June 16, 2008
Greetings:
This week’s newsletter contains details on news director changes in three markets, all involving veteran news directors.
We have TWO new ND openings with ONE position being filled.
My figures now show 24 stations with an opening for a news director.
There are few updates in our list of news manager openings this week. We also have two paid ads: one for a Florida News Director’s job, the other for an Assistant ND job in the Northeast. And we have the sad duty to tell you about the death of a CNN EP who had worked in local markets from Florida to California to Missouri.
All that, and more, after this week’s changes.
NEW NEWS DIRECTOR OPENINGS:
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL…BRUCE KIRK has left the Ft. Myers Broadcasting owned CBS affiliate after about a year as ND. He’s also been a news director in Yuma, AZ, and Roanoke. JOHN EMMERT, who became the station’s Director of Technology when Bruce joined the station, will be the interim ND but the station is conducting a search for a new news director. You can read more about this opportunity in the paid ad below.
KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AL…longtime news director and anchor JOHN TRACY is leaving the news business to be a partner in an Anchorage public relations firm. John’s worked at the station for almost 20 years and has been the ND for the last 18 years.
NEW NEWS DIRECTORS NAMED:
KPSP-TV, Palm Desert, CA…veteran news director STEVE MINIUM will be the next ND for this Desert Television owned CBS affiliate. Steve most recently worked for Clear Channel, and the move here reunites him with DON PERRY, the GM for KPSP who also worked for Clear Channel. Steve’s a former ND in Cincinnati and Birmingham who also served as VP/News and Marketing for Clear Channel. He replaces TONY BALLEW who left the station last month after two years as news director.
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HELP WANTED ADS
NEWS DIRECTOR, WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL
WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida is seeking applicants for News Director. We need a talented manager with strong organizational and people skills to lead our 80-person news department that produces 46 hours of live news each week.
We want a leader that can teach, coach and motivate the staff as well as uphold our strong belief in good journalism. Applicants should have a strong understanding of new platforms, web and mobile, audience research, Nielsen ratings and technology.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate a strong track record as a manager with at least ten years TV News experience and five years as a news manager.
Previous experience as a News Director is preferred.
We want to see a summary of your news philosophy including your thoughts on how you produce a better news product than competitors.
Send resume and summary to:
Wayne Simons
VP/General Manager
WINK-TV
2824 Palm Beach Blvd.
Fort Myers FL 33916
Or apply via email to:
wayne.simons@fmbcmail.com
WINK-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a drug-free, smoke-free workplace. Successful applicant will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screening.
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR, WMTW-TV, Portland ME
WMTW-TV, the Hearst/Argyle television station in Portland, Maine, is searching for an experienced News Manager to fill an opening in our News Department.
WMTW-TV is looking for an aggressive, creative, experienced newsroom leader. The ideal candidate will have excellent news judgment, strong producing and special projects skills, the ability to own breaking news and weather, an eye for creative live coverage and experience running a successful day to day news operation in a medium market. You will be expected to coach and mentor newsroom staff. Strong organizational and communication skills are essential. Would prefer EP background or previous management experience, but will consider large market producers ready to move into newsroom management.
If you see yourself living and working in the Portland / Auburn market and becoming part of one of the fastest growing broadcast companies in America, please send your news philosophy, resume, references, and recent newscasts, with a letter detailing your impact on the newscast to:
News Director
Attn. Asst. N.D. Opening
WMTW-TV
99 Danville Corner Rd.
Auburn, ME 04210
No phone calls or emails please.
Equal Opportunity Employer.
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OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 5/16/08)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 5/23/08)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 6/6/08)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (new listing this week)
WMTW-TV, Portland, ME (listed 6/6/08) (see ad above)
KVIA-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 6/6/08)
KHBS/KHOG, Fort Smith, AR (listed 5/9/08)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (2 Openings, AM and PM, listed 4/18/08)
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (AM EP, new listing this week)
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 4/18/08)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis, MN (listing revised 5/2/08)
WOIO/WUAB-TV, Cleveland, OH (Nightside EP, listed 4/4/08)
KDVR-TV, Denver, CO (Weekend EP, relisted 4/25/08)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Morning EP, listed 4/18/08)
WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC (Nightside EP, relisted 4/18/08)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 5/9/08)
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 4/25/08)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (Morning EP, relisted 4/18/08)
WSYX/WTTE, Columbus, OH (relisted 5/16/08)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Dayside EP, listed 4/18/08)
WPTV, W. Palm Beach, FL (Dayside EP, listed 5/30/08)
WHP-TV, Harrisburg, PA (relisted 4/25/08)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (2 jobs, Dayside & AM EP, relisted 4/18/08)
KTUL-TV, Tulsa, OK (Nightside EP, relisted 4/18/08)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER of INVESTIGATIONS:
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (relisted 5/9/08)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN (relisted 5/16/08)
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OBITUARY
BOB COLEMAN died yesterday (Thursday, June 12). Bob had been an EP at CNN since 1999, and had worked as a producer and EP in a number of markets, including San Francisco, Miami, Tampa, St. Louis, Jacksonville, and Gainesville, FL, where I believe he was once ND at WCJB-TV. Bob was diagnosed recently with an infection, perhaps related to a kidney transplant he’d received a few years ago. He was smart, funny, and a good newsman. My best guess is that he was in his mid 50’s. He leaves behind a wife and young daughter. A funeral service for Bob is scheduled for Monday, June 16th, in St. Louis. More details in this obituary from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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Please let me know about corrections, updates, deletions, and additions via email or telephone at the addresses and numbers below.
Here is the complete list of stations looking for a news director as of Friday, June 13, 2008. There are no guarantees that these jobs remain open. (These jobs are listed in order of market size.)
KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
KVEA-TV 3000 W, Alameda Ave. Burbank CA 91523
WGCL-TV 425 14th St. NW Atlanta GA 30318
KPHO-TV 4016 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix AZ 85017
WEWS-TV 3001 Euclid Ave. Cleveland OH 44115
KGTV 4600 Air Way San Diego CA 92102
KOB-TV 4 Broadcast Plaza SW Albuquerque NM 87104
KMPH-TV 5111 E. McKinley Ave. Fresno CA 93727
WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd. Albany NY 12204
KOKI-TV 2625 S. Memorial Tulsa OK 74129
WINK-TV 2824 Palm Beach Blvd. Fort Myers FL 33916 (See ad above)
WOWK-TV 555 Fifth Ave. Huntington WV 25701
WCSH/WLBZ-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101
WSTM-TV 1030 James St. Syracuse NY 13203
WAAY-TV 1000 Monte Sano Boulevard Huntsville AL 35801
WLTX-TV 6027 Devine St. Columbia SC 29209
KFSM-TV 318 N. 13th St. Ft. Smith AR 72901
KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502
WEEK-TV 2907 Springfield Rd. E. Peoria, IL 61611
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 S. Beaumont TX 77701
KBTV 6155 Eastex Freeway #300 Beaumont TX 77706
KOBI-TV 125 South Fir St. Medford OR 97501
KTUU-TV 701 E. Tudor Rd. #220 Anchorage AK 99503
KIDK-TV 1255 E.17th St. Idaho Falls ID 83404
Rick Gevers
Rick Gevers & Associates
PO Box 577
Zionsville IN 46077
317-769-7900 (phone)
317-769-7910 (fax)
rick@rickgevers.com
www.rickgevers.com