January 18, 2026
Tuesday, January 18, 2026 UPDATE:
A news director change in a top ten market in today’s UPDATE.
Bonfield
KATHRYN BONFIELD has left Tegna’s KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston after just over a year as news director. Longtime Houston media blogger MIKE McGUFF reported the move earlier today. Before Houston, Kathryn spent 13 years as news director for Graham Media’s (formerly Post-Newsweek) WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, FL. She’s also been an news director in Charleston, SC, and worked for many years in a variety of roles (over two stints) for WFLA-TV in Tampa.
We’ll hope to have more on this story and the rest of the news this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
We’re a little late tonight due to travel, but it was a fairly busy week, with TWO new news directors and ONE new opening.
That lowers our list of open ND jobs to 22.
(I should thank a loyal reader for sharing tips about both the new NDs. We always welcome your ‘signed’ email tips…not a fan of anonymous but we do not identify our sources.)
We have ONE obituary for a longtime Meredith executive.
Lots of GM items and a few items in Names in the News, including a career change for a former NBC News President.
Stay warm and we’ll see you next weekend.
Newly Named News Directors:
Clark
WCTV, Tallahassee, Fl…we are behind in reporting two new news directors at Gray stations. MICHAEL CLARK started last May (told you I was behind) as ND for this CBS affiliate. He’d been the evening anchor and managing editor for WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, MS and has worked in other southern markets since 2010. Michael replaces SABRINA FULLER who left last March after five years as ND.
Quinn
WBNG-TV, Binghamton, NY…KEVIN QUINN was promoted to news director for this Gray Media owned CBS affiliate last month. He first joined the station in 2023 as an anchor. Here’s more about Kevin and his background from the station’s website. He replaces TANYA CLEARY who left the station last June after two years as news director.
New News Director Openings:
Fray
KSNT/KTKA-TV, Topeka, KS…after more than ten years on the job, JESSE FRAY is leaving this Nexstar owned NBC and ABC duopoly. He’s taking a position out of television. Before Topeka, Jesse worked in Kansas City, Tulsa, and Wichita, KS.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
No help wanted ads this week. If you have a news management opening, there’s no better audience than ours to advertise that job. Please email me for details: rick@rickgevers.com
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (Boston market), listed 1/11/26)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 1/11/26)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 11/9/25)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 11/2/25)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 1/11/26)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (relisted 11/16/25)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Digital EP, relisted 11/23/25)
WDCW/WDVM-TV, Washington, DC (listed 1/18/26)
WCVB-TV, Boston, MA (listed 1/11/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (Streaming Content EP/Host, relisted 1/11/26)
KAZT-TV, Phoenix, AZ (Digital EP, listed 1/18/26)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 12/7/25)
KTVI/KPLR-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 11/9/25)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (AM EP, listed 12/21/25)
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 1/11/26)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Morning EP, listed 11/16/25)
WPBF-TV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 1/11/26)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (Cable stations EP, listed 1/18/26)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (listed 1/11/26)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (relisted 1/11/26)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (listed 11/9/25)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (listing modified 12/7/25)
WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre, PA (listed 1/11/26)
WDKY-TV, Lexington, KY (listed 1/11/26)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (Morning EP, listing revised 11/16/25)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 11/30/25)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (relisted 12/7/25)
KELO-TV, Sioux Falls, SD (listed 1/18/26)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (AM EP, listed 11/23/25)
KXMB-TV, Bismarck, ND (Digital EP, listed 12/14/25)
WBOY-TV, Clarksburg, WV (Digital EP, listed 11/16/25)
WETM-TV, Elmira, NY (Digital EP, relisted 1/11/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 1/11/26:
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (Digital Director)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Real Time Desk Manager)
Listed 12/7/25:
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (Story Desk Manager)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (Executive Reporter)
Listed 11/2/25:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Digital Content)
Listed 10/26/25
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (Executive Reporter)
Obituary:
Lowe
DOUG LOWE, who spent more than.20 years as Executive Vice-President of the Broadcast Group for Meredith (remember them?) died January 9 at his Georgia home. He was 67. More in this obituary from the Des Moines Register (Meredith’s headquarters city). Before joining Meredith, he was a CFO for In Touch Ministries. I found this interesting post on his Facebook page where he discussed 29 theories on management and how to treat people.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
Shapiro
Former NBC News President NEAL SHAPIRO is stepping down as President and CEO of the WNET Group, which runs New York’s public TV stations, WNET-TV and WLIW-TV. He’s been in the job for 20 years and will stay on until his successor is named. Neal spent four plus years as President of NBC News and eight years as EP of NBC’s Dateline NBC. He also worked for ABC News for 13 years.
FOX News promoted six executives to new roles.
ERIC VALDEZ is the new managing editor at KTVT-TV, the CBS o-and-o in Dallas.
General Manager News and Notes:
Bernie P.
BERNIE PRAZENICA joined ABC o-and-o WPVI-TV in 1982 in the sales department. He eventually spent 17 years as General Manager of the station, the longest tenure in WPVI history. He’s retiring from that job, but not before he met with the newsroom staff as you’ll see in this story from the WPVI website.
Grisham
CHARLIE GRISHAM will leave Scripps’ WRTV (ABC) in Indianapolis, when (if?) the station’s sale to Circle City Broadcasting is completed. Circle City owns WISH-TV (independent) in Indianapolis. He’s headed to KMTV, the Scripps station in Omaha, where he’ll be GM and Director of Sales. He’s no stranger to Omaha, having graduated from Creighton University there. His career background is here.
Scripps also promoted ALEX IRIATE to GM and Senior Director of sales for WSFL-TV in Miami/Ft,.Lauderdale. He’s been the Sports Sales Manager for Scripps stations in South Florida. More here.
JULIE MILAM is leaving WNKY-TV in Bowling Green, KY, as GM. She’s been at this Marquee Broadcasting station for 18 years. Julie will be the new EVP of Partnership Services for the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, January 18, 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
KDEN-TV 4100 East Dry Creek Rd. Centennial, CO 80122 **
KOVR/KMAX-TV 2713 KOVR Dr. W. Sacramento, CA 95605
WITI-TV 9001 N Green Bay Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53209
KVVU-TV 25 TV5 Dr. Henderson, NV 89014
WAVE-TV 725 S. Floyd St. Louisville KY 40203
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Road, Madison, WI 53719
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WTVC-TV 4279 Benton Dr, Chattanooga, TN 37406
KKTV 3100 N Nevada Ave, Ste B, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WFXG-TV 4221 Washington Rd. Martinez GA 30907
WEAU-TV 1907 S. Hastings Way Eau Claire, WI 54701
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KSNT/KTKA-TV 6835 NW HWY 24 Topeka, Kansas 66618
KSWO-TV 1401 SE 60th St. Lawton, OK 73501
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KALB-TV 605 Washington Street, Alexandria, LA 71301
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station