October | 2012 | Rick Gevers & Associates

October 28, 2012

Greetings:

Another week, and another long list of newly named news directors to tell you about. There are FOUR new NDs in this report, with TWO new openings. That lowers our count of open ND jobs to just 25.

TWO of those newly named ND are at Hearst stations, which brings to NINE new Hearst NDs this year, an unusual flurry for a company that is traditionally very stable. Many of those nine new NDs came from within Hearst.

We have an ad for an interesting opportunity in California…be sure to check that out.

And a busy bottom of the newsletter, too, with two obituaries, two items about news people on the mend, two anniversaries, a handful of news managers on the move, and one new GM to report.

All that and more below:

New News Director Openings:

McGruder

WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO…we told you earlier this week that BRYAN McGRUDER has left this LocalTV owned FOX Affiliate after ten years as ND here. He spent two years as ND for what was then a sister-FOX o-and-o, WHBQ-TV in Memphis. Bryan also was an ND in Savannah, GA. He began his career on air as an anchor/reporter. He’s worked in Huntsville, Jackson and Meridian, MS, and Columbia, MO.

KION/KCOY-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA…TRACIZNN ZERAVICA is leaving this Cowles California operation to become the new Assistant ND for KATU-TV in Portland, OR. She’s been the ND here for 3 1/2 years. You can learn more about this opportunity in the paid ad below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Neelly

WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH…longtime Hearst ND MICHAEL NEELLY has been promoted to ND for this NBC affiliate. He’s been the ND for the company’s WLKY-TV in Louisville for the last 12 years, and spent three years as the Assistant ND there. He’s also worked in Ft. Myers, Portland, ME, and Jackson, MS. He replaces STACY OWEN who left after three years as ND to become the Assistant ND for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

Stahlman

WLKY-TV, Louisville, KY…ANDREA STAHLMAN moves one office over to become the new ND for this Hearst owned CBS affiliate. She replaces the above mentioned MICHAEL NEELLY who’s moving to WLWT-TV in Cincinnati to be the new ND for that Hearst station. Andrea has been the Ass’t. ND here for 12 years, but first joined the station in 1993 as weekend assignment editor and has worked as a producer and EP as well.

Johansen

WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC…welcome back to INGRID JOHANSEN who’s the new ND for this Media General owned CBS affiliate. She’s been out of TV for four years. She previously was the NC for WCTI-TV in the same market. In the interim, Ingrid was a management consultant for various companies and managed a Congressional campaign. She’s worked as an ND in Providence and Lexington, and also worked in Raleigh, Greensboro, Columbia, SC , and Orlando. Ingrid replaces MARTY VAN HOUSEN who left earlier this summer to become Assistant ND for WGCL-TV in Atlanta.

KGWN-TV, Cheyenne, WY…we’re a little tardy in reporting that CHRIS TURNER has been named ND here. Chris spent more than 20 years at CNN in a variety of roles. He joined the station in September and replaces MACRADEE AEGERTER who left in July of 2011.

Help Wanted Ad:

Corporate News Director, Cowles California Media Company, Monterey/Salinas, CA:

The opportunity is great… the job is tough. This is a truly unique position overseeing news operations in multiple markets and languages. The job is based in the Monterey/Salinas, CA market, but will also oversee the Santa Barbara, CA market. We have six TV stations on California’s beautiful Central Coast, including CBS, FOX, and TELEMUNDO, plus a dozen different website, mobile, and tablet products.

You will be our company’s Chief Journalist. You will be the designer and keeper of the Brand. You will be the one setting the tone and implementing the strategy. This is not a sit-at-your-desk-and-tell-people-what-to-do corporate consulting job. It’s a roll-up-your-sleeves-jump-in-and-get-it-done-whatever-it-takes job. You will be the day-to-day News Director and make editorial, production, and resource decisions daily while driving the long-term plan.

You’ll need to own Breaking News, Investigative Reporting, and Original Reporting. You’ll need to embrace and manage technology, digital platforms, and social media. And you’ll need to maximize your resources to produce great television. I’m looking for the next generation of News Director to evolve our next generation newsrooms. Our last Corporate News Director also managed the Promotions Department, too so if you can do that as well, great.

If this sounds like you, reach out immediately by email to pauldughi@kionrightnow.com. Send me your resume, your website, your Facebook and Twitter name, and tell me why you fit this description. We’re hiring now.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KING-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted this week)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 9/22/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 9/14/12)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (listed 9/1/12)
WLNE-TV, Providence, RI (listed 9/14/12)
WCTI-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (relisted 9/14/12)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (listed 9/22/12)
KRCR-TV, Redding, CA (listed 8/5/12)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/22/12)
KTTV/KCOP-TV, Los Angeles, CA (PM EP, listed 9/14/12)
KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX (Morning EP, relisted 9/14/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (EP of Special Projects/Investigations, listed 9/14/12)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 10/5/12)
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL (AM EP, listed 10/5/12)
WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL (relisted 9/1/12)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (Senior EP, listed 10/5/12)
KPTV/KPDX-TV, Portland, OR (Nightside EP, relisted 9/30/12)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (AM EP, listed 9/1/12)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (AM EP, listed 9/22/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/14/12)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (TV Content Mgr., listed 10/19/12)
KWTV, Oklahoma City, OK (PM EP, listed 9/30/12)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM & PM EPs, relisted 10/19/12)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Evening EP, relisted 9/9/12)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (PM EP, listing revised 9/14/12)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 9/1/12)
WCYB-TV, Bristol, TN (relisted 9/14/12)
KOLO-TV, Reno, NV (Morning EP, relisted 10/19/12)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 9/14/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (listed 9/14/12)
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted this week)

Situations Wanted:

We have no takers for this feature this week. Our Situations Wanted listings are free. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 100 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.

Obituaries:

Our sympathy to CNBC digital executive KEVIN KRIM and his family on the deaths of their two young children. You’re probably familiar with the story which has received widespread play. If not, here’s a New York Times report.

HAGAN THOMPSON, a long ago ND for Jackson, MS’s, WLBT-TV, died October 22nd in Atlanta at the age of 85. He suffered from congestive heart failure. Hagan first joined WLBT in 1953.

On the Mend:

Two veteran newsmen could benefit from your well wishes.

RTDNA Treasurer and former ND LOREN TOBIA is recovering from a broken shoulder suffered when he tripped over an uneven sewer grate in downtown Indianapolis. He skipped dinner, still conducted his AccuWeather business the next day, but went immediately to the hospital when he returned home. Doctors diagnosed him with a broken humerus bone. Good news, no surgery. Bad news, lots of pain. He’s already back on the road where he could read your kind note: tobia@accuweather.com

And former news director DON BRADLEY faces quadruple bypass surgery this week. Don most recently was ND for KAVU-TV in Victoria, TX before retiring in 2010. He spent 16 years as an ND in Ft. Wayne. Don began his career in radio, and over 51 years has worked in Springfield MA, New Haven, Decatur, Louisville, Tulsa, St Louis, Memphis, and Waco, among other markets. Don can be reached at: connieburi@aol.com

Names in the News:

An interesting addition to the 2013 Excellence in Journalism Conference (I’m an old timer…I still think of it as the RTDNA convention). The National Associate of Hispanic Journalists will partner with RTDNA and SPJ in Anaheim next August.

Tobin

THOMAS TOBIN picked a heckuva time to start his new job as Assistant News Director for WABC-TV in New York. He starts tomorrow, in the middle of storm and election coverage. He’s been the Senior Executive Producer for WRC-TV in Washington where he worked for WABC-TV News Director CAMILLE EDWARDS. He’s also worked for WTTG-TV in Washington and as a producer in both Richmond and Roanoke, VA, and worked as a reporter/anchor in Harrisonburg, VA.

Eure

KPNX-TV in Phoenix has hired JOSH EURE as its new Assistant News Director and Senior Content Manager. Josh most recently was a Senior Producer at ABC News. Earlier he’d served as a coordinating producer for both World News Now and Good Morning America. Josh has also worked at local stations in New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, and Greensboro, NC.

One GM note this week: TOM CANEDO has been named GM for CBS’s Detroit station, WWJ-TV. He’s been the GM for CBS’s CW affiliate in Atlanta, WUPA-TV.

A tip of the hat to longtime newsman TOM BECHERER (and, of course, his wife DONNA) who celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Tom’s a former VP/GM of the now-defunct Conus Communications. He had a long career in newsrooms, as a news director in Detroit, Baltimore (two stations) and Louisville. He also worked in St. Louis (two stations) and for UPI. Your note of congratulations would reach Tom at: tom@becherer.org

And congratulations to WLUK-TV News Director JULI BUEHLER who celebrated her 25th anniversary with the station on Friday.

Our Full List of News Director Openings:

Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, October 28, 2012.

If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
WTXF-TV 330 Market St. Philadelphia PA 19106
KNXV-TV 515 N. 44th St. Phoenix AZ 85008
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AZ 85013
WWSB-TV 1477 10th St. Sarasota, FL 34236
WKYC-TV 1333 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland OH 44114
WPXI-TV 4145 Evergreen Road Pittsburgh PA 15214
WISH-TV 1950 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak Street Kansas City MO 64112
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas NV 89101
WVEC-TV 613 Woodis Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510
WPRI/WNAC-TV 25 Catamore Bvld. E. Providence, RI 02914
KTHV-TV 720 Izard St. Little Rock 72201
KOTV 302 S. Frankfort St. Tulsa OK 74120
KSNW-TV 833 N. Main Wichita, KS 67203
KOLR/KOZL 2650 E. Division Springfield MO 65803
WMTV 615 Forward Dr. Madison WI 53711
KHGI-TV 13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
KBOI-TV 140 N. 16th St. Boise ID 83702
KION/KCOY-TV, 1550 Moffett St. Salinas CA 93905 (see ad above!)
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Rd. Ghent WV 25843
KSWT-TV 1301 Third Ave Yuma AZ 85364
KKCO-TV 2325 Interstate Ave. Grand Junction CO 81505
KFBB-TV P.O. Box 1139 Great Falls, MT 59403

October 20, 2012

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 UPDATE:

Greetings:

McGruder

A surprise from Kansas City this morning, where longtime WDAF-TV News Director BRYAN McGRUDER has left the station. Bryan’s been the ND for this LocalTV owned FOX affiliate for almost ten years. He previously had been the ND for (at the time) sister FOX o-and-o WHBQ-TV in Memphis for two years, and worked one year as an ND in Savannah, GA. Bryan spent the first 15 years of his career as an anchor/reporter, producer, and EP in several markets, including Huntsville, Jackson and Meridian, MS.

More on this story in our full report later this week.

**** ***** ****
Greetings:

Lots of activity in this week’s report.

There are THREE new ND openings and SEVEN new ND’s to tell you about (including one in a top ten market just announced today). Another of those openings was created by the promotion of an ND to a GM job at a sister-station.

That brings our list of stations looking for a new ND to 26.

We have an ad for one of the open ND jobs below…an opportunity in the Pacific Northwest.

In Names in the News, two news manager items and a number of GM changes.

All that and more below:

New News Director Openings:

WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh, PA…earlier today MIKE GOLDRICK announced his departure from this Cox-owned NBC affiliate to become ND for WRC-TV, the NBC o-and-o in Washington. More on that below. Mike was ND here for almost three years.

Lebenson

WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA…longtime ND RICH LEBENSON has left this Belo-owned ABC affiliate. He’s been the ND there since 2005 and has previously been an ND for Belo’s KREM-TV in Spokane and at KMTV in Omaha. He’s also been an EP in San Francisco and Orlando, an Assistant ND in Cincinnati, and also worked in Sacramento. His departure came on the same day Belo named a new GM for WVEC (more on that in Names in the News).

Abouzeid

WPRI-TV, Providence, RI…congratulations to long-time ND JOE ABOUZEID who’s being promoted to General Manager for sister LIN Media properties WDTN/WBDT-TV in Dayton, OH. Joe’s been ND for this CBS/FOX duopoly since 2005: he first joined the station in 2002 as Managing Editor and was promoted to Assistant ND in 2004. He began his career at WHDH-TV in Boston as an intern and moved up the ranks there before going to Providence.

Newly Named News Directors:

Goldrick

WRC-TV, Washington, DC…as mentioned above, this NBC o-and-o today named MIKE GOLDRICK as its next news director. Mike’s been ND for WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh for the past three years and served as ND for WHEC-TV in Rochester, NY, for three years. His career has also taken him to Seattle, Detroit, Houston, Tampa, Charlotte, and West Palm Beach. At WRC, he replaces CAMILLE EDWARDS who left last summer to become ND for WABC-TV in New York.

Kelly

WSPA-TV, Spartanburg, SC…KAREN KELLY has been promoted to news director for this Media General owned CBS affiliate. She’s been the Managing Editor here since 2002, first joined the station in 1998 as a producer and was upped to Executive Producer that same year. She’s also worked in Springfield, MO, and for another station in Spartanburg. Karen will replace DAN CATES who left the station a few months ago when he was promoted to General Manager of Media General’s WJHL-TV in the Tri-Cities, TN.

Barkley

WYFF-TV, Greenville, SC…BRUCE BARKLEY returns to South Carolina as ND for this Hearst owned NBC affiliate. He comes from another Hearst station, WAPT-TV, in Jackson, MS, where he’s been the ND since 2000. Bruce previously served as ND for WOLO-TV in Columbia, SC. He’s also worked in Knoxville and the Tri-Cities, TN, and in Greenville, NC. At WYFF, he’ll replace JUSTIN ANTONIOTTI who left the station last week to become ND for Hearst’s WTAE-TV in Pitsburgh.

Williams

WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL…veteran news director KATHY WILLIAMS has been named ND for this Gannett-owned duopoly. (We actually told you that in July but later learned she was ‘interim’. Now it’s official.) Kathy’s been an ND in Houston and Cleveland (two stations). She’s also worked in Chicago, Washington, Birmingham, and Lubbock as well as Houston earlier in her career. Kathy replaces MIKE GARBER who left the station in May to become ND for WPTV in West Palm Beach, FL.

Hart

WAPT-TV, Jackson, MS…BEN HART has been promoted to ND for this Hearst owned ABC affiliate, replacing BRUCE BARKLEY who’s headed to WYFF-TV in Greenville, NC. (It’s part of a series of ND changes at Hearst stations.) Ben’s been the Assistant ND here since 2010, and has worked for two other Hearst stations in Sacramento and New Orleans. He previously worked for WAPT after beginning his career as a director in Columbus, MS.

Sanders

WCTV-TV, Tallahassee, FL…one Sanders replaces another as STAN SANDERS has been named ND for this Gray Television owned CBS affiliate. Stan’s been the ND for WDBD-TV in Jackson, MS, but that FOX affiliate has dropped its news department after the station was sold. WLBT-TV in Jackson will produce a newscast for WDBD. Stan earlier spent ten years as an ND in Columbus, OH. Before going to WDBD, he ran the Student Media Center at Southern Mississippi. At WCTV, he replaces TRISTON SANDERS who left last month to become Ass’t. ND for WWL-TV in New Orleans. She was ND just over two years here.

WETM-TV, Elmira, NY…SCOTT LEVY is the new ND here. He has been working for News 12 Bronx/Brooklyn. Scott’s also worked in Dallas, Memphis, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa (twice). He replaces SCOTT NICHOLS who left in August to become ND for WCTI-TV in Greenville/New Bern, NC.

Help Wanted Ad:

News Director, KBOI-TV, Boise, ID:

KBOI-TV, the CBS affiliate in Boise, Idaho seeks a newsroom leader to serve as News Director. The ideal candidate is a strong motivator, communicates well, and also has a record of achieving results.

Duties include; developing and implementing daily and long-term news coverage strategies and standards; hiring and training news staff; supervising special event coverage and production of special projects; supervising implementation of new technology; executing social media strategies.

The News Director works closely with station management and the production and promotions departments to develop a shared vision for KBOI News. Knowledge of television production technology, and legal and ethical issues related to journalism is essential.

To apply, click here:

Fisher Communications is an Equal Opportunity Employer