June 29, 2025
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 UPDATE:
Greetings:
A legendary…and sometimes controversial figure in TV news has died.
BILL APPLEGATE, who served as a news director and general manager at many large market stations, died this morning, according to this Facebook post from his son, WILLIAM APPLEGATE, who followed his dad into the business. (Many of the many comments on that FB post are from names you will recognize.) Bill retired in 2014 after 13 years at this last job, GM for (then) Raycom’s WOIO/WUAB-TV in Cleveland.
When he retired, there were a number of stories, of course. Here’s one from The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, while this one is from ROBERT FEDER, the longtime Chicago TV writer. Bill had TWO stints in Chicago, one as ND for WLS-TV and the other as GM for WBBM-TV.
I’m sure there will be more stories in the days ahead.
regards,
Rick Gevers
Monday, June 30, 2025 UPDATE:
Greetings:
As we hinted last night, more news from Tegna as it restructures its news management team

Valentine
MICHAEL VALENTINE and JAVIER MORGADO have been named Vice Presidents of Content, each overseeing a specific cluster of stations. Michael is a 12 year veteran of Tegna, and is currently VP/Station Manager for WUSA-TV (CBS) in DC. He’s a former ND for WFAA-TV in Dallas, among other stations. Javier is currently with CNN, and has worked for NBC News and in his hometown of Miami. More on each and their duties in this news release.
We’ll be back this weekend with our full newsletter…or earlier if developments warrant another UPDATE.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Some big changes in Tegna’s news management created TWO openings at top 15 market stations. And we have TWO new news directors, one in a top 20 market.
Our count of open ND jobs remains at 34.
ONE of those new openings is featured in a Paid Help Wanted ad below.
We have ONE obituary for a longtime news manager who started as a reporter in a small Minnesota market before moving to much bigger roles.
Just ONE GM change, but at a powerhouse legacy station.
In Names in the News, the National EMMY awards for news and documentaries were revealed this week. We have the list. We also have a not-pretty forecast of what changes will happen to local stations if/when the FCC relaxes ownership rules. And a TV investigative reporter is the new President of IRE.
Finally, our mention last week of the vast difference in attendance at the IRE and RTDNA conventions caught the eye of former ND (and new blogger) KIRK VARNER, whose first blog post on the topic generated more reaction for him than any of this previous 50 or so posts in the short history of his blogging career. Here are links:
https://tvnd.micro.blog/2025/06/23/wither-the-rtdna.html
https://tvnd.micro.blog/2025/06/25/continuing-coverage-wither-the-rtdna.html
Have a great week and stay safe on the Fourth of July!
Newly Named News Directors:

‘Mace’ M.
WFTV, Orlando, FL…MICHAEL ‘MACE’ MACIEJEWSKI has been promoted to news director for this Cox Media owned ABC affiliate. He returned here in May as Manager of Coverage and Content and had earlier worked as the Assistant ND here before leaving in 2020. His complete career history is here. At WFTV he replaces TINA COMMODORE who left in May after five years as ND.

Palmer
WDTV, Clarksburg, VA…LACEY PALMER, a Clarksburg native, becomes the first female news director for this Gray Media owned CBS affiliate. She worked for WBOY-TV in Clarksburg before crossing the street to WDTV, where she has been the digital content producer since 2024. Lacey replaces CHRIS YOST who was ND there from 2023 until earlier this year.
New News Director Openings:
TWO Tegna news managers are among three people who have been named Vice Presidents of Content, overseeing Tegna stations in a specific geographic region.

Fowler
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA…CAROL FOWLER held the title of Director of Content for this NBC affiliate. She’s been here since December, 2023. Carol first joined Tegna as Director of Content for KSDK-TV (NBC) in St. Louis. Before that, she had a long career in Chicago news, having served as ND for THREE Chicago stations, WGN-TV, WBBM-TV, and WFLD-TV. She also was the SVP for DigitalNews Products for the Chicago Sun Times.

Wolfe
KING-TV, Seattle, WA… also promoted was JULIE WOLFE. She’s been the news director for this NBC station since June 2021 and was the ND for Tegna’s WHAS-TV (ABC) in Louisville for three years before that. She first joined Tegna as an MMJ at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, then moved to WXIA-TV in Atlanta. There, she worked as an MMJ for six years before becoming Director of Digital Content and then Assistant ND.

Pena
The third person named VP of Content is former Univision executive CHRIS PENA. He was Senior VP of News for Univision and also worked for MSNBC. More details about these three promotions and details on their new jobs can be found in this news release.
I expect more news along this front from Tegna in the next week or two.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:

News Director, WBNG-TV, Binghamton, NY:
WBNG is looking for a dynamic newsroom leader to take our team to the next level.
WBNG-TV, the CBS affiliate in Binghamton, NY, seeks a News Director to help guide our news department to new heights of journalistic and ratings success. This is an exciting opportunity to join a great team in one of New York’s most beautiful places to live.
The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing and maintaining market leading standards for newsroom operations and content. Other duties include hiring, coaching, supervising and evaluating news personnel, as well as preparation and administration of newsroom budgets and capital requests. The News Director is expected to work closely with other department managers to achieve the company’s overall performance goals.
A minimum of 4 years television news management experience and a college degree in broadcast journalism preferred. Must be able to demonstrate strong working knowledge of community issues, as well as sound journalistic principles. Must have the ability to make fast, accurate journalistic and logistical judgments.
If you have a passion for excellence, and a burning desire to lead the best local broadcast news operation in Binghamton, NY, we want to hear from you.
Compensation: $70,000/year
If you think you’re qualified, want to work with a great group of people and live in a great community, apply online at: Careers – Gray Television
WBNG-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WTVR-TV, Richmond, VA (listed 5/4/25)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (listed 6/15/25)
WAAY-TV, Huntsville, AL (listed 5/18/25)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 5/11/25)
KRDO-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 4/13/25)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 5/26/25)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (listed 6/8/25)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (relisted 6/15/25)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (EP Evening Magazine, relisted 6/29/25)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 6/1/25)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (Digital EP, relisted 6/1/25)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (relisted 6/1/25)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 6/29/25)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 6/15/25)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Two positions: one a Digital EP, listing revised 6/29/25)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, relisted 6/15/25)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (relisted 6/15/25)
KRQE-TV, Albuquerque, NM (Nightside EP, listed 5/11/25)
WATN-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 6/15/25)
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (AM EP, relisted 6/29/25)
WDTN-TV, Dayton, OH (listed 5/4/25)
KGUN-TV, Tucson, AZ (listed 5/26/25)
KHON/KHII-TV, Honolulu, HI (Digital EP, listed 6/15/25)
WOI-TV, Des Moines, IA (relisted 6/29/25)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 6/1/25)
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital EP, listed 6/15/25)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (listed 5/18/25)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (listed 6/15/25)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 6/29/25)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 6/8/25)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 6/29/25:
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Executive Reporter)
Listed 6/15/25:
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Executive Reporter)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 6/8/25:
WDHN-TV, Dothan, AL (Digital News Manager)
Listed 5/26/25:
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (Assignment Desk Manager)
Obituary:

Cassutt
NANCY CASSUTT (ISON) died June 19 at 64 of a brain tumor. She began as a reporter in Duluth, MN, before moving to Green Bay and then to Minneapolis, where she was an assignment editor for KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV, where she eventually rose to Assistant ND. She later had significant roles at Internet Broadcasting and Minnesota Public Radio. Her impressive career is chronicled here. Nancy is survived by her husband, journalist CHRIS ISON, and two daughters.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
It’s widely expected that changes in the makeup of the FCC will result in changes in ownership regulations, which will lead to massive consolidation of station ownership. Former GM and consultant HANK PRICE looks at what that will mean. Warning: You may not like what he forecasts.
ABC’s World News Tonight won the National Emmy for Outstanding Live News Program. It was one of many awards given out over two nights…the complete list is here.
Meanwhile, ABC News has a new New York Bureau Chief (GREG CROFT) and a new Director of News Services (JENNY WAGNON COURTS).

Hinkle
Board members of IRE elected JOSH HINKLE to a two year term as president of the organization. He’s the Director of Investigations and Innovations for Nexstar’s KXAN-TV (NBC) in Austin, TX. KATE HOWARD was chosen as VP, and MARK GREENBLATT was re-elected treasurer. Past President BRIAN ROSENTHAL of the New York Times will serve as a non voting chair of the board.
General Manager News and Notes:

Gray
Just ONE GM change this week. WRAL/WRAZ-TV (NBC/FOX) in Raleigh named HEATHER GRAY as GM. She’d been the interim GM since JOEL DAVIS left for WCAU-TV (NBC owned) in Philadelphia. Heather had been station manager and creative services manager during her career at WRAL.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, June 29, 2025:
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
WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10017
WGN-TV 2501 West Bradley Place Chicago, IL 60618
WKTB 4675 River Green Pkwy, Duluth, GA 30096 **
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, GA 30324
WBZ-TV 1170 Soldiers Field Road Boston, MA 02134
WMUR-TV 100 South Commercial St. Manchester, NH 03101 (Boston)
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South Ste 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KARE-TV 8811 Olson Memorial Hwy. Minneapolis, MN 55427
WKYC-TV 1333 Lakeside Avenue Cleveland, OH 44114
KSAT-TV 1408 N St. Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX 78215
WCPO-TV 1720 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfeild Drive W. Palm Beach FL 33407
KOKH-TV 1228 E Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WFTX-TV 621 SW Pine Island Rd, Cape Coral, FL 33991
WGRZ-TV 259 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202
WHIO-TV 1611 South Main Street Dayton, OH 45409
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WSLS-TV 821 5th St SW, Roanoke, VA 24016
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WCTV 1801 Halstead Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32309
WEAU-TV 1907 S. Hastings Way Eau Claire, WI 54701
KOSA-TV 4101 E. 42nd. Suite J-7. Odessa, TX 79761
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa, TX 79763
KSWO-TV 1401 SE 60th St. Lawton, OK 73501
KIMT-TV 112 N Pennsylvania Ave, Mason City, IA 50401
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790 (see ad above!)
KTXS-TV 4420 N. Clack St.Abilene, TX 79601
KOTA-TV 2001 Skyline Drive Rapid City, SD 57701
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
WLUC-TV 177 US-41 East, Negaunee, MI 49866
KIDY-TV5 S. Chadbourne San Angelo, TX 76902 (Content Manager)
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
**: Spanish language station












KTXS-TV, Sinclair’s ABC affiliate in Abilene, TX, suffered heavy damage in last weekend’s storms. Sinclair’s Group News Director, BLAISE LABBE, 









Our midweek UDPATE told you that CBS is switching its affiliation in Atlanta from Gray’s WANF-TV to its own WUPA-TV. WANF’s
That same update 