October 7, 2018
Tuesday, October 9, 2018 UPDATE:
Greetings:
I’m sure this has happened before, but I can’t remember an exact instance to share with you.
The new news director at Chicago’s WGN-TV is JENNIFER LYONS, who replaces…herself as news director for this Tribune owned station.
That’s right…Jennifer, who left her job in August after four years as ND and 25 at the station…will return on Thursday. The details are in this story by Chicago media writer ROBERT FEDER. GM PAUL RENNIE‘s note to the staff is included.
Jennifer left to become VP/Communications and External Relations for Catholic Extension, which supports and strengthens poor mission dioceses nationwide. Feder quotes her as saying she will continue to support the organization’s mission, but she quickly knew her heart was in news.
She’s also worked in Des Moines and Davenport, IA.
We’ll have more on this and all the week’s new in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
It’s an unfortunate week when we have more obituaries (FIVE) than news director movements (ONE).
That one change is a new news director in Las Vegas, and causes our list of open ND jobs to drop to 31. And we have a new paid ad for ONE of those jobs.
Those five obituaries are below, and included a current Missouri assignment editor, three retired news people, two of them former news directors, and the wife of a longtime news director.
There are TWO items about General Managers, one about a San Francisco GM who’s retiring and the other one getting a promotion.
And our only item in Names in the News involves a former ND and GM who’s moving to print.
All those stories and more below!
Newly Named News Directors:
Wheatley
KSNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV…STEPHANIE WHEATLEY has been promoted to ND for this Sinclair Broadcasting owned NBC affiliate. She’s been the Assistant ND and replaces MARK NEERMAN who left to become ND for KPIX-TV in San Francisco earlier this summer. Stephanie earlier worked at KVVU-TV in Las Vegas, beginning as a tape editor and working her way up to EP. She took a short break from the business before joining KSNV in 2015.
New News Director Openings:
There are no new openings this week (to my knowledge) but we do have a new Paid Help Wanted ad for the ND job at WTTV/WXIN-TV here in Indianapolis. That’s just below.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
News Director, WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN:
This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the preeminent news duopolies in the country.
Tribune Media’s WXIN/WTTV is looking for a News Director to lead a dynamic newsroom producing 90 hours of local coverage each week and delivering high-impact content across multiple platforms to our FOX and CBS audiences.
As Indiana’s capital and the Midwest’s second-largest city, Indianapolis is a vibrant media market and bustling government, business, education and sports center. FOX59/CBS4 is on the leading edge of content execution, with a state-of-the-art facility and a drive to try new things. Our next News Director will have the experience to coach, motivate and lead a large newsroom, and the passion and vision to drive audience ratings and the online success of these legacy stations.
To learn more about this position and apply, click here.
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 9/23/18)
KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 9/3/18)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 8/26/18)
Spectrum News Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (new listing this week)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 9/3/18)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 9/9/18)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 9/30/18)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (relisted 9/9/18)
KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA (listed 8/19/18)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/29/18)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (Dayside EP, listed 9/9/18)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (AM EP, relisted 9/9/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 9/16/18)
KARE-TV, Minneapolis MN (listed 7/22/18)
WOIO-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 8/5/18)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (AM EP, listed 9/9/19)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, new listing this week)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 8/19/18)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, relisted 9/23/18)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (PM EP, new listing 8/26/18)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (TWO openings, AM & PM, listed 8/26/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (released 9/9/18)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM & PM EPs, relisted 8/19/18)
KOB-TV, Albuquerque, NM (relisted 9/23/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, listing revised 9/9/18)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (AM EP, listed 9/3/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 8/19/18)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 7/22/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 8/12/18)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 8/19/18)
OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
Listed 9/3/18:
Spectrum News Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (Assignment/Planning Manager)
Listed 9/3/18:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Editorial Content)
Listed 8/26/18:
WBTV, Charlotte, NC (Digital Content Manager)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 8/19/18:
E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (Director of National News Content)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Senior Digital Producer)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Planning Editor)
WMC-TV, Memphis, TN (Digital Content Manager)
Obituaries:
Sadly, five obituaries this week.
Libby
KAREN LIBBY, who spent 22 years as the assignment manager at KOLR-TV in Springfield, MO, lost her battle against cancer last Sunday (September 30th). Remarkably, she was at work on the Friday before. She had earlier worked as a radio reporter in Springfield. The station remembered her in this online story.
LARRY RAGAN, who served as news director for WIAT-TV in Birmingham from 2001-2006, also died last Sunday. He was 67. Larry also worked for WBRC-TV in Birmingham and authored several books.
Kellogg
Former news director BLAKE KELLOGG, who was both ND and anchor at WKOW-TV in Madison for nine years in the 60’s, died Wednesday at the age of 87. He also spent two years as ND for KWWL-TV in Waterloo, IA, before returning to Wisconsin where he served as Press Secretary for Governor PATRICK LUCEY. This obituary details his many other activities.
DAVID DRURY, a fixture in Toledo television for many years, died Friday, September 28th, from complications of a stroke he suffered five years ago. He was 89. After leaving television, he worked for Bowling Green State University in public relations. More here.
Finally, JOAN SOLOMON, wife of longtime newsman JAY SOLOMON, died last Sunday at the age of 75 of a split aortic embolism. Sadly, she died while on a trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with Jay to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Jay was a radio news director in Columbus when he moved to TV at WBNS-TV. He also worked in San Antonio and as a news director for WJKS-TV in Jacksonville, FL.
Names in the News (and other items):
Prather
Longtime broadcaster JIM PRATHER moves to the print side as he becomes full-time executive director of programming for The Las Vegas Review Journal. Jim’s been serving as a consultant to the newspaper since leaving KTNV-TV in Las Vegas last year after 14 years as GM. He’d also been the GM at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee where he had earlier served as news director.
General Manager News and Notes:
GREGG KELLEY is retiring at the end of October as GM of Fox’s KTVU-TV in Oakland/San Francisco. He’s run a number of Fox owned stations, including Washington and Boston.
McKernan
JIM McKERNAN is being promoted to regional vice president of Quincy Media Inc., effective January 1. He’ll continue as GM of the company’s Waterloo, IA, station, KWWL-TV, where he’s been for more than six years. He’s a former GM in Omaha and Bristol, VA.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, October 7, 2018:
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
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
WGN-TV, 2501 West Bradley Place, Chicago, IL 60618
KXAS-TV 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76155
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KDKA-TV 420 Fort Duquesne Blvd., #100 Pittsburgh, PA 15222
WTTV/WXIN-TV 6910 Network Pl, Indianapolis, IN 46278 (see ad above!)
WTNH-TV 8 Elm St. New Haven CT 06510
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Fairway, KS 66205
WTKR-TV 720 Boush Street Norfolk, VA 23510
WATE-TV 1306 North Broadway Knoxville, TN 37917
KOTV 303 N. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74103
KJRH-TV 3701 S. Peoria Tulsa, OK 74105
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St, Dayton, OH 45409
KCCI-TV 888 9th St. Des Moines, Iowa 50309
WFRV-TV 1181 E Mason Street. Green Bay, WI 54301
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600, Columbia, SC 29201
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WRBL-TV 1350 13th Ave. Columbus, GA 31901
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
KHSL/KNVN-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
WTVA-TV P.O. Box 320 Tupelo, MS 38802
KRCG-TV, 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
WTWO-TV PO Box 9268 Terre Haute, IN 47808
KPVI-TV 902 E Sherman St, Pocatello, ID 83201
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
**: Spanish language station