December 26, 2009
Greetings:
Welcome to the last full newsletter of 2009. Here’s hoping that we all have a better 2010.
For a holiday week, we do have a bit of news to share.
There’s ONE new news director to report, filling an opening created when the current ND got a bump up to Station Manager. For the second consecutive week, NO new news director openings to report. Our count of open ND jobs remains at 25.
If you’re hoping 2010 leads to a new job, please check out our three paid help wanted ads below, all for quality opportunities.
If you’re hoping to find new content for your newscasts, check out our two ads for different types of content.
We have one item in Names in the News, and, sadly, two obituaries: one for a veteran newscast director who worked in a number of markets, and the other for a long running publication aimed at news directors.
That’s all below, after this week’s change:
NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
KVOA-TV, Tucson, AZ…CATHIE BATBIE has been named Content Management Center Director for this Cordillera TV owned NBC affiliate. (You and I would probably call that news director.) Cathie’s worked at KVOA for ten years, and has most recently been Assistant News Director. She’ll replace veteran ND KATHLEEN CHOAL, who has been promoted to Station Manager after four years as ND. Kathleen (aka KATHLEEN SULLIVAN) has also been an ND in Las Vegas, an Assistant ND in Minneapolis and Atlanta, and an EP in Houston and Denver. She also spent more than a year has a police officer in Surprise, AZ. Congratulations to Kathleen and Cathie on their promotions.
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NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
None, to my knowledge, which is a nice thing during the holidays.
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HELP WANTED ADS:
MORNING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, KING-TV, SEATTLE, WA
Ranked number one in the Puget Sound market, KING5 is a dynamic leader in both technological advancement and award winning news programming.
KING5 is looking for a highly creative Executive Producer to oversee the content and direction of its Monday – Friday morning newscasts on KING-TV and KONG-TV. Successful candidate must have strong journalistic credentials and be passionate about covering news. If you are competitive and can lead a strong news team, KING5 News wants to talk to you.
Responsible for managing a quality staff of reporters, producers, writers, photographers, and assignment desk. Must have experience coordinating live event coverage, breaking news, studio and HD production, graphics and on-line news coverage. Must bring keen newscast formatting skills for the morning viewer.
We’re looking for a strategic thinker who can execute the vision on a daily basis. A college degree with minimum five years previous news management experience preferred. Must be a strong leader, a strategic thinker, and a great communicator with good organizational abilities. Must possess solid news judgment, good problem solving skills, able to multi-task and make quick decisions, and able to work calmly under deadline pressures.
KING TV is a subsidiary of Belo Corp. Belo is one of the top media companies in the country and provides a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance and 401(k).
If qualified, please send a copy of your resume, and a cover letter, via email to: hr@king5.com or mail to:
KING 5 Television
Attn: Human Resources
#K09R13,
333 Dexter Ave. N.
Seattle WA 98109
EOE
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ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR, WLWT-TV, CINCINNATI, OH
WLWT News 5, the Hearst Television station in Cincinnati, is looking for a creative, passionate journalist to help execute a 24/7 vision of success. The ideal candidate will possess:
• strong show presentation skills
• strong promotional instincts
• multi-media thinking with a vision for building across platforms
• a proven track-record of winning the big story
• attention to detail, consistency and the ability to follow-through
• demonstrated ability to work constructively with staff to take storytelling and performance to the next level
• Ability to work closely with other departments inside the station to achieve news department goals
I am looking for a partner to bring this growing media organization into a leadership position. Knowledge of the Cincinnati Tri-State market a plus. Minimum 5 years news management experience preferred.
For consideration send resume and cover letter to:
Stacy Owen
News Director, WLWT
1700 Young Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Or via email to: sowen@hearst.com
Applicants must include source of referral.
No phone calls, please!
WLWT-TV/Hearst Television, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in the hiring, training or promotion of employees by reason of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. We are engaged in a continuing effort to seek out prospective applicants for employment with our company.
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ASSIGNMENT EDITOR, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, ATLANTA, GA
The Assignment Editor is responsible for planning, preparing, setting-up and executing The Weather Channel’s content and coverage across all platforms including network, the website and mobile. This includes coverage of both scheduled newsworthy weather-related events as well as spot weather news and breaking stories. This role will act as a liaison between The Weather Channel and all NBC news divisions.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:
-generate great weather-related story ideas
-gather and research story ideas
-assign and manage logistics of field crews and talent
-post content to our website
-develop sources
-monitor feeds and wires
-manage user-generated content
-handle phones
-gather accurate information from multiple agencies
-communicate available material to editorial staff
QUALIFICATIONS:
KNOWLEDGE
Adept at gathering and researching story ideas, developing sources, gathering accurate information from multiple agencies, generating great weather-related story ideas, and assigning field crews and talent.
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:
REQUIRED
-Several years experience (with a minimum of 2 years as an Assignment Editor) at a medium/large market television station, or network.
-Excellent story development, logistics and follow-up skills.
-Excellent communications and interpersonal skills.
-Ability to multi-task under pressure, meet deadlines, process information, and make decisions quickly.
DESIRED
-Experience with Avid INews computer system preferred.
-Experience posting copy and video to the internet preferred.
REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.
Please apply online at: www.weather.com/careers
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OTHER NEWS MGMT. OPENINGS:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 12/12/09)
WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 11/14/09, see ad above!)
WAFB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 11/21/09)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, listed 12/4/09)
KTVT-TV, Ft. Worth/Dallas, TX (AM EP, listed 11/29/09)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (Special Projects, listed 9/18/09)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, relisted 12/18/09, see ad above!)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (listed 9/4/09)
WOFL-TV, Orlando, FL (listed 8/28/09)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (AM EP, relisted 9/25/09)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (AM EP, new listing this week)
KMBC-TV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, listed 8/28/09)
WPEC-TV, West Palm Beach, FL (relisted 12/12/09)
WPBF-TV, West Palm Beach, FL (Digital EP, listed 12/18/09)
WZZM-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 8/7/09)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (AM EP, listed 11/14/09)
KOAT-TV, Albuquerque, NM (listed 10/2/09)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL listed 8/28/09)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 9/18/09)
WPTA/WISE, Ft. Wayne, IN (relisted 12/18/09)
DIRECTOR OF CONTENT:
KPTV/KPDX-TV, Portland, OR (listed 11/21/09)
MULTI MEDIA CONTENT DIRECTOR:
The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (listed 12/12/09)
ASSIGNMENT MANAGER:
The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (listed 12/18/09, see ad above!)
PAID CONTENT ADS:
MONEY TALKS NEWS FREE TRIAL!
Money Talks News, the nation’s most popular consumer and personal finance news source, is offering three full months of stories at no cost. For the first three months of 2010 you’ll get 3 stories weekly, fed via Pathfire at no cost and no further obligation.
Included in your 39 free stories will be a special series called Life or Debt 2010. This is a combination of news stories, blog and online community, book (which the station can sell on its website) and live on-sets and interviews, all with one goal in mind: to give viewers specific ideas to destroy credit card and other debt! The goal of this nationwide series is to reduce American personal debt by 900 million dollars in the first 90 days of 2010.
We’ll also be doing national media designed to create momentum that will help drive viewers to your local newscasts.
Money Talks is market-exclusive, and we’re already in 80 markets. The free stories will go to the first station in each available market that contacts us and expresses an interest.
Saving more, spending less and destroying debt are today’s hottest stories, and we’ve been producing them for 19 years without interruption. Please check out our work atmoneytalksnews.com, then contact Stacy Johnson: 954-608-3851 or stacy@moneytalksnews.com.
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Obtain Sizzling, Fresh Hollywood Content for Your Audience!
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Our Service:
Receive a free weekly list of Hollywood’s hottest events. When covering these events for clients we customize the content for affiliates. Thomas Gibson, President of Lapdog Entertainment, is an award winning documentary filmmaker. In addition, he was the Executive Producer of BET’s hit entertainment show “The Black Carpet”. The show covered major events such as: The Oscars, The Grammy’s and various events throughout the award season.
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We invite you to respond now and start receiving the free weekly newsletter of Hollywood events. If you have further questions, please contact Sherry Harris atsherry.harris@lapdogentertainment.com or 818-915-1283.
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OBITUARIES:
Harris
I’m sorry to share the news that ANTHONY HARRIS, a veteran newscast director, died this week at the age of 42 from an apparent heart attack. Anthony was currently working his second stint at KPRC-TV in Houston, which aired this tribute on its 6:00 newscast. A memo from GM LARRY BLACKERBY to the staff described a man with a ‘larger than life personality’. He was well travelled in two different ways: he loved to travel around the world and was planning a trip to Japan. And…in ways many broadcasters will identify with…he was well travelled in the business, with career stops in Lake Charles, LA, two stations in Tulsa, as well as Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Washington, DC, and Cleveland.
And I’m sorry to report the demise of The Rundown, which has been published for 29 years by Kim and Dick Standish. For 50 issues every year, The Rundown covered our business from a manager’s perspective: how stations in the same market covered a huge story, or what special ratings period series worked, or how investigative reports came together. A note to subscribers in the latest issue told the all-too-familiar story that has faced other publications. The Rundown will end after its traditional year end report on how major consulting firms view the year ahead. I’ve read it for many years, found valuable information in it when I was a news director, and continued to enjoy it during my career as an agent. I wish Kim and her husband well, and if you’d like to do the same, drop an email to: kstandish@tvrundown.com
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NAME IN THE NEWS:
LIZ MANCINI is the new morning EP for Scripps’ WFTS-TV in Tampa. She’s currently the morning EP for another Scripps’ station, KNXV-TV in Phoenix. It’s a return to Tampa for Liz, who worked at WTVT-TV earlier in her career.
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Here’s a complete list of all stations that I believe have an ND opening, as of Saturday, December 26, 2009.
And if you know of updates, corrections, or additions to this list, please let me know via email: rick@rickgevers.com
KNBC-TV 3000 W. Alameda Ave. Burbank CA 91523
NewsChannel 8 1100 Wilson Blvd. Arlington VA 22209
WXYZ-TV 20777 W. 10 Mile Road Southfield MI 48037
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way Sacramento CA 95815 ***
WZTV-TV 631 Mainstream Drive Nashville TN 37228
KCTV, 4500 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205
KTVX-TV 2175 W. 1700 South Salt Lake City UT 84104
WPTV, 1100 Banyan Blvd., W. Palm Beach, FL 33401
KOB-TV 4 Broadcast Plaza SW Albuquerque NM 87104
KSEE-TV 5035 E. McKinley Ave. Fresno CA 93727
WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd. Albany, NY 12204
WFTX-TV 621 SW Pine Island Rd. Cape Coral FL 33991
WNWO-TV 300 S. Byrne Rd. Toledo OH 43615
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WHAM-TV 4225 W. Henrietta Rochester NY 14623
WFFF-TV 298 Mountain View Dr. Colchester VT 05446
KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno NV 89502
WPBN/WTOM-TV 8518 M 72 West Traverse City MI 49684
KHBS/KHOG-TV 2809 Ajax Avenue, # 200 Rogers AR 72758
WMGT-TV PO Box 4328 Macon GA 31208
WWAY-TV 615 N. Front St. Wilmington NC 28401
KMIR-TV 72920 Parkview Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260
WVVA-TV Rte. 460 Bypass Bluefield WV 24701
KIDK-TV 1255 E.17th St. Idaho Falls, ID 83404
KGNS-TV 120 W. Delmar Blvd. Laredo TX 78045
*** (Spanish language)