Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

October 18, 2020

Greetings:

For one of the few times in the 24+ year history of this publication, I have NO new news directors or news director vacancies to report.

That leaves our count of open ND jobs at 26. One of those openings if featured in our only Paid Help Wanted ad below.

What we may lack in news director movement, we make up for (I hope) in items in Names in the News. There are FIVE items below, including the retirement of a four time ND, another retirement of a former ND who continued to anchor at his station for 22 years after giving up the ND job, and other items.

Those are all below.

Have a great week.

Newly Named News Director:

If there was a new news director named this week, I missed if. Please set me straight with an email! rick@rickgevers.com

New News Director Openings:

To the best of my knowledge, there are NO new openings this week. If you know of a vacancy that I don’t have listed below, please let me know via email: rick@rickgevers.com

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

News Director, WAAY-TV, Huntsville, AL:

WAAY-31 News is looking for a competitive, organized and motivational individual to lead the News Department of WAAY TV, Channel 31 (ABC) in one of the most beautiful cities in the country, Huntsville, Alabama (DMA Market 78).

A background check and pre-employment drug screen are required.

Lead a team of dedicated individuals who will join their leader in focusing on development of the region’s premiere newsroom, rooted in journalistic integrity, at North Alabama’s ABC network affiliate. WAAY-TV is a legacy station with a history of service to the region, one of the most recognized local television brands in need of a strong, positive leader. Huntsville is known as “Rocket City,” home to space exploration, past and future with a heavy NASA presence, the U.S. Army’s highly respected Redstone Arsenal, high-tech development and ingenuity and home to the second-largest research park in the country. U.S. News and World Report designated Huntsville as the “best affordable place to live in the U.S.”

You can learn more and apply by clicking here.

Or you can apply by emailing a cover letter, resume, and references to Jobs@waaytv.com

Or by mail to:

News Director Applicant
WAAY-TV
1000 Monte Sano Blvd.
Huntsville, AL 35801

No phone calls accepted. WAAY is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our company expects top performance and results and provides the support and culture to win. WAAY believes that local television is rewarding and fun in a market that is rocket science! Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and 401K plans!

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 8/30/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/27/20)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 9/6/20)
WKEF/WRGT-TV, Dayton, OH (listed 8/16/20)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 8/23/20)
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (relisted 10/4/11)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 9/20/20)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (listed 9/6/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (listed 10/4/11)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Entertainment EP, listed 10/11/20)
WDVM-TV, Hagerstown MD (listing 9/27/20)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, listed 9/13/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 9/13/20)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (Listed 9/27/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, listed 8/30/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (EP of Innovation, listed 8/30/20)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 9/20/20)
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)
WLUK-TV, Green Bay, WI (PM EP, listed 10/4/11)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 9/27/20)
KSNW-TV, Wichita, KS (listed 8/23/20)
WNEM-TV, Flint/Saginaw, MI (listed 9/27/20)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (listed 9/20/20)
WBTW-TV, Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, listed 8/16/20)
WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC (Digital EP, listed 10/11/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 8/16/20)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (new listing this week)
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 8/23/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 10/11/20)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 8/16/20)

More News Management Openings:

Relisted 10/4/20:

WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Broadcast Content)
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)

Listed 8/23/20:

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

Relisted 8-16-20:

KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Digital Director)

Names in the News (and other items):

Stanley

This week’s UDPATE told you about RANDAL STANLEY’s retirement at the end of the year. He’s been VP Operations for Altice’s News 12 Networks (serving the NY area) for the past two years, and earlier spent 12 years as VP/News for News 12 New Jersey. Here’s the note to staff from Altice’s SVP JACQUES NATZ.

Randal’s also been an ND in Washington, DC, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Lincoln, NE, and he’s also worked in Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Salt Lake City. You’ll remember he lost his wife, JENNA, when she died suddenly in June at the age of 54.

Osborne

STUART OSBORNE has a new job, and he stayed with the same company and will work in the same state. He’s the new Assistant News Director for Sinclair’s Dayton duopoly, WKEF/WRGT-TV. Stuart’s been the Digital Executive Producer for another Sinclair duopoly, WSYX/WTTE-TV just up the road in Columbus, OH, where he worked for ten years in a variety of jobs.

Parker

DAVE PARKER is the new spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Transportation. More details here. Dave most recently was ND for KTHV-TV in Little Rock, a job he left in December after seven years. He’s also been an ND in Chattanooga, and held management jobs in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Memphis, where he moved into management after beginning as a reporter in several smaller markets.

Cannon

Speaking of Arkansas, longtime ~~Little Rock~~ Ft. Smith anchor (and one time news director) CRAIG CANNON is retiring after 37 years at KHBS/KHOG-TV. He started there in October, 1983 and was quickly prompted to news director, a job he held until an ownership change in 1998. Craig will retire on November 25th. (A coincidence, I’m sure, but I believe that’s the last day of the November book.)

Haddix

Investigative Reporters and Editors is looking for a new executive director after the announcement this week that DOUG HADDIX is retiring after four years in the job. Here’s the IRE news release. He’ll leave in early January from his second stint at IRE, the first as an IRE training director from 2008-2011. Doug’s also worked in newsrooms in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

By the way, in our report last week about WTVR-TV‘s (Richmond) RTDNA Overall Excellence Award, we incorrectly identitied the station owner, which is Scripps. That means both the small market AND large market overall excellence awards went to Scripps’ stations, as KMGH-TV in Denver was similarly honored.

General Manager News and Notes:

No changes this week to my knowledge.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, October 18, 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
WBZ-TV 1170 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02134
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
WISN-TV 759 N. 19th St. Milwaukee, WI 53233
WDSU-TV 846 Howard Ave New Orleans, LA 70113
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WFXR-TV 5305 Valleypark Dr. #1, Roanoke, VA 24019
WAAY-TV 1000 Monte Sano Blvd SE, Huntsville, AL 35801 (see ad above!)
KXXV-TV 1909 S New Rd. Waco, TX 76711
WSYM-TV 600 W. Saint Joseph St. Suite 47, Lansing, MI 48933
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
WEEK-TV 2907 Springfield Rd, East Peoria, IL 61611
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
KMID-TV 1550 West I-20. Odessa, TX 79763
WETM-TV 101 East Water St. Elmira, NY 14901
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903
KGWN-TV 2923 E. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001

**: Spanish language station

October 11, 2020

Thursday, October 15, 2020 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Two departures around the end of the year in today’s UPDATE.

Stanley

RANDAL STANLEY is retiring from his job as VP/News Operations for News 12, the 24 hour cable news operation, at the end of the year. Here’s the email from News 12 GM and Senior Vice President JACQUES NATZ.

Randal’s been with News 12 for 14 years, the first 12 as VP/News Director for News 12 New Jersey. He’s also been a news director in Washington, DC, Buffalo, Cleveland and Lincoln, NE and has also worked in Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Salt Lake City.

You may remember Randal lost his wife, JENNA, when she died suddenly last June at the age of 54.

He told me this morning he’ll do some traveling, including to Las Vegas where his daughter lives. It’s possible we may meet at a blackjack table.

Haddix

And DOUG HADDIX, Executive Director of IRE, has announced his resignation. He’ll leave the organization in early January after four years.

More details in this news release. The organization will begin a search for his replacement.

We’ll have all the week’s news in our full newsletter this weekend.

regards,

gevers

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

Greetings:

While there is only ONE new news director to report this week, it’s a big move, as TARA FINESTONE leaves KCBS for the ND job at KIRO-TV in Seattle.

And the vacancy she leaves at KCBS is one of THREE ND openings.

Those changes leave our list of open ND jobs at 26.

TWO of those openings are featured in Paid Help Wanted ads below.

We also have the full length of the National Edward R. Murrow Award winners, a new job for a former ND turned agent, and a reunion in Charlotte.

That’s all below.

Newly Named News Director:

Finestone

KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA…TARA FINESTONE is returning to Seattle as ND for this Cox Media Group owned CBS affiliate. Tara was a producer at KIRO from 2000-2003. She’s spent the last 2 1/2 years as ND for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. (Of note: In Seattle, she will compete against the man who hired her as the Assistant ND at KCBS, BILL DALLMAN, now the ND at KOMO-TV) She’s also worked for two other LA stations and in Spokane, WA. Tara replaces JOHN LaPORTE who left after a year as ND to return to Milwaukee, where he’s the Assistant ND for WDJT-TV.

New News Director Openings:

KCBS-TV, Los Angeles, CA…as we shared above, TARA FINESTONE is leaving this CBS owned station to return to KIRO-TV (Cox Media Group/CBS) as ND. She was ND here for about 2 1/2 years, and first joined the station as Assistant ND in 2016. Her replacement will be the fourth ND in just over five years here.

WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI…this Scripps owned FOX affiliate is gearing up to produce its own local newscasts. The station has been airing newscasts produced by WILX-TV, Gray’s ABC affiliate there. More details in this news release.

Lowell

KMID-TV, Midland, TX…veteran Texas news director DAVID LOWELL has exited the Nexstar owned ABC affiliate after three years as ND. He earlier spent 28 years as an ND in Beaumont. David’s also worked in Oklahoma City, Springfield, and Columbia MO. He tells me he plans to move to Austin, TX (where his grand children are) and look for something outside of TV.

Please note the paid ads below for the news director’s job at WAAY-TV in Huntsville, AL, and the VP/News opening at NBC’s WCAU-TV in Philadelphia.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WAAY-TV, Huntsville, AL:

A background check and pre-employment drug screen are required.

You can learn more and apply by clicking here.

Or you can apply by emailing a cover letter, resume, and references to Jobs@waaytv.com

Or by mail to:

News Director Applicant
WAAY-TV
1000 Monte Sano Blvd.
Huntsville, AL 35801

Vice President of News, WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA:

Given the events happening in our world, local news is more vital than ever. It informs our community and helps people when other avenues for assistance are blocked. Which means the person leading a local newsroom must have vision, integrity, and an innovative spirit.

That’s who we’re looking for at NBC 10/Telemundo 62 in Philadelphia to become the stations’ next Vice President of News.

This NBC Owned Television Station seeks a dynamic and experienced news leader to guide its newsroom as it serves the tri-state area. Whether it’s breaking news at the top or an investigative piece diving deep into a local issue, this person will elevate the entire team to create compelling content and impactful engagement across linear and digital platforms.

We need someone who values storytelling and understands that Investigative, Weather, Breaking News, and Consumer stories help define our brand promise to our viewers, users and employees.

And, it doesn’t hurt that the station is located in the state-of-the-art Comcast Technology Center which features the most dynamic digital technology in the industry.

If you’re passionate about local journalism, have experience running a forward-thinking newsroom and leading a team of dedicated journalists – consider applying to be our next Vice President of News at the link below.

Apply here!