Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

November 15, 2020

November 20, 2020 UPDATE:

A veteran newswoman has been named VP/News Director of KCBS-KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.

Parquet-Taylor

ANDREA PARQUET-TAYLOR becomes the fourth news director in the last five years at this CBS owned duopoly. She’s currently Station Manager for CBS’s KTVT-TV in Dallas, where she had earlier been the news director. She’s also been an ND in Detroit, Baltimore and two stations in Raleigh.

Newly Named News Directors:

Speight

Spectrum News Charlotte, Charlotte, NC…KERWIN SPEIGHT is the new Managing Director for this 24 hour cable news operation. It’s a return to North Carolina for Kerwin, who worked at WRAL-TV earlier in his career. He’s been the EP for WPIX-TV in New York for the past 18 months. His entire career history is found here.

New News Director Openings:

Campbell

WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN…JEREMY CAMPBELL left this Tegna owned NBC affiliate on Friday after about 14 months as news director. He’s also worked for Tegna’s WXIA-TV in Atlanta as a reporter. Jeremy has also worked in Tampa, Birmingham, and Lafayette, LA.

Also, the ND opening at Tegna’s KIDY-TV in San Angelo, TX, is now listed as a news director/anchor opening.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

There are no paid help wanted ads this week. If you and your station want to reach a targeted audience better than any other website, send me an email for details.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 8/30/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/27/20)
WATN/WLMT-TV, Memphis, TN (new listing this week)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 11/1/20)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (relisted this week)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (listed 10/4/20)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listing revised this week)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (new listing this week)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Entertainment EP, listed 10/11/20)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, relisted 11/8/20)
WOFL-TV, Orlando, FL (Dayside EP, listed 10/25/20)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Nightside EP, new listing this week)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Nightside EP, new listing this week)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Digital EP, listed 11/1/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted this week)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital Content EP, listed 10/25/20)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (Listed 9/27/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted this week)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (listed 11/8/20)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (listed 9/6/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, relisted 10/11/20)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, listed 10/4/11)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (Digital EP, listed 10/25/20)
WLUK-TV, Green Bay, WI (PM EP, listed 10/4/11)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 9/27/20)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital EP, listed 11/8/20)
WNEM-TV, Flint/Saginaw, MI (listed 9/27/20)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (listed 9/20/20)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 10/25/20)
WBTW-TV, Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, relisted 10/25/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 10/25/20)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 10/18/20)
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KATC-TV, Lafayette, LA (new listing this week)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted this week)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 10/11/20)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 10/25/20)

More News Management Openings:

New Listing this Week:

KTXV, Sacramento, CA (News Content Manager)

Listed 11/1/20:

WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Content Manager)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Content Manager)

Listed 10/25/20:

Vice President/News, Altice USA’s News 12- New York

Relisted 10/25/20:

WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital Content Manager)

Relisted 10/4/20:

WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI (Digital Content Director)

Listed 9/6/20

WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Content Manager)

Relisted 9/6/20

KOKI-TV, Tulsa, OK (AM Content Manager)

Obituaries:

Robinson

GARLAND ‘GARY’ ROBINSON, who worked as a general manager at several larger market stations, died last Sunday, November 8th, at the age of 79. This detailed obituary provides an accounting of the many markets where he worked, but seems to have a few details wrong, (i.e. referring to WCMH-TV as News Channel 5 in Columbus, OH).

Caton

CHARLES “SKIP” CATON also died Sunday at the age of 81. He was a news director and anchor at Montgomery’s WSFA-TV for about ten years during the Civil Rights Era. He earlier and worked at WIS-TV in Columbia, SC. WSFA remembers him in this obituary which includes some historic photos.

Names in the News (and other items):

Wilgoren

Please join me in wishing the Assistant ND for Los Angeles’s FOX o-and-o, KTTV, PETER WILGOREN well in his fight against bladder cancer. He’s been telling his story in this blog. Like many illnesses, early detection is a key as you’ll learn. Peter’s also worked for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and for WBZ-TV in Boston.

Spectrum, which operates cable news channels in a number of markets, is cutting some jobs and consolidating others in some of its New York state markets. Details here.

If my math is correct, EIGHT local commercial TV stations are among the finalists for the 2021 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. It’s the first time finalists have been named.

RTDNA has named the winners of two of its biggest awards. ABC’s BYRON PITTS and PBS’s YAMICHE ALCINDOR will be honored with the Paul White Award and the John Hogan awards, respectively.

ANDREA AZZO joins WLUK-TV (Fox/Sinclair) in Green Bay, WI, as an executive producer. She’s been working as a producer for WWMT-TV in Kalamazoo, and has also worked in Austin, Rockford, IL, and for another Green Bay station.

Akins

A multi time news director has been elected Mayor of Ashland, OR. JULIE AKINS, who’s been on the City Council there, won by about 600 votes, defeating another city council member. Julie’s a former news director for two stations in Medford, OR, as well as working as a news director in both Las Vegas and Fresno. She also worked in San Francisco.

Lewis

Former News Director PAUL LEWIS, who ran newsrooms in Hartford (WTIC-TV) and Albany, NY, (WNYT-TV) before leaving our business in 2009, is retiring. In this note he sent me, he outlines the interesting job he’s held since then, and reflects on his career. Old friends can reach out to him via his email contained in his note.

General Manager News and Notes:

Hanson

MERRI HANSON is being promoted to General Manager for Scripps’ KIVI-TV in Boise, ID at the start of 2021. She’s currently the station manager at this ABC affiliate, and will replace KEN RITCHIE who’s retiring after 40 years at the station.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, November 15, 2020:

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

KCBS-TV 4200 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
WCAU-TV 1800 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
KHOU-TV 5718 Westheimer Rd. Houston TX 77057
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WTMO-TV 1650 Sand Lake Rd. # 340 Orlando, FL 32809 **
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St, Baltimore, MD 21211
WTVD-TV 411 Liberty St Durham, NC 27701
KAKW-TV 2233 W. North Loop Austin,TX 78756 **
WDSU-TV 846 Howard Ave New Orleans, LA 70113
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WBIR-TV 1513 Hutchinson Avenue Knoxville, TN 37917
WFXR-TV 5305 Valleypark Dr. #1, Roanoke, VA 24019
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
KION-TV 1550 Moffett St. Salinas, CA 93905
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WCBI-TV, 201 5th Street South, Columbus, MS 39701
KOMU-TV 5550 Old 63 S, Columbia, MO 65201
WTVO/WGRF-TV P.O. Box 470. Rockford, IL 61105
KMID-TV 1550 West I-20. Odessa, TX 79763
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903 ***

**: Spanish language station
***: News Director and Anchor

November 8, 2020

Greetings:

Even though you might expect NO hires during a week with an Election ~~Day~~ Week, there were TWO new news directors hired in the last seven days. And there are NO new openings, so our list of open ND jobs drops to a low 20.

We have FOUR new GMs to tell you about, THREE from the same company, and ONE of those is s former news director.

There are TWO new EPs in Seattle among THREE items in Names in the News.

And we have ONE obituary for the head of EWTN News.

All that and more below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Williams

WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI…JESSIE WILLIAMS will be the ND hired to oversee the buildup of a news department at this Scripps owned FOX affiliate. She’s currently an EP for Scripps’ WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee. It’s a return to Lansing for Jessie, who earlier worked as producer at WLNS-TV. She also worked for Scripps as a producer in Detroit. (When we teased this hire last week, we incorrectly reported that the job was in Syracuse, NY, at a station with similar call letters. Apologies.)

Logan

KGWN-TV, Cheyenne, WY…we’re a little late in reporting that TIFFANY LOGAN has been promoted to ND at this Gray TV owned CBS affiliate. She was promoted in July. Tiffany’s a five year veteran of the station, joining as a reporter, moving to weekend anchor, then evening anchor, and now adds ND to the business card. She’s also worked in Paducah, KY.

New News Director Openings:

As far as I know, there were no new news directors hired this week.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

There are no paid help wanted ads this week. If you and your station want to reach a targeted audience better than any other website, send me an email for details.