2012. Chris has also worked in Columbia, SC, Greenville and Charleston, SC, as well as Atlanta, and Pittsburgh. He replaces MATT SNYDER who left the station in August after eight years as news director.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WROC-TV, Rochester, NY:
WROC (CBS) and RochesterFirst.com in Rochester, NY are seeking an experienced journalist to lead our team and serve as the next News Director. This is a unique opening at the fastest growing news operation in the Rochester market (DMA #78).
Our next News Director must be committed to exceptional local storytelling. We need a hands on “teacher” who understands how to showcase the news events through graphics, video, writing and sound. The successful candidate must be well organized and able to clearly communicate a vision to be successful on all platforms. Digital and social media will be a significant focus for the next News Director. You must be able to demonstrate a strategy to produce relevant and unique content for traditional websites, mobile, apps and more. This includes social media where we need a candidate who can increase engagement with our digital users.
Rochester is located on the shores of Lake Ontario to the north and the Finger Lakes to the south which includes some of New York State’s best wineries. Educational opportunities abound at all levels from excellent public and private elementary and secondary schools, to colleges and universities, including the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology. This is truly a great place to raise a family. The region is also the summer home of the Buffalo Bills and will host the 2023 PGA Championship. Cultural amenities include the Rochester Philharmonic, Broadway theater performances, museums and public parks including Letchworth State Park, recently named by USA Today as the nation’s #1 state park.
Please apply by clicking here.
WROC-TV8 is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Morning Executive Producer, WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX:
We are seeking an Executive Producer who will take the editorial lead each day and develop multi-platform content that succeeds on air and on digital. This individual will manage, coach, and motivate a team of producers, writers, reporters, anchors, and photojournalists who are among the best in the business.
The Executive Producer is responsible for the overall content of assigned newscasts, manages all aspects of breaking news, social engagement, and ensures the product stays on brand. Effective communication and decision making under daily deadline pressure are a must. The Executive Producer must have strong ethics, a solid producing background, a desire and ability to win the day, and be an exceptional troubleshooter. This individual must be able to generate unique content, and develop and produce specials as required. The EP will also work closely with other news managers and the News Director to implement winning strategies for each newscast.
We are seeking a candidate with the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field.
Must have five or more years producing experience in a major television market.
Must be able to effectively manage people & act decisively under pressure.
Must know news and what is important to the community.
Must have social media knowledge and a digital footprint.
Must have technical expertise to booth live newscasts and troubleshoot problems
Click here to apply!
Senior Executive Producer, WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH:
WBNS-TV, Central Ohio’s News Leader, seeks a dynamic Senior Executive Producer with a proven track record. WBNS is the #1 station in Columbus, Ohio. The successful candidate will be responsible for the production, execution and overall presentation of our daily newscasts, while providing leadership in the newsroom, managing producers and associate producers, ensuring writing meets station standards, coordinating with other departments for daily newscast production and assisting in development of news department strategy.
This position requires at least eight years experience in local television news as a Producer and Executive Producer (with at least three years as EP or similar). The candidate must have excellent news judgment and communication skills, and above average writing and storytelling skills. Ability to manage and influence a large group and to work effectively in often stressful situations required. Experience in investigative journalism and digital platforms are a plus.
Please be sure to include your news philosophy and link to a recent newscast in your cover letter or resume when you click here to apply.
Morning Executive Producer, KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV:
Employment Category: Full Time
Division: The E.W. Scripps Company
Work Schedule: Holidays, Week Day (M-F), Week Day Variable, Weekends
Responsibilities: Responsible for managing the content, and showcasing across multiple platforms, ensuring that the station is competitive within the market. Key duties include coordinating content and presentations across multiple platforms, create tactics and strategies to increase demo performance in key target areas for multiple platforms, and manage schedules, overtime and performance for assigned direct reports.
Education Requirements: College Degree.
Relevant Experience: At least 5 years’ newsroom management experience preferred; must have previous experience as a newscast producer.
Additional Skills: Managing other people, maintaining steady workflow and productivity, and resolving operational problems and making difficult decisions.
To apply for this position visit this site and create a candidate profile.
KTNV-TV, an E.W. Scripps Company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
11:00 Producer, WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH:
WBNS-10TV, Central Ohio’s News Leader, seeks a Late-night Producer to oversee the production, execution, and overall presentation of its award-winning 11pm newscast.
WBNS is the #1 station in Columbus, Ohio. The successful candidate must have a proven track record of producing compelling newscasts with high production standards. Will be responsible for crafting creative newscasts that are clear, concise and memorable. Great producing skills needed with an emphasis on showcasing.
Must be able to produce newscasts that reinforce our position as Central Ohio’s News Leader.
Producer will be responsible for multi-platform content including but not limited to social media and 10TV.com. Must have editorial and production skills to own big story/breaking news coverage by utilizing all resources including dejero, satellite trucks, multiple live trucks, helicopter, social media and digital assets.
Please be sure to include your news philosophy and link to a recent newscast in your cover letter or resume when you click here to apply.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (new listing this week)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (relisted 10/18/15)
KSNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 9/27/15)
WCYB-TV, Tri-Cities, TN (relisted 10/18/15)
KRCR-TV, Redding, CA (relisted 10/18/15)
KTIV-TV, Sioux City, IA (relisted 11/1/15)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (AM EP, listed 11/8/15, see ad above!)
KNTV, San Jose/San Francisco, CA (AM EP, listed 11/1/15)
KPIX-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 10/18/15)
New England Cable News, Boston, MA (Dayside EP, listed 9/20/15)
KOMO-TV (AM EP, listed 11/8/15)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (Nightside EP, relisted 10/18/15)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 10/25/15)
KOIN-TV, Portland, OR (Investigative EP, listing revised 11/8/15)
WTVD-TV, Raleigh/Durham, NC (listed 10/4/15)
XETV, San Diego, CA (Supervising Producer Mornings, listed 9/20/15)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, listed 11/8/15, see ad above!)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (Dayside EP, relisted 10/18/15)
KSNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 9/27/15)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, listed 11/1/15, see ad above!)
KWCH-TV, Wichita, KS (Nightside EP, relisted 10/11/15)
WMTW-TV, Portland, ME (AM EP, relisted 10/11/15)
KWWL-TV, Waterloo, IA (listed 10/4/15)
WJCL-TV, Savannah, GA (relisted 11/8/15)
WAOW-TV, Wausau, WI (listed 10/11/15)
ASSIGNMENT MANAGER:
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 9/20/15)
WLBT-TV, Jackson, MS (listed 10/18/15)
Obituary:
Retherford
A memorial service was held last Friday in Davenport, IA, for former news director DOUG RETHERFORD who died last Sunday (November 8th) at the age of 65. He spent 15 years as ND for KWQC-TV in the Quad Cities, and one year as public affairs director there. Doug later served as ND for the Independent News Network, based then in Davenport, He also had been an ND in Topeka and Ft. Smith, AR. This obituary has much more about his life and career.
Names in the News…and other things:
BRITTANY WOODEN has been promoted to Executive Producer for WTVM-TV in Columbus, GA. She had been a producer there and has also worked in Huntsville.
Click here to see why the staff of WDAY-TV (Fargo, ND) duct-taped news director JEFF NELSON to a flag pole. And they threw a pie in his face, too.
Former KIVI-TV (Boise) News Director and anchor LYNN HIGHTOWER has a new job. She’ll be the director of the Downtown Boise Association. More here.
Situations Wanted:
We offer a free situations wanted ad to news managers who are looking for a new opportunity. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 150 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.
General Manager News:
Ogle
Longtime Topeka General Manager JIM OGLE has a new job. He’s been named director of the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, based in Lawrence. Learn more about that and Jim’s new job here. He’s a former ND in Greensboro, NC, Lexington and Reno, and also worked in Miami and Columbia, MO.
LUIS HERNANDEZ is out as GM of Telemundo’s KVDA-TV in San Antonio. Media Moves has more on the change.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, November 15, 2015.
If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com
KPHO/KTVK-TV, 5555 N 7th Ave. Phoenix AZ 85013
KING-TV 333 Dexter Avenue N. Seattle WA 98109
Northwest Cable News, 333 Dexter Avenue N. Seattle, WA 98109
KCEC-TV 777 Grant St. #110 Denver CO 80203 *
KVVU-TV 25 TV 5 Drive Las Vegas NV 89014
WFMY-TV 1615 Phillips Ave., Greensboro, NC 27405
WBRE/WYOU-TV 62 S. Franklin St. Wilkes-Barre PA 16701
KTAL/KMSS-TV 3150 N. Market Shreveport LA 71107
WSYR-TV 5904 Bridge St. East Syracuse, NY 13057
WROC-TV 201 Humboldt St. Rochester, NY 14610 (see ad above!)
KVEO-TV 394 North Expressway Brownsville TX 78521
WCSC-TV 2126 Charlie Hall Blvd. Charleston SC 29414
KHBS/KHOG-TV 2415 North Albert Pike, Fort Smith, AR 72904
KIMA/KEPR-TV 2801 Terrace Heights Dr. Yakima,WA 98901
KERO-TV 321 21st Street Bakersfield, CA 93301
WAOW-TV 1908 Grand Ave. Wausau WI 54403
KTIV-TV 3135 Floyd Blvd. Sioux City, IA 51108
KALB-TV 605 Washington St. Alexandria LA 71301
KGNS-TV 120 W. Delmar Blvd. Laredo TX 78045
KTVH-TV 100 W. Lyndale Ave. Suite A Helena MT 59601
* Spanish language station