November 1, 2026
Greetings:
Just ONE new news director and ONE new opening to share this week.
That means our count of open ND jobs remains at 22.
We have ONE paid ad for a marketing position at a group owned station. That’s not our normal demographic, but given the many layoffs lately, it’s very likely that the news managers and GMs that do read this newsletter might be able to share the opening, which is below.
Also in tonight’s newsletter:
- Another round of layoffs at Scripps.
- A former EP in several large markets…now at Poynter…watched some of Scripps’ anchor-less newscasts and is not a fan.
- A North Dakota GM passes away.
- We freshen our list of Other News Management Openings.
- And a veteran broadcaster who spent much of his career in TV before finishing in radio is retiring.
Finally, over the protestations of my wife, I’ll include a personal note at the bottom of the Names in the News section.
Newly Named News Director:
O’Connor
KNDU/KNDO-TV, Yakima/Kennewick, WA…JOHN KENNEDY O’CONNOR has been on the job as news director for this Cowles owned operation since June. He’s a former news director and anchor for KIMA-TV in Yuma, AZ…and has also worked for the BBC in England. John replaces MATT ELIAS who left in February after about two years as news director.
In reporting KAREN VAN VLECK‘s appointment as ND for KOLD-TV in Tucson last week, we told you she replaced JESSICA BOBULA who left after four months as ND. In fact, Jessica was ND there for more than four years. Apologies.
New News Director Opening:
WUTR/WFXV-TV, Utica, NY…TOM COYNE has left this Nexstar owned ABC/FOX operation. He’s been the news director there for almost 12 years.
Also, we told you last week that SUSAN D’ASTOLI is retiring in January as ND for Spectrum News 13 in Orlando. We’ve since learned that Susan also oversees Bay News 9 in Tampa.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
Marketing, Community and Creative Services Director, KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN:
Hubbard Broadcasting’s KAAL ABC 6 News in Rochester, MN is seeking a highly organized, creative, and community-focused professional to serve as our Marketing, Community & Creative Services Director. This leadership position is responsible for leading the station’s marketing, community outreach, event planning, brand management, and creative services efforts.
The ideal candidate is both a relationship-builder and a creative storyteller who can strengthen KAAL’s connection with the communities we serve while developing impactful promotional campaigns across television, digital, social, and community platforms. This individual will serve as the station’s primary coordinator for community engagement, marketing initiatives, station promotions, and creative services projects.
Rochester, MN is a fast growing, affluent, diverse community in SE Minnesota. Home of the Mayo Clinic, repeatedly ranked as the world’s best hospital, Rochester is a highly educated city with rich cultural amenities only 90 miles south of Minneapolis-St. Paul. A safe community with great schools and a high quality of life-Rochester has been named the most livable city in America multiple times.
To see the full job description and to apply, please click here.
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)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 10/25/26)
WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 9/13/26)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (relisted 11/1/26)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 10/4/26)
WOWK-TV, Charleston/Huntington, WV (listed 10/25/26)
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)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (listed 11/1/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 11/1/26)
WTSP-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 11/1/26)
WFTV, Orlando, FL (relisted 9/27/26)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital EP, relisted 10/4/26)
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)
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)
WIVB/WNLO-TV, Buffalo, NY (Morning Daypart Mgr., listed 11/1/26)
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:
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (relisted 8/30/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 11/1/26:
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (Community Connection Coordinator)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (Executive Reporter)
KTNV, Las Vegas, NV (Executive Reporter)
Multiple Scripps Stations (Senior Mgr. of Community Connections)
Listed 10/25/26:
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Executive Reporter)
WTKR-TV, Norfolk. VA (Executive Reporter)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (Executive Reporter)
KSTM-TV, El Paso, TX (Digital Media Manager)
Relisted 10/25/26:
KLBK-TV, Lubbock, TX (Digital Media Director)
Relisted 10/18/26:
WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (Digital Media Director)
Relisted 10/11/26:
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Director of Multiplatform Content)
Listed 10/11/26:
KVEO/KGBT-TV, Brownsville, TX (Digital Media Manager)
Listed 9/27/26:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Story Desk Manager)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (Executive Reporter)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (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)
Obituary:
Rohrer
JOSH ROHRER, the GM for WDAY-TV in Fargo, ND, died Wednesday at the age of 47. He was also the VP of Broadcast for parent company Forum Communications. John worked for the station for more than 20 years.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
Tuesday’s UPDATE told you of the latest round of layoffs at Scripps, this one eliminating 431 jobs. President and CEO ADAM SYMSON sent this email to the staff in which he said the company would be creating over 100 new positions. But he added: As we continue to move through our three-year transformation, we do expect additional role eliminations across the company, but not at the scale of those in 2026.
Much has been made about Scripps’ move towards ‘anchorless’ newscasts. Poynter’s KERWIN SPREIGHT, a former EP for several large market stations, reviewed several newscasts at WMAR-TV in Baltimore.
He is not a fan.
Larry S.
LARRY SILBERMANN, who spent most of his career working in television news, but wrapped up running a radio station, emailed me this week to tell me he is retiring. Larry worked in multiple markets before landing his first ND job at WTOC-TV in Savannah, and then moving to a regional ND job for Raycom before becoming GM at WTOC. Click here to read Larry’s note to me.
And we close with that personal note mentioned above.
Thanks to Dean DAVID KURPIUS and his team at the University of Missouri School of Journalism for a nice event Thursday morning to recognize an estate gift from me and my wife, KAREN BURNS. (And thanks to about a dozen or so of my classmates who came to Columbia.)
Details in this story.
If you have too much time on your hands, you can watch the entire 30 minute program here (it starts about 8:00 in.)
And I will close by saying if we can do it…you can…and should…too.
General Manager News and Notes:
Rieffer
It’s rare to report TWO new general managers in the same large market city, but that’s the case this week.
JENNIFER RIEFFER moves within Gray to become the new GM for WBTV (CBS) in Charlotte. She’s been running Gray’s WXIX-TV (FOX) in Cincinnati.
Gregory
Tegna transfers BRIAN GREGORY to Charlotte where he will oversee WCNC-TV (NBC) as well as WFMY-TV in Greensboro, NC. He’s been running WVEC-TV in Norfolk, the ABC affiliate there. Brian, of course, is a former news director in Denver and Wichita.
Hartel
That wasn’t Tegna’s only GM announcement. MELLYNDA HARTEL has been named GM for WTSP-TV (ABC) in Tampa, as well as the company’s Jacksonville duopoly, WTLV/WJXX-TV (NBC/ABC). When Mellynda’s name last graced this publication, it was in August, 2025, when she ‘retired’ from her job as GM of KTVU-TV in Oakland/San Francisco, ending a 35 year career with Fox.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, November 1, 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
WJBK-TV 16550 W 9 Mile Rd, Southfield, MI, 48075
Spectrum News 13 & Bay News 9 20 N. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32801
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
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 **
WCHS-TV 1301 Piedmont Road, Charleston, WV 25301
KLKN-TV 3240 South Tenth Street, Lincoln NE 68502
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
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WUTR/WFXV-TV 5956 Smith Hill Road Utica, NY 13502
WHSV-TV 50 North Main Street Harrisonburg, VA 22802
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station