April 9, 2023

Friday, April 14, 2023 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Three stories in today’s UPDATE: a change near the top of Gray TV, a sudden ND opening in Denver, and details about arrangements for LESLEY VAN NESS, a Gray recruiter and former anchor who died earlier this week.

Smith

First, the news from Gray Television, where BOB SMITH, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, retired as of today. Details in this note from Gray’s Executive Chairman and CEO, HILTON HOWELL. Bob began in sales and moved into management. He was the general manager for WMTV in Madison, WI, when Gray bought WMTV from Benedek.

Megan J.

In Denver, KUSA-TV, (Tegna/NBC) news director MEGAN JURGEMEYER told the staff yesterday that she was leaving. And then she left. So yesterday was her last day. She’s been ND there since 2019, and first joined KUSA in 2013, from another Denver station, KMGH-TV, which currently has an ND opening. Coincidence? We’ll see. Megan’s KUSA bio is still on the station website. KUSA’s Director of Content, TIM RYAN, will oversee the newsroom for now.

Van Ness

Funeral services for LESLEY VAN NESS, a recruiter for Gray and one-time anchor for Gray’s WGEM-TV in Quincy, IL, will be held Monday morning in Quincy. Details in this Caring Bridge page from her husband, TOM VAN NESS. Many more details about Lesley’s life, career, and family in this obituary and in this story from her former station. We told you Monday that Lesley died after a sudden illness while on vacation with her family in Florida. An earlier Caring Bridge post says she had been diagnosed with strep A pneumonia that had been complicated with sepsis. She was just 42.

I am in Las Vegas for the BEA and NAB conventions. Hope to see some of you here.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Monday, April 10, 2023 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Very sad news to share from Gray Television.

Van Ness

LESLEY VAN NESS, a recruiter for Gray, died this morning in a Florida hospital. Lesley was vacationing with her family when she was taken ill and hospitalized last Thursday.

This note from Gray’s VP/Recruiting, JENNIFER DALE, has more details and includes a link to a Caring Bridge website.

Lesley began her career as a reporter at Quincy’s WGEM-TV in Quincy, IL, and later became the evening anchor before moving to a recruiting role for the company. When Gray bought Quincy, she transitioned in a similar role to Gray. Lesley’s Linkedin page.

She is survived by her husband, TOM, who works at WEEK-TV in Peoria, IL, and their two young sons.

Arrangements are still being finalized. I’ll update this website when I know more.

Until then, sympathy to both the Van Ness family and Lesley’s Gray TV family.

regards,

Rick Gevers

**** ***** ****

Greetings:

I hope your holiday(s) were pleasant.

As busy as last week was, there wasn’t as much movement this week, with just TWO new ND openings and NO new hires.

That means our list of open jobs eases ever higher, to 45.

Just ONE paid ad this week.

And ONE obituary, that for the father of a multi-time news director.

Scripps plucks a former news photographer to oversee all its local TV stations. (He’s also a two-time general manager). That’s in our GM news section.

And several industry items of note in Names in the News (and other things). Hearst buys a station in Florida, Sinclair does a big reorg, a federal judge in Indianapolis tosses a racial discrimination suit filed against DirectTV and Dish TVs and we’ve got the link to a New York Times look at non-competes in broadcasting.

Next week’s edition will come from Las Vegas and the NAB convention. Hope to see you there.

Newly Named News Directors:

To the best of my knowledge, there were no ND jobs filled this week. Please let me know if I’ve missed one.

New News Director Openings:

Stovall

KIMA-TV, Yakima, WA…Sinclair owns this CBS affiliate and is looking for a news director and anchor. SCOTT STOVALL has held those jobs for the past few years but I do not know his future. His past, however, is outlined on his still available station profile and on his very detailed Linkedin page. We’ll update this situation in our next report.

O’Brien

KSBW-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA…JILLIAN O’BRIEN is leaving this Hearst owned NBC affiliate at the end of May. She’s newly married and will move overseas with her new husband. When she leaves, Jillian’s will have been the ND here for just over three years. Speaking of three, it was her THIRD stint at KSBW, first as ND. She’s also worked for CNN, in San Francisco, as an EP for a Hearst program, “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien“. (no relation)

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Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WTVD-TV, Durham, NC (listed 1/29/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

News 12 Long Island, Bethpage, NY (listed 1/15/23)
News 12 Edison, NJ (Spec. Projects. Prod., listed 1/15/23)
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 3/26/23)
WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA (Morning EP, listed 3/19/23)
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (AM/Special Projects EP, listed 2/19/23)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 4/9/23)
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (Nightside EP, listed 3/26/23)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (listed 2/5/22)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 2/12/23)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (Morning EP, listed 3/19/23)
WTVD-TV, Durham, NC (listed 1/29/23)
WRTV, Indianpolis, IN (relisted 3/26/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 3/26/23)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 3/26/23)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City (relisted 3/26/23)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City (listed 2/25/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/26/23)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 3/26/23)
WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 3/26/23)
WGNO-TV, New Orleans, LA (Digital EP, listed 4/2/23)
WNYT-TV, Albany, NY (listed 2/12/23)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 2/25/23)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 2/19/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)
WSAV-TV, Savannah, GA (listed 4/2/23)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (relisted 2/19/23)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, relisted 3/26/23)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (relisted 2/19/23)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (listed 1/29/23)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (listed 2/25/23)
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 3/26/23)

More News Management Openings:

Listed 3/26/23:

KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (Assignment Desk Manager)

Listed 3/12/23:

WTKR-TV, Norfolk, VA (Manager of Enterprise Content)

Listed 3/5/23:

WINK-TV, Ft. Meyers, FL (Digital News Director)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (Digital News Manager)

Listed 2/5/23:

Gray Television, Remote (Producers for Magazine Program)

Obituary:

Edward Noonan

EDWARD NOONAN, father of longtime news director BOB NOONAN, died last Monday. He was 94. Mr. Noonan worked for Union Carbide as a general counsel for the real estate division and later as an assistant secretary. In addition to Bob, he is survived by three other children. Bob’s been the news director for WPMI-TV (NBC) in Mobile for almost 12 years, and is a former ND in New Orleans, Jackson and Hattiesburg, MS, and Bowling Green, KY. Send a kind note to Bob by clicking here.

Names in the News:

Hearst announced this week it was buying Waterman’s WBBH-TV (NBC) in Ft. Myers and will assume the agreement to operate WZVN-TV (ABC) there. The acquisition expands Hearst’s coverage in Florida.

We told you in a Monday UPDATE of Sinclair’s restructuring. Here’s the company news release and the memo sent to employees.

A federal judge here in Indianapolis dismissed a suit brought by Circle City Broadcasting, owners of WISH-TV (CW) and WNDY-TV (My Network). The company sued DirectTV and Dish TV, claiming the satellite companies discriminated against the stations because Circle City is a black owned business.

And many of you, both on-air and in management, will want to check out this New York Times story on non-competes in broadcasting.

Scott F.

Former ND SCOTT FITZGERALD joins Octopus as National Sales Director. (You’ve seen their ads for their newsroom computer system in this newsletter for the last few weeks.) Scott’s been a news director in Tulsa (KJRH-TV) and Reno (KRNV-TV) and also worked in Houston. You can say hi to Scott and check out Octopus’ system at booth N1129 at next week’s NAB convention in Las Vegas.

General Manager News and Notes:

Littleton

Scripps has promoted a one-time Knoxville news photographer, DEAN LITTLETON, to be senior vice president of local media. He’s currently the GM of Scripps’ Denver station, KMGH-TV (ABC). The promotion means he will oversee all of the company’s local stations, as you’ll learn in the company’s news release. He’s a former GM in Knoxville and rose up through the sales ranks.

MIKE ZIKMUND moves from Director of Sales for WHBQ-TV (FOX) in Memphis to general manager for Imagicomm’s cluster of stations in Greenville, MS. That cluster includes all FOUR major broadcast networks. More here.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 9, 2023:

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

KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Bldg 2120 Universal City, CA 91608
KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
KTTV 1999 S. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles CA 90025
WMAQ/WSNS-TV 454 N. Columbus Dr. Chicago, IL 60611
KTVT/KTXA-TV 5233 Bridge St. Fort Worth, TX 76103
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, Georgia 30324
WZDC-TV 4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 **
KIRO-TV 2807 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121
KMGH-TV 123 E. Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80203
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Doral, FL 33178 **
WJZ-TV 3725 Malden Avenue Baltimore, MD 21211
WTIC-TV 285 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06115
KVUE- TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WAVY-TV 300 WAVY Street Portsmouth, VA 23704
WWL-TV 1024 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70116
WLNE-TV 10 Orms St. Providence, RI 02904
KFTV 3239 W Ashlan Av. Fresno, CA 93722 **
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave. Fresno, CA 93727
WNEP-TV 16 Montage Mountain Rd. Moosic, PA 18507
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74129 (see ad above!)
KWCH-TV 2815 E. 37th Street North. Wichita, KS 67219
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719
WTVG-TV 4247 Dorr St. Toledo, OH 43607
WJCL-TV 1375 Chatham Pkwy., 3rd floor Savannah, GA 31405
KNWA-TV 609 W. Dickson St. Suite 300, Fayetteville AR, 72701
WNDU-TV 54516 Indiana State Route 933. South Bend, IN 46637
WQAD-TV 3003 Park 16th Street Moline, Illinois 61265
KHGI-TV 1078 25 Road Axtell, NE 68924
KIMA-TV 2801 Terrace Heights Dr.Yakima, WA 98901
KSBW-TV 238 John St. Salinas, CA 93901
KMIZ-TV 501 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia MO 65201
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa TX 79763
WGFL/WNBW/WMYG-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606
WBUP/WKBP-TV 1705 Ash Street Suite 5 Ishpeming, MI 49849
WGEM-TV 513 Hampshire. Quincy, IL 62301
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
WBKO-TV 2727 Russellville Road. Bowling Green, KY 42101
KGNS-TV 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo TX 78041
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd North, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KNOP-TV 402. S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101

**: Spanish language station

April 2, 2023

Monday, April 3, 2023 UPDATE:

Greetings:

I’m guessing many billable hours were involved in the news of a reorganization from Sinclair this morning.

Here’s the news release and here’s the memo sent to employees.

I’m also guessing you’ll see other stories which will do a better job than I could of explaining exactly what this means.

I also wanted to correct a mistake which I made (actually twice) in yesterday’s full edition. I told you that KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, MO, was owned by Nexstar.

It is actually owned by Gray TV.

Apologies to you for the error and thanks to those who pointed it out.

regards,

Rick Gevers

**** ***** ****

Greetings:

Lots of changes this week on the news director front.

FOUR new news directors and FIVE new news director openings, so our list of open jobs balloons to 43.

ONE of those open jobs is our only paid ad this week…for the FOX station in Tulsa.

No obituaries, unusually NO Names in the News, and just ONE item in our GM section…the retirement of a former ND turned GM.

We’ll see you next weekend with another full newsletter.

Newly Named News Director:

Rick M.

WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH…RICK McLAUGHLIN returns to his native Ohio as the next news director for this Tegna owned CBS affiliate. He’s spent the last 13 years working for several Hearst stations, the last three as ND for WAPT-TV in Jackson, MS. Rick replaces JENNIFER NICKLES who left in January and is now EP for an under-development magazine show for Gray TV.

Neely

WAPT-TV, Jackson, MS..LEE NEELY is being promoted to news director for this Hearst owned ABC affiliate, replacing the above mentioned RICK MCLAUGHLIN who is off to Ohio and WBNS-TV. Like Rick, Lee is a long-time Hearst employee, first joining the company in 2004 as an editor for WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC. He later became a producer there before moving to WAPT in 2017 at the Assistant News Director.

Snuffer

KFDX/KJTL-TV, Wichita Falls, TX…starting tomorrow, MIKE SNUFFER will be the ND. Mike’s been the Assistant ND for Gray’s KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, MO, but has been an ND in Harrisburg, IL and Lincoln, NE. He’s replacing ADAM BRADSHAW who died in January. (HENRY CHU had accepted the job but family matters required him to change his mind.) Nexstar owns KFDX and provides services to Mission Broadcasting owned KJTL.

Morris

WJET/WFXP-TV, Erie, PA…COREY MORRIS has been promoted to news director here. Corey’s background is primarily newspapers and digital, though he has been serving as a digital reporter here. His station bio has more details. Corey succeeds SEAN LAFFERTY who remains at the station as an anchor: he had been both ND and anchor. Nexstar owns WJET and operates WFXP which is owned by Mission Broadcasting.

New News Director Opening:

Saiers

KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA…our Friday UPDATE brought first news that PETE SAIERS is leaving as ND for this Nexstar owned CW affiliate. He’s been there for two years and sent this note to his staff on his last day. Pete’s came to LA from Seattle, where he spent two years as ND for Tegna’s KING/KONG-TV. Pete’s spent most of his career in California, except for three years in Beirut early in his career.

R.W. III

WTIC-TV Hartford/New Haven, CT…our Monday UPDATE told you that RICHARD WASHINGTON III was leaving this Tegna owned FOX affiliate after two years. After our report, Richard sent me this note: I’m leaving the station and TEGNA on good terms. My contract is up in June 2023 and I’ve decided to take a leap of faith rooted in my desire to be closer to my fiancée and family. Richard’s worked in some big markets: his Linkedin profile tells you where.

Esparros

WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA…that same UPDATE told you that KEITH ESPARROS is retiring after eight years as ND at this Tegna/CBS station. New this edition: the note Keith sent his staff and this very nice story from NOLA.com . Keith spent almost half his career in California, the rest in New Orleans, including an earlier stint at WWL and six years as ND for WVUE-TV (whose call letters I bungled in our first story.)

Harrell

WNDU-TV, South Bend, IN…after a little over a year as news director here, family matters are causing KENT HARRELL to leave this Gray Television owned NBC affiliate. Kent tells me he is moving to Colorado to care for his aging parents. Kent has a number of news director jobs on his resume. You can read all about ’em on his LinkedIn page.

Phillips

WBKO-TV, Bowling Green KY…KALUP PHILLIPS is leaving this Gray TV owned ABC affiliate to become the Assistant News Director for Gray’s KFVS-TV (CBS) in Cape Girardeau, MO. Kalup described KFVS as the station ‘he grew up watching’ in a social media post. Before WBKO, Kalup spent eight years at KAIT-TV (ABC) in Jonesboro, AR, finishing his time there as the Assistant ND.

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