November 21, 2014
November 24, 2014 UPDATE:
A large market News Director change and the passing of a local legend are the two stories in this UPDATE.
For the first time in 18 years, there will be a new name on the door of the News Director’s office at KUSA-TV in Denver.
Moreno
CHRISTY MORENO will replace longtime ND PATTI DENNIS. We told you last March that Patti was assuming additional duties as VP of News and Talent Development for parent company Gannett. She’ll now be able to concentrate full time on that role.
Christy is currently the ND at Gannett’s WBIR-TV in Knoxville, a job she’s held for the past 2 1/2 years. She earlier spent five years as the Assistant ND at KENS-TV in San Antonio. Christy worked for nine years at KRIV-TV in Houston, beginning as a producer and rising to EP.
Dennis
She also worked for another Houston station and in Wichita Falls.
As we mentioned, Patti’s been ND for KUSA, the NBC affiliate in Denver, for 18 years. She first joined the station as an Executive Producer and has also worked in Oklahoma City.
The Denver Business Journal has details here.
Also, longtime WSAZ-TV News Director and Anchor BOS JOHNSON died Sunday at the age of 85. He spent 24 years at WSAZ and became news director in 1960. Bos was a past president of RTDNA, taught journalism at Marshall University, and spent many years in public relations. The local newspaper carried this story, while his former station offers this look back at his career, which included asking the first question at RICHARD NIXON’s last news conference as President. He’s survived by his wife and five children, including a son who anchors at WSAZ.
We’ll have more in our full report later this week.
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Greetings:
We’ll introduce you to ONE brand new News Director, and we’ll tell you about ONE veteran news director who’s leaving his current job at the end of the rating period.
Those changes leave our list of open ND jobs at 25 openings.
We have THREE paid ads this week, and one of those ND openings is among them.
Also this week…the retirement of THREE veteran major market General Managers. Those details are in Names in the News, along with details about two high level changes at network news departments, and two stories about some local news managers on the move.
Read on!
New News Director Opening:
Hume
KSNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV…veteran newsman CRAIG HUME will leave this newly-acquired-by-Sinclair NBC affiliate next Wednesday, the last day of the November ratings period. He shared the news with his staff in this email. Craig’s been ND here since April, 2013, coming from WHP-TV in Harrisburg, PA…leaving there shortly after Sinclair bought that station. He’s also been an ND in Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando, and San Diego, in addition to KTNV in Las Vegas earlier in his career. We told you three weeks ago that the station’s Executive Director of News, BOB STOLDAL was retiring.
That wasn’t the only big news in Las Vegas TV today. Nexstar announced it was buying the CBS affiliate, KLAS-TV, for $145 million.
Newly Named News Director:
Sullivan
WXXV-TV, Gulfport, MS…JOE SULLIVAN adds news director responsibilities in addition to anchoring for this FOX/NBC duopoly owned by Morris Multimedia. Joe also anchors the 5:30 news. He began his career in sports, working in Yakima, WA, and Richmond before moving into news in Jackson, TN. More on his promotion in this article from the local newspaper. Joe succeeds LON TEGELS who was the first ND when the station resumed broadcasting local news in September, 2013.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH:
WCMH TV, an NBC affiliated Media General station, is looking for a dynamic leader for its digital journalist content team.
We are looking for a leader with strong communication, organizational and delegation skills with a keen ability to vision potential solutions, products and services as it relates to the creation and distribution of digital journalism based content across multiple distribution channels and platforms.
A strong understanding of product branding and promotion is essential to the position. A strong understanding of branding and marketing is essential to helping grow our share of voice in the multimedia marketplace. An appreciation of the technical operation and elements needed for the collection, processing, presentation and distribution of digital content across multiple platforms is necessary.
The ideal candidate will have Bachelor’s Degree plus 5 years or more senior level management experience at a network affiliated local television station as a News Director, Assistant News Director or Executive Producer with a proven record of producing results.
Columbus has a stable economy not dependent on manufacturing, great recreational opportunities and green space and plentiful cultural opportunities. It’s a manageable size (it can be driven across in 20 minutes) with many distinct neighborhoods to please any homebuyer. And we’re home of The Ohio State University Buckeyes.
To apply, submit an application on www.mediageneral.com/careers or mail your resume and cover letter to:
WCMH-TV
Human Resources
3165 Olentangy River Road
Columbus OH 43202
Pre-employment background and drug screen required. EOE M/F/V/D
Executive Producer, WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA:
This is a great opportunity for a producer looking to take that step into newsroom management.
The leading multi-platform news operation in Pennsylvania’s beautiful state capital has a rare opening for an Executive Producer. Harrisburg offers a great location, close to the great outdoors of Pennsylvania and just a short drive to Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore and Washington D.C.
When you’re not playing, visiting the great museums in Philadelphia or kayaking the breathtaking Susquehanna River, you’ll be working in a great newsroom. Our Executive Producer is also our primary 11pm news producer and a leader on our management team. Applicants should be skilled on all platforms, including broadcast TV, web/mobile and social media.
You must be a strong, decisive leader with excellent news judgment. Our newsroom is aggressive in its pursuit of breaking news and enterprise content and applicants should be able to lead the way in this critical endeavor.
We are seeking someone with at least 2 years of line-producing experience, who is a master in showcasing content. In addition, our executive producer is responsible for proofing scripts for earlier newscasts. The next person in this role must be able to work with the news director and assistant news director to insure that newscasts reflect the station’s overall strategy and mission.
APPLICANTS SHOULD SEND SAMPLE WORK AND RESUME VIA EMAIL TO:
or via mail to:
Human Resources
Harrisburg Television, Inc.
abc27 WHTM-TV
P.O. Box 5860
3235 Hoffman Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
fax: 717-745-3997
Producers, WTTV, Indianapolis, IN:
WTTV, a Tribune Broadcasting station is looking for the next rock star producer to cover our breaking news! We have an opening for someone who lives for news, and is ready to take on a challenging new opportunity. We’re looking for a take charge Producer who will own the newscast beginning to end.
The ideal candidate must be a strong storyteller who brings energy and ideas to the table every day, someone with great people skills who can write and produce in a fast-paced environment on a wide array of topics.
The successful candidate needs to be bold, creative and courageous in assembling elements into a fast-paced newscast, a vision for the newscast and create compelling graphics to tell the story. This position requires writing and pushing content to and from social media and web, editing video, gathering information and working closely with the Executive Producer and the assignment desk to maximize daily resources and appropriately reflect the news of the day. We currently have various positions available with opportunities for day, evening and weekend shifts.
To apply online click here!
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WBZ-TV, Boston, MA (listed 11/9/14)
KSLA-TV, Shreveport, LA (listed 9/29/14)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA (relisted 11/1/14)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (Two positions, new listing this week)
WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL (AM EP, listed 9/21/14)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (PM EP, listed 9/29/14)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (Dayside EP, listed 11/1/14)
KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA (PM EP, relisted 11/9/14)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (PM EP, relisted 11/1/14)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (PM EP, listed 10/19/14)
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital EP, listed 10/26/14)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI, (AM EP, PM EP & Spec. Projects, relisted 10/11/14)
WSPA-TV, Greenville/Spartanburg, SC (AM EP, listed 10/11/14)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 11/1/14)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (Dayside EP, relisted 10/26/14)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (Dayside EP, listed 11/9/14)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (listed 11/16/14, see ad above!)
WDTN-TV, Dayton, OH (Nightside EP, relisted 10/11/14)
WMTW-TV, Portland, ME (AM EP, listed 10/19/14)
WLBT-TV, Jackson, MS (Nightside EP, listed 10/11/14)
WCYB-TV, Tri-Cities, TN (relisted 10/11/14)
WCTI-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (listed 8/31/14)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (listed 11/16/14)
ASSIGNMENT MANAGER:
Central Florida News 13, Orlando, FL (relisted 11/16/14)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WFXT-TV, Boston, MA (listed 11/1/14)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 11/16/14)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 10/11/14)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 10/26/14)
NEWS OPERATIONS MANAGER:
WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA: (relisted 11/1/14)
Situations Wanted:
We offer a free situations wanted ad to news managers who are out of work and 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.
Names in the News…and other things:
JEFF FAGER is relinquishing his title as Chairman of CBS News to focus full-time on his other job, Executive Producer of 60 Minutes. DAVID RHODES will continue in his role as President of CBS News. More from the New York Times.
The Times also reports that JAIME HOROWITZ, who was set to officially join NBC News on December 1, has already been fired. He had most recently worked at ESPN. Click on the link to get the full story.
STEPHANIE LINTON moves cross-country to become Assistant News Director for KGO-TV in San Francisco. She’s currently holding the same job at WSOC-TV in Charlotte. Stephanie has also worked in Miami and West Palm Beach.
One time Wichita (KSNW-TV) News Director JASON KRAVARIK is headed to CNN as a producer. He most recently was the Assistant News Director for KOIN-TV in Portland, OR.
GM NOTES:
As we mentioned in our top section, three veteran General Managers announced they were leaving their stations this week.
Kleiner
After more than 18 years as GM of KABC-TV in Los Angeles, ARNIE KLEINER will retire and leave the station at the end of January. Remarkably, he’s had the same assistant and the same news director (CHERYL FAIR) for his entire tenure. This article from the Los Angeles Times has more background on his successful run at this ABC o-and-o.
Rueppel
One time News Director CAROL RUEPPEL is retiring, too. She’ll leave FOX’s WFTC/KMSP-TV after 13 years as GM for the duopoly. More in this article. Carol earlier spent four years as GM of another FOX o-and-o, WITI-TV in Milwaukee. (Fox has since sold the station.) She began her career in news at WTOV-TV in Steubenville, OH, where she tells me she did a little bit of everything. Carol also produced for two stations in Pittsburgh, worked as a producer and EP in Cleveland, and as a news director in Omaha, Norfolk, and Detroit. She’ll be replaced by SHEILA OLIVER who’s been Director of Sales there for 13 years.
Sam R.
Finally, veteran General Manager SAM ROSENWASSER is leaving Scripps’ WEWS-TV in Cleveland on December 15th. His time at this ABC affiliate has been marred by a serious of health issues, including eleven surgeries in 18 months, which are detailed in this story. He’s been at WEWS since 2010, and previously was a General Manager in Tampa, Sacramento, and Austin, TX.
Our Full List of ND Openings:
If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com
Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Friday, November 21, 2014.
WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
KWHY-TV 4975 W. Pico Blvd Los Angeles,CA 90019 *
WFTS-TV 4045 N. Himes Ave. Tampa FL 33607
KOMO-TV 140 Fourth Ave. North Seattle WA 98109
KCEC-TV 777 Grant St. #110 Denver CO 80203 *
KMGH-TV 123 Speer Blvd. Denver CO 80203
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
WJZY/WMYT-TV 3501 Performance Rd. Charlotte NC 28214
KGTV 4600 Air Way San Diego CA 92101
WCMH-TV 3165 Olentangy River Rd. Columbus OH 43202 (see ad above!)
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas NV 89101
WTLV/WJXX-TV, 1070 E. Adams St. Jacksonville FL 32202
WRGB-TV 1400 Ball Town Road Schenectady NY 12309
WEAR-TV 4990 Mobile Highway Pensacola FL 32506
WOWK-TV 555 Fifth Ave. Huntington WV 25701
WSYR-TV 5904 Bridge St. East Syracuse, NY 13057
KVEO-TV 394 N. Expressway Brownsville TX 78521
WLBT-TV 715 South Jefferson St. Jackson MS 39201
WBTW-TV 101 McDonald Court Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
WTAJ-TV 5000 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16603
KTIV-TV 3135 Floyd Blvd. Sioux City IA 51108
WVVA-TV 3052 Big Laurel Highway, Bluefield WV 24701
WCJB-TV 6220 NW 43rd Street Gainesville FL 32653
KLDO/KXOF-TV 226 Bob Bullock Loop Laredo TX 78040
WBUP/WBKP-TV 1705 Ash Street Ishpeming MI 49849
* Spanish language station