Rick Gevers & Associates

WOAY-TV, Oak Hill, WV…we’re a little tardy in reporting TYLER BARKER‘s promotion to news director for this locally owned ABC affiliate, which he tells me happened in May. He’s been the interim news director since DENNIS LORTZ left last December after just a few months as ND. Tyler first joined the station in 2015 as the weekend meteorologist and was later promoted to chief meteorologist.

And I wanted to clarity our report last week on the ND change at KRGV-TV in Weslaco, TX. We told you that JENNY MARTINEZ was retiring. Jenny tells me that’s not the case, that she’s moving on to the next chapter after 25 years at the station. She was the subject of a lengthy and interesting profile in the local newspaper.

New News Director Openings: 

I’m not aware of any new openings this week. If you are, please let me know.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO:

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If so, we are searching for a bold and fearless News Director at KSHB, the Scripps NBC station in Kansas City. The right candidate will be someone who understands deep impact enterprise content and can help teach and develop our talented group of journalists into strong emotional storytellers.

We seek someone who can foster a positive, innovative and hard charging newsroom into a digital now mindset. We are looking for a candidate who can effectively plan a news strategy for a continuous measurement world, while still being able to coordinate breaking news, weather and large event coverage.

You must be a digital powerhouse, leveraging the web, OTT, and all social platforms to make sure that local audiences are seeing, talking about and sharing stories generated by our newsroom. You must be a risk taker and someone ready to adapt, change and think out of the box.

If this sounds like you, we would like for you to apply by clicking here.

News Director, WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI:

It’s football season, so let me throw this at you:

#NexstarNation is looking for a NEW coach (read News Director) to lead our team at WFRV in Green Bay.

Must have a winning record on the field, be an all-star at developing talent, and know how to create a playbook to “own” the big story.

Think leader, game-changer – someone who has a passion for the game and the players.

The coach (read News Director) must be strategic, know how to run the ball down the field on broadcast, while playing just as hard on our digital and social media platforms. And you probably guessed, our coverage of the Green Bay Packers is a priority. Must have plays for unique storytelling and programming.

To be considered, you must have more than five years of experience on the field as a successful coach (read news manager.)

Apply here.

News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WISH-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 9/1/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/8/19)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 9/8/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 9/8/19)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (relisted this week)
KRCG-TV, Jefferson City, MO (listed 9/15/19)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, relisted 9/8/19)
KPIX-TV, San Francisco, CA (AM EP, listed 8/11/19)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (Dayside EP, listed 8/18/19)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (AM EP, relisted 8/18/19)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (new listing this week)
KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA (AM EP, listed 929/19)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 8/18/19)
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT (Dayside EP, listing modified 9/15/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 9/8/19)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 9/29/19)
WISN-TV, Milwaukee, WI (AM EP, relisted 9/8/19)
WSPA-TV, Spartanburg, SC (Digital Content EP, relisted 9/15/19)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (Digital EP, relisted 9/8/19)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (relisted 9/8/19)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (PM EP, relisted 8/17/19)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, relisted 9/8/19)
WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (Digital Content EP, relisted 9/8/19)
WDTN-TV, Dayton, OH (new listing this week)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (AM EP, listed 9/8/19)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (8/17/19)
WFXG-TV, Augusta, GA (relisted 8/17/19)
WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital Executive Producer, relisted 9/1/19)
KSBY-TV, San Luis Obispo, CA (PM EP, relisted 8/17/19)
WVNS-TV, Beckley, WV (listed 9/15/19)

Other News Management Openings:

Listed 9/15/19:

WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Editorial Director)

Relisted 8/25/19:

Rocky Mountain PBS, Denver, CO (Investigative Producer)

Names in the News (and other items):

THOMAS LESYNA joins Nexstar’s WOWK-TV in Charleston/Huntington, WV as executive producer. He’s a former AND for KMTV in Omaha, NE (Scripps).

In case you missed it, we shared with you earlier this week details about JULIE SZULCZEWSKI’s federal lawsuit against Cox Media and her former station, WSOC-TV in Charlotte. Julie, now the news director for WAFF-TV in Huntsville, was ND at WSOC from 2011 until 2018, had been the managing editor there from 2007-2010 when she left to be the ND for Hubbard’s KOB-TV in Albuquerque. Julie had also worked for Cox’s WFTV in Orlando, as well as in Miami, St. Louis, and Ft. Myers.

Finally, due to an editing error last week we misidentified Detroit’s WXYZ-TV news director RHONDA LaVELLE by using her maiden name. Apologies to Rhonda.

General Manager News and Notes:

MARK HIGGINS moves within Nexstar to become the next general manager for WFLA-TV (NBC) in Tampa. He’s been the GM for Nexstar’s WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, SC and has held multiple GM jobs. Mark replaces SKIP VALET who’d held the job for less than two years. Skip’s a former GM in Norfolk and Orlando, and was an ND for Post-Newsweek (now Graham Media) stations in Houston, Orlando, and Jacksonville FL,, where I hired him as a production assistant in 1982.

BOBBY TOTSCH leaves Sinclair’s WPMI-TV (NBC) in Mobile to become the next general manager for Nexstar’s newly acquired WHO-TV (NBC) in Des Moines. Bobby told me the move brings him much closer to family in Missouri. He’s a former GM for KCTV in Kansas City and earlier had worked as the general sales manager for KMOV-TV in St. Louis.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, October 6, 2019:

It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these may have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com

KTTV 1999 South Bundy Drive Los Angeles CA 90025
WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KCPQ-TV 1813 Westlake Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109
WOFL-TV 35 Skyline Dr, Lake Mary, FL 32746
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64112 (see ad above!)
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St, Kansas City, MO 64108
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WBIR-TV 1513 Bill Williams Ave. Knoxville, TN 37917
WFRV-TV 1181 E Mason Street Green Bay, WI 54301 (see ad above!)
KGAN-TV 600 Old Marion Rd NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
KXXV-TV 1909 S New Rd, Waco, TX 76711
WMBF-TV 918 Frontage Rd E, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
KRIS-TV 301 Artesian Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KRCR-TV 755 Auditorium Dr. Redding, CA 96001
WJFW-TV 3217 County Rd G Rhinelander, WI 54501
KDRV-TV 1090 Knutson Ave, Medford, OR 97504
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
WVVA-TV 3052 Big Laurel Highway Bluefield WV 24701
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Dr, Carterville, IL 62918
KAEF-TV 540 E St Eureka, California 95501

**: Spanish language station