July 5, 2026
Greetings:
I hope your holiday was safe and great. I’m betting it was hot!
Despite the holiday, a fair amount of activity to tell you about.
There are THREE new news directors in this week’s report, including ONE in a top THREE market. And there’s just ONE new opening, that created by the incumbent ND taking one of three jobs that filled this week.
Our count of ND openings drops to 23.
For the second consecutive week, we have an obituary for a former Spokane ND who also held FIVE other ND jobs.
NO general manager chases this week, to the best of my knowledge.
Also:
- A former RTDNA chairman sues his former station claiming he was fired for whistleblowing.
- Gray Media is buying six stations, some of which they were already involved with.
- And after 61 years in broadcasting, a former Californian ND and GM is retiring.
All those stories and more as you read on!
Newly Named News Directors:
Jessica F.
WGBO-TV, Chicago, IL…JESSICA FERNANDEZ has been promoted to news director for this Univision ownedstation. She’s been the assistant ND since 2022 and first joined this o-and-o as a writer more than 25 years ago, in 2000. Jessica replaces LUIS FELIPE GODINEZ who left in March to become ND for KMEX-TV, the Univision station in Los Angeles.
Wardell
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN…RANDY WARDELL moves across Tennessee to become the next ND for this Nexstar owned ABC affiliate. He’s been the ND for Rincon’s WHBQ-TV (FOX) in Memphis for the last four years and previously spent ten years as an EP at WSOC-TV in Charlotte. Randy replaces ELBERT TUCKER who retired earlier this year after ten years as ND here, and also as an ND in Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati.
May
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX…CHRIS MAY moves within Scripps to become ND for this NBC affiliate. Here’s the note from GM KRISTEN DARDEN. He’s been an EP in charge of steaming content at WFTS-TV (ABC) in Tampa. He joined the station in 2012 as a producer. Chris also worked in Pensacola, Gainesville, and Jonesboro, AR, where he began as a newscast director. At KRIS, he replaces JIM BOB BRAEZELE who left in April after 4+ years as news director.
New News Director Openings:
WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN…you learned above that RANDY WARDELL is headed to WKRN-TV in Memphis as ND. Randy was ND at the Rincon owned FOX affiliate since late 2021.
Help Wanted Ads:
No ads this week. There’s no better place to advertise your news management openings. Email me for details.
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 6/7/26)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC listed 5/25/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 5/25/26)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, listed 5/10/26)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (Boston market) (listed 5/17/26)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 6/21/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 6/7/26)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 7/5/26)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 5/17/26)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Lifestyle Show EP, listed 6/7/26)
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 5/17/26)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 6/21/26)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 7/5/26)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 6/21/26)
WPBF-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 5/17/26)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (listed 5/17/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 5/17/26)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 6/7/26)
WBBH-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 5/17/26)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 5/17/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 6/21/26)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (relisted 7/5/26)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 5/17/26)
WFXR/WWCW-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 6/7/26)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, listed 5/25/26)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 6/21/26)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (listed 6/14/26)
WETM-TV, Elmira, NY (Digital EP, relisted 7/5/26)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 7/5/26)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 6/7/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 6/28/26:
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (Executive Reporter)
Relisted 6/19/26:
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (Digital Director)
Listed 5/31/26:
Hubbard DC, Washington, DC (Market President)
Listed 5/25/26:
KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO (General Manager)
Arizona PBS, Phoenix, AZ (Dir. of News & Public Affairs)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (Executive Reporter)
Listed 5/3/26:
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Senior Producer, Nighttime Newscast)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Newscast Producer)
Obituary:
A memorial service for former news director RON COMINGS will be held later this year. Wednesday’s UPDATE told you that he lost his battle with bladder cancer shortly before his 78th birthday. He’d worked as a realtor (along with his wife KERRI) since leaving KLAS-TV (CBS) in Las Vegas in 2015. Ron worked as an ND in many markets but began as a reporter. More on his history here. As a reporter in Orlando, he also did perhaps the first story on a water skiing squirrel.
BILL BAUMAN, who went on to a long career as an ND and GM, was on the assignment desk that day and tells us how the story came about.
Ron is survived by his wife, Kerri, and four children, one of whom followed him into TV news. Daughter ALIX is an EP at one of her dad’s former stations, WFTV in Orlando.
Those of you who knew Ron will appreciate this great picture.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
Shepherd
Former RTDNA chair TERENCE SHEPHERD is suing his former employer, KPBS-TV in San Diego, claiming he was improperly dismissed from his job as news director there. He claims the dismissal came because he alerted senior management about a potential FCC violation. KPBS posted this story on its website.
Gray Media has purchased six stations from American Spirit Media. As you’ll discover in the news release, they’ve already been connected to five of those stations.
Doug Mc.
After 61 years (!) in broadcasting, the last 20 of those in radio, DOUG McKNIGHT is retiring Details from his Linkedin post. He’s former ND and GM in several California markets as you’ll learn from his Linkedin bio.
General Manager News and Notes:
No GM news that I know about. Please let me know if I’ve missed something.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Monday, July 5, 2026:
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
WPVI-TV 4100 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
KGO-TV 900 Front St, San Francisco, CA 94111
KMGH-TV 2323 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80203
KSDK-TV 1001 Highlands Plaza Dr. St. Louis, MO 63110
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WLKY-TV 1918 Mellwood Ave. Louisville, KY 40206
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
WHBQ-TV 485 South Highland St. Memphis, TN 38111
WREG-TV 803 Channel 3 Drive, Memphis, TN 38103
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KAKE-TV 1500 N. West St. Wichita, KS 67203
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
KKTV 3100 N Nevada Ave, Ste B, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WHBF-TV 231 18th St. Rock Island, IL 61201
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KNBN-TV 510 North Cambell Suite 8. Rapid City, SD 57701
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station