September 8, 2019
Greetings:
Enjoyed seeing many of you in San Antonio this week. I heard an attendance figure of around 1,800 for the conference, which brought NAHJ, RTDNA, and SPJ together.
Stahlman
Shepherd
RTDNA held elections. ANDREA STAHLMAN, news director of WLKY-TV in Louisville ran unopposed and thus was chosen as chair-elect. TERENCE SHEPHERD, news director for WLRN radio in Miami becomes the association’s first African American chair. And there were contested battles for regional board positions: the results are here.
Even thought a lot of people were in San Antonio, there was action on the ND front. There are THREE new news directors, TWO new openings, which leaves 26 stations looking for a new ND.
TWO of those jobs are featured among our THREE paid help wanted ads.
There an obituary for a former Michigan ND best known for a 35+ year run as an evening anchor in a different Michigan market.
And there’s many items in Names in the News, including a big new job for a former Kentucky news photographer.
All this and more below:
Newly Named News Directors:
Aslam
KTRK-TV, Houston, TX…congratulations to REHAN ASLAM who’s being promoted to news director for this ABC o-and-o. Here’s the station’s news release. Rehan’s been the Assistant ND for five years, and earlier worked in Chicago and for two stations in Cleveland. At KTRK, he succeeds the woman who will now be his boss, WENDY GRANATO, who was promoted to general manager earlier this summer.
Chouinard
KRTV, Great Falls, MT…HALLIE CHOUINARD is the new News Director for this Scripps owned CBS affiliate. Hallie was working as an EP for Spectrum Cable News in Tampa for the past 5+ years. At KRTV, Hallie replaces ERIC GAYLORD who was transferred to Scripps’ KPAX-TV in Missoula, MT after two years at KRTV.
Schram
WDIO-TV, Duluth, MN…MIKE SCHRAM returns both to Minnesota and Hubbard Broadcasting as he’ll run the newsroom for this ABC affiliate. Earlier in his career Mike was the ND for Hubbard’s KAAL-TV in Rochester/Austin, MN. Most recently he was ND for WEYI-TV in Flint/Clio, MI, a job he left last month after six years. He’s also worked in Indianapolis, and Lansing, MI. He replaces STEVE GOODSPEED who left in July after 27 years as ND. And Mike tells me he learned of the opening via WDIO’s paid ad in this newsletter.
New News Director Openings:
Alexander
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX…PAUL ALEXANDER has been promoted to Director of Local Content for this Scripps’ owned NBC affiliate. He’s been ND there since 2013, and has also been an ND in Brownsville, TX. His background is a little different: Paul’s been a sports anchor in Tucson, Austin, TX, San Antonio and St. Louis, a news anchor for the statewide News of Texas, and a news and sports radio talk show host.
Hall
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR…ASHLEY HALL is leaving this Heartland Media owned station by the end of the year to return to native Florida. She first joined the station in 2004 as morning co-anchor, was promoted to evening anchor in 2009, added EP duties i 2013, and became the news director in 2015. She’s also worked in Columbia, MO.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WSIL-TV, Carterville, OH:
WSIL is seeking a veteran, dynamic leader for its news operation.
We need someone who can train, coach and inspire our journalists to create and deliver great stories in a multiplatform environment. Our next news director must know the importance of delivering on the brand promise and forging a strong connection with our viewers and users to grow ratings.
Responsibilities:
* Foster a performance culture with an emphasis on accountability, excellence and innovation.
* Communicate the vision and strategy to newsroom personnel and provide daily direction on major stories, weather events and breaking news.
* Ensure ethical, balanced presentation through compliance with Quincy Media policy, FCC policy, federal and state laws, industry standards and our brand promise.
* Prepare and execute annual newsroom financial plan.
Qualifications:
* Broad understanding of newsroom operations and equipment.
* Advanced oral and written communication skills.
* Proven leadership which empowers others. Ability to resolve conflict quickly and directly.
* 5+ years’ experience in newsroom management.
* Strategic thinking – can identify market opportunities and capitalize on them.
* Demonstrated team builder
WSIL is currently undergoing a major infrastructure upgrade and will feature:
❖ New FX set in brand new studio
❖ Ross overdrive automation with robotic cameras
❖ Market leader in drone technology with FCC certified pilots
❖ Avid INews
❖ Avid Non-Linear news editing with portable laptops for all staff
WSIL is proud to be a Quincy Media station. Send your resume and letter of interest describing how your experience proves you exceed the minimum qualifications indicated to:
Charles Grisham
General Manager
WSIL Television Southern Illinois, Inc.
1416 Country Aire Drive
Carterville, IL 62918
Or Email to: jobs@wsiltv.com
Equal Opportunity Employer
News Director, WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO:
WDAF Fox4 in Kansas City is looking for a creative, innovative, and experienced News Director to lead a number one rated newsroom. The news director will oversee day to day editorial coverage while managing content creation and distribution on all platforms. You must be a strategic thinker, have experience in digital platforms and a solid track record of success.
Job Responsibilities:
Lead and inspire the news department.
Develop and implement innovative strategies for newscasts, special projects, including investigative and enterprise stories, elections, and live coverage of major events.
Emphasize strong journalistic judgement and news philosophy along with community engagement.
Successful leadership during breaking news coverage on all platforms.
Collaborate with the General Manager and other department heads to develop innovative new ways to implement our station brand and execute our vision.
Responsible for coaching and growing newsroom staff while holding people accountable.
Kansas City was recently ranked as one of U.S News and Money’s Magazine’s “Best Places to Live”
Learn more and apply by clicking here.
Executive Producer, WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL:
WBRC Fox6 is searching for a news manager who can oversee our early evening newscasts.
If you’re a great coach who can teach producers how to craft a fast-pace, must-watch TV newscast, you should apply. If you love leading a hungry team of reporters, you should apply.
Our brand focuses on weather and urgency, so we’re hiring executive producers who push for urgency in copy and know how to adjust on the fly when breaking news changes our daily plans. Our executive producers produce regularly, know how to edit, and they add content to our digital platforms.
If you’re a great coach who can teach producers how to craft a fast-pace, must-watch TV Newscast, you should apply. If you love leading a hungry team of reporters, you should apply. Our brand focuses on weather and urgency, so we’re hiring executive producers who push for urgency in copy and know how to adjust on the fly when breaking news changes our daily plans. Our executive producers produce regularly, know how to edit, and they add content to our digital platforms.
*Develop training initiatives to teach producers how to remain innovative
*Develop story ideas
*Write teases
*Call sources for new/updated information
*Create graphics to use during newscasts
*Edit
*Add content to our digital platforms
*Be a newsroom leader
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WISH-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 9/1/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted this week)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted this week)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 7/14/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted this week)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (relisted 8/11/19)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, relisted this week)
KPIX-TV, San Francisco, CA (AM EP, listed 8/11/19)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (Dayside EP, listed 8/18/19)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (AM EP, relisted 8/18/19)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (AM EP, relisted 8/18/19)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (PM EP, listed 8/11/19)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 8/18/19)
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 8/18/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted this week)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 8/25/19)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 8/4/19)
WISN-TV, Milwaukee, WI (AM EP, relisted this week)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (Digital EP, relisted this week)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (relisted 9/1/19, see ad above!)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (PM EP, relisted 8/17/19)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, relisted this week)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (AM EP, relisted 7/7/19)
WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (Digital Content EP, relisted this week)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (AM EP, listed this week)
KWWL-TV, Waterloo, IA (relisted 8/25/19)
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)
Other News Management Openings:
Relisted 8/25/19:
Rocky Mountain PBS, Denver, CO (Investigative Producer)
Listed 8/4/19:
WSPA-TV, Spartanburg, SC (Digital Content EP)
Listed 7/28/19:
WBRE-TV, Wilkes/Barre/Scranton, PA (Digital Content EP)
Relisted 7/28/19:
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)
Obituary:
Van Ameyde
LEE VAN AMEYDE, a former news director in Flint/Clio, MI, but best known for a long run as the evening anchor for WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, died Friday, August 30th, at the age of 66. You’ll learn in this obituary (among other things) that he suffered from diabetes and kidney disease. He spent 39 years at WZZM, 37 as anchor, and earlier worked as ND for WEYI-TV. Lee started in in radio in several Michigan markets. Small world department: While in high school in Detroit, he was a student of my late father in law, JAMES SHIPPEE.
Names in the News (and other items):
Lansing
JOHN LANSING, who began his career as a news photographer in Paducah, KY, will be the next CEO for NPR. John went on to make his mark in news management (ND jobs in Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Kalamazoo) station management, (GM in Cleveland, Station Manager in Detroit) and several high level executive jobs at Scripps. Here’s a detailed story from NPR that lists the challenges facing him at NPR. And here’s a short profile that’s worth looking at if only to see photos of John from his photog days!
We have many changes at Scripps stations to report to you. We heard about them from Scripps’ News Management Talent Recruiter, MATT MILLER:
JACE LARSON was promoted to National Director of Content. Jace was working at KMGH-TV and now oversees content with our National News Team in Denver.
We hired KATHERINE PRICE to become our new Director of Local OTT. Katherine was working as the Asst. ND at WISH-TV in Indianapols.
We promoted MARCUS RILEY to become our new Senior Director of Content Strategy. This is a corporate position to hep advise a group of our local TV stations. Marcus was the Editorial Director at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, and Digital Director there before that.
We hired DAVID MCDONALD as a Content Manager for WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. David was working for CBS News in New York, and was an EP at WAVE-TV in Louisville before that.
We hired ALLEN BECKNER as EP at KMTV in Omaha. Allen was recently the Director of Channel Distribution/Operations for NRBTV, a Christian Television Channel in Nashville. Before that he was ND at KPTM in Omaha. (Editor’s note: Allen’s also a former news director in Dayton, has the Cincinnati hat trick…meaning he worked at three stations there…and has also worked in Miami and Indianapolis.)
General Manager News and Notes:
Not aware of any changes again this week.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, September 8, 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 **
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
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St, Kansas City, MO 64108 (see ad above!)
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
KOCO-TV 1300 East Britton Rd. Oklahoma City, OK 73131
WBIR-TV 1513 Bill Williams Ave. Knoxville, TN 37917
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
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
KRIS-TG 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
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
WVVA-TV 3052 Big Laurel Highway Bluefield WV 24701
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Dr, Carterville, IL 62918 (see ad above!)
KXLF/KZBK-TV 1003 S Montana St, Butte, MT 59701
KAEF-TV 540 E St Eureka, California 95501
**: Spanish language station