October 4, 2026
Greetings:
Our always unofficial list of open news director jobs edges up to 29 this week with the addition of THREE new openings, with TWO jobs filled.
ONE of those new openings is in a top FIVE market with ONE of the filled jobs in a top 20 market.
Also, please check out BARRY NASH‘s column this week (click on the ad just below). He discusses the difficult task facing KNBC-TV in Los Angeles when its chopper crashed a few weeks ago. Good lessons to be learned if you ever find yourself in the position of reporting the sudden death(s) of staff. (I experienced that in 1988 when my evening co-anchor in Toledo died suddenly.)
It’s not easy.
Also this week:
- We have an obituary for a long ago CBS executive who later worked for Blair.
- The former CEO of Tegna has a new job, and, like his jobs before Tegna, is not in TV.
- Scripps has a new head of news.
- And Sinclair’s St. Louis station rebrands after losing its ABC affiliation.
Read on for more!
Newly Named News Directors:
Kay
KCRA/KQCA-TV, Sacramento, CA…KRISTIN KAY moves within Hearst and across the country to take the ND job at this Hearst owned NBC affiliate. She’s a California native who’s been the ND for Hearst’s WGAL-TV (NBC) in Lancaster/Harrisburg, PA, for the past three years. This news release details her extensive career history. At KCRA, she replaces DEREK SCHNELL who was promoted to VP/News for Hearst after 7+ years as news director here.
Madden
WQRF/WTVO-TV, Rockford, IL…JOHN MADDEN returns to Nexstar as ND here. He most recently was the AND for Scripps’ KERO-TV in Bakersfield before his job was eliminated last month. (John earlier worked for Nexstar in Grand Junction, CO). He replaces COVENTRY ADRIAN who is leaving after 4 1/2 years as ND. Nexstar owns WQRF, a FOX affiliate, and operates WTVO (ABC) which is owned by Mission Broadcasting.
New News Director Openings:
Gerrow
KYW-TV, Philadelphia, PA...after 46 years in news, all in Philadelphia, KATHY GERROW will retire as VP/ND of this CBS o-and-o when her contract expires in January. Here’s the staff memo from VP/GM KELLY FRANK. Kathy began her career at KYW, took a slight (well, 30 year) detour to WCAU-TV and then returned to KYW a little more than four years ago as news director.
WGAL-TV, Lancaster/Harrisburg, PA…as noted above, KRISTIN KAY is leaving this Hearst station to become ND for the company’s KCRA-TV in Sacramento. Both are NBC affiliates.
Church
WHSV-TV, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg, VA…CHELSEA CHURCH is leaving this Gray Media owned operation. She joined the station after graduating from college in 2018, held a variety of positions before becoming news director last year. More details about Chelsea and her background in her still-online station biography.
Help Wanted Ads:
No ads this week, but if you have a news management opening, there’s no better place to advertise it. Email me for details: rick@rickgevers.com
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WUPA-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 8/30/26)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (Morning AND, listing revised 9/27/26)
WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 9/13/26)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 8/9/26)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 10/4/26)
KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 9/7/26)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, relisted 9/13/26)
WSB-TV, Atlanta, GA (Digital EP, listed 9/27/26)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/13/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 8/9/26)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 9/13/26)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 9/13/26)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (relisted 9/27/26)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul. MN (listed 8/16/26)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital EP, relisted 10/4/26)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 9/13/26)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (Digital EP, listed 8/30/26)
KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 9/13/26)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 9/13/26)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (relisted 9/20/26)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (listed 9/13/26)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 8/30/26)
WPBF-TV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 9/13/26)
WGAL-TV, Lancaster, PA (AM EP, listed 9/13/26)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (Senior EP, listed 9/13/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 7/26/26)
WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 9/7/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 9/13/26)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 9/13/26)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 7/26/26)
WJCL-TV, Savannah, GA (listed 9/13/26)
KFSM-TV, Fayetteville, AR (listed 9/7/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 9/27/26)
KWES-TV, Midland/Odessa, TX (listed 9/13/26)
WVNS-TV, Ghent, WV (Digital Content EP, listed 10/4/26)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 9/13/26)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (relisted 8/30/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 9/27/26:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Story Desk Manager)
KING-TV, Seattle, TX (Story Desk Manager)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (Executive Reporter)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (Story Desk Manager)
WOI/KCWI-TV, Des Moines, IA (Story Desk Manager)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (Digital Media Manager-Newsroom)
Relisted 9/20/26:
KSAT-TV, San Antonio, TX (Mgr. of Coverage and Content)
Listed 9/13/26:
KLBK-TV, Lubbock, TX (Digital Media Director)
Listed 8/16/26:
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (Executive Reporter)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (Executive Reporter)
Relisted 8/9/26:
Arizona PBS, Phoenix, AZ (Dir. of News & Public Affairs)
Listed 8/9/26:
WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (Digital Media Director)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Executive Reporter)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Executive Reporter)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Multi-Media Managing Editor)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Multi-Media Managing Editor)
Listed 8/2/26:
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (Story Desk Manager)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Story Desk Manager)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Director of Multiplatform Content)
Obituary:
Rosenfield
Former CBS executive JAMES ROSENFIELD died September 26th at the age of 97. He began with CBS in 1965 in sales and rose through the ranks during some of the network’s good years. After leaving CBS in 1985, he became Chairman and CEO of John Blair Communications, the rep firm before later starting his own consulting firm. More details in this obituary from The Hollywood Reporter.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
McGarvy
You learned in our Monday UPDATE that Scripps named SEAN McGARVY as its Head of News. Details in this news release. Sean’s been the senior director of digital news operations, and earlier was senior director of local news strategy. He’s also been the ND for Scripps’ WEWS-TV (ABC) in Cleveland and worked in Denver (two stations), Indianapolis, Washington, Des Moines, and Columbia, MO. Sean replaces JEFF KIERNAN who is retiring.
KDNL-TV, the former ABC affiliate in St. Louis, is rebranding as STL30 (its channel number) in a move the headline on this news release says is reinforcing its commitment to the community. Sarcasm alert: they might have more of a commitment to the community if, say, the station produced and aired local news which it has not done in years.
General Manager News and Notes:
Steib
MICHAEL STEIB, who had not worked in television before becoming President and CEO of Tegna, has a new job, also not in television. He’ll be the President and CEO of Angi, described here as a leading digital home services marketplace.The company began as Angie’s List. Fun fact: earlier offices for the company were just a few blocks from our world headquarters here in Indianapolis.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, October 4, 2026:
It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these m have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com
KYW-TV 1555 Hamilton Street Philadelphia, PA 19130
KGO-TV 900 Front St. San Francisco, CA 94111
WJBK-TV 16550 W 9 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI, 48075
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Miami, FL, 33178-2301 **
KTXL-TV 4655 Fruitridge Road Sacramento, CA 95820-5299
KTNV-TV 3355 S Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102
WGAL-TV 1300 Columbia Avenue. Lancaster, PA 17603
WZZM-TV 645 3 Mile Rd NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 49544
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E. McKinley Ave., Fresno CA 93727
KOLD-TV 7831 N. Business Park Dr. Tucson AZ 85743
WOI-TV 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KCEN-TV 215 N. 3rd Street Temple, TX 76501
WCHS-TV 1301 Piedmont Road, Charleston, WV 25301
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
KLKN-TV 3240 South Tenth Street, Lincoln NE 68502
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WMAZ-TV 1314 Gray Highway, Macon, GA 31211
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
WQOW-TV 5545 State Highway 93, Eau Claire, WI 54701
KNOE-TV 1400 Oliver Rd., Monroe, LA 71201
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KTIV-TV 2929 Signal Hill Drive. Sioux City, IA 51108
KNBN-TV 510 North Cambell Suite 8. Rapid City, SD 57701
WHSV-TV 50 North Main Street Harrisonburg, VA 22802
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station