October 20, 2008
Greetings:
Compared to recent weeks, it’s a relative slow time for news director and news management changes, with just ONE new ND opening and TWO new NDs named.
That leaves my unofficial list of open ND jobs at 31.
We do have several interesting developments in Names in the News: a planned retirement for one of the nicest people in TV news, a new GM job for a former San Francisco and New York ND, and the Tuna is back in a newsroom.
That and much more after this week’s changes:
NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
WESH-TV, Orlando, FL…BARB MAUSHARD has been promoted to VP/News of Hearst-Argyle Broadcasting and will move to New York. She’s been ND for this NBC affiliate for two years, and has previously been an ND for the company’s stations in Milwaukee and Ft. Smith, AR. Her move is prompted by the retirement of Hearst’s FRED YOUNG. More on that in Names in the News.
NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
WAAY-TV, Huntsville, AL…veteran Huntsville newsman KEITH LOWHORNE is the new ND for this Calkins owned ABC affiliate. He’s been the Acting ND there since WILLY WALKER left this spring after just one year there. Keith is a longtime employee of crosstown rival WHNT-TV.
WPTZ-TV, Plattsburgh, NY…SINAN SIDAR is being promoted to ND for this Hearst-owned NBC affiliate. Sinan has previously worked in Syracuse, Albany, NY, Cleveland and Houston. He replaces KYLE GRIMES who was promoted to be ND for the Hearst station in West Palm Beach, FL, WPBF-TV, last month.
*** ***** ****
OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 8/8/08)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 9/26/08)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (relisted 9/26/08)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (listed 10/3/08)
KHBS/KHOG, Fort Smith, AR (relisted 8/15/08)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
KPHO-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 8/29/08)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, relisted 9/19/08)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (Nightside EP, listed 9/14/08)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 9/26/08)
WFOR-TV, Miami, FL (Nightside EP, listed 9/26/08)
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA (AM EP, listed 9/19/08)
WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC (Nightside EP, relisted 9/19/08)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 8/8/08)
WZTV, Nashville, TN (relisted 9/26/08)
WHP-TV, Harrisburg, PA (relisted 9/26/08)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (Dayside EP, relisted 9/26/08)
KOLD-TV, Tucson, AZ (AM EP, listed 8/22/08)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 10/03/08)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, SPECIAL PROJECTS:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 7/25/08)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, INVESTIGATIONS/SPECIAL PROJ.
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 8/8/08)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KSLA-TV, Shreveport, LA (listed 7/25/08)
**** ***** ****
NAME in the NEWS:
FRED YOUNG is retiring after a long career with Hearst. One of the true gentlemen of our industry, he’ll step down at year’s end. He is currently VP/News for Hearst. He first joined them in 1962 in Pittsburgh where he eventually rose to GM. He’ll continue to serve in an advisory role for the company. Best wishes for a great retirement, Fred!
BRIAN BRACCO will assume some of Fred’s duties. Brian will remain in Kansas City, where he previously was ND for KMBC-TV. And (as noted above) BARB MAUSHARD will leave the ND job at the company’s WESH-TV in Orlando to also work as a group news executive, along with CANDY ALTMAN.
Congratulations to former WNBC-TV and KPIX-TV ND BRUNO COHEN, who’s been promoted to GM of Chicago’s WBBM-TV. Bruno has most recently been GM of the CBS duopoly in Sacramento, KOVR/KMAX-TV, replaces JOE AHERN. Bruno has also worked for CNBC, and has also worked in Pittsburgh and Eugene, OR.
Former Denver ND and GM ROGER OGDEN has been named Chairman of the Board of Chryon. Roger also worked for NBC and was President and CEO of Gannett Broadcasting.
DICK TUININGA has returned to a newsroom as director of planning and assignments for KUSI-TV in San Diego. It’s a return to KUSI for Dick, who was ND there earlier in his career. He most recently was a news director for KVBC-TV in Las Vegas, and has also been an ND in Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
Past RTNDA Chairman and veteran ND BOB BRUNNER is the newest addition to the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Bob is currently ND of WOAY-TV in Oak Hill, WV. He’s been an ND in Charleston and Montgomery, and also worked in Knoxville. Your kind note finds him at: bob.brunner@suddenlink.net
And apologies to those of you who may have tried to email WCCO-TV ND SCOTT LIBIN a note of congratulations about the recent birth of his daughter. (Apologies to Scott, as well, of course.) I mangled his email address in last week’s newsletter. The correct one is: smlibin@wcco.com
**** ***** ****
Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have a current ND opening, as of Friday, October 17, 2008. If you know of any updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email at: rick@rickgevers.com
KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
CLTV News 2000 York, Suite 114 Oak Brook IL 60523
NewsChannel 8 1100 Wilson Blvd. Arlington VA 22209
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AZ 85013
WWSB-TV 1477 10th St. Sarasota FL 34236
WESH-TV 1021 N. Wymore Rd. Winter Park FL 32789
WOFL-TV 35 Skyline Dr. Lake Mary FL 32746
WRTV 1330 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
KGTV 4600 Air Way San Diego CA 92102
KUTH-TV 525 South 300 West #1 Salt Lake City UT 84101 *
KUTV 299 S. Main St. #150 Salt Lake City UT 84111
WVUE-TV 1025 S. Jefferson Davis Pkwy. New Orleans LA 70125
WGRZ-TV 259 Delaware Avenue Buffalo NY 14202
KMPH-TV 5111 E. McKinley Ave. Fresno CA 93727
WPMI-TV 661 Azalea Road Mobile AL 36609
WFTX-TV 621 SW Pine Island Rd. Cape Coral FL 33991
KMTV 10714 Mockingbird Dr. Omaha NE 68127
WSTM-TV 1030 James St. Syracuse NY 13203
KTAL-TV 3150 N. Market Shreveport LA 71107
KDBC-TV 2201 E. Wyoming Ave. El Paso TX 79903
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Dr. New Bern NC 28561
WTXL-TV 1620 Commerce Blvd. Midway FL 32343
KDLT-TV 3600 S. Westport Ave. Sioux Falls SD 57106
KOLO-TV 4850 Ampere Dr. Reno NV 89502
KBAK/KBFX 1901 Westwind Dr. Bakersfield CA 93301
WTVA-TV PO Box 350 Tupelo MS 38802
KNOE-TV 1400 Oliver Rd. Monroe LA 71211
KMIR-TV 72920 Parkview Dr. Palm Desert CA 92260
KTUU-TV 701 E. Tudor Rd. #220 Anchorage AK 99503
WTHI-TV 918 Ohio St. Terre Haute IN 47808
KIDK-TV 1255 E.17th St. Idaho Falls ID 83404
* indicates Spanish language station
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