April 10, 2022
Greetings:
A relatively slow week to share with you, with THREE new openings, TWO involving news directors leaving for jobs to be announced soon.
That leaves our count of open ND jobs at 37.
ONE of those 37 jobs is among our FIVE Paid Help Wanted Ads.
In our General Manager news section, a BIG shakeup at TWO Los Angeles owned stations. And what we may lack in new news directors, we make up for in new general managers, with FIVE stories about either new GMs or new responsibilities for existing managers.
In Names in the News: MSNBC comes under fire from within for a new hire, and new Assistant NDs in Indianapolis, Columbus, OH, Austin, TX, Lexington, KY, and Waco, TX.
Read on!
Newly Named News Directors:
To my knowledge, there were NO newly named news directors this week. If you know of one I’ve missed, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com
New News Director Openings:
Greg S.
KRNV/KRXI-Reno, NV…GREG SCHIEFERSTEIN is leaving this duopoly after three years as ND for the proverbial job to be announced soon. Greg’s a former ND in Pocatello, Peoria, Augusta, GA, and Missoula, MT. He’s also worked in Seattle, Toledo, OH, Rockford, IL, Montgomery, AL and Rapid City, SD. KRNV is an NBC affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting but operated by Sinclair which owns KRXI, a FOX affiliate.
Beard
KSNG/KODE-TV, Joplin, MO/Pittsburg, KS…also leaving for a job to be announced soon is LEISHA BEARD, who’s been the news director here for 12 of her 17 years at the station(s). She started as an assignment editor at KODE in 2005 and became the Assistant ND for both stations in 2009. Nexstar owns KSNF, which is an NBC affiliate, and operates the ABC affiliate, KODE, under a JSA. KODE is owned by Mission Broadcasting
Gaylord
KBZK/KXLF-TV, Butte/Bozeman, MT…REBECCA GAYLORD has left these Scripps owned CBS stations after almost three years as news director. She moved to Montana to be closer to family. Earlier, Rebecca spent six years as news director for Hearst’s KOCO-TV (ABC) in Oklahoma City. She’s also worked in Albuquerque, Denver, and St. Louis.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC:
Join the largest television ownership group in the country at WBTW CBS13 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Work in a positive work culture, leading a team of passionate journalists. We are looking for someone who can serve as a mentor and motivator with excellent editorial judgement. Must have solid time management skills, multitasking abilities and understand how to budget.
You will oversee our strategy for excellence on broadcast and digital. We currently produce 47 hours of local programming a week, and will be looking to add more with you at the helm. We also provide news production services to Springfield Independent Television Co., Inc which owns WFXB-TV (FOX) in the market.
Live in a great market at the beach while working for a great station and a great company with endless possibilities.
Up for the challenge? Apply here!
Executive Producer, KPRC-TV, Houston, TX:
KPRC2, the Graham Media Group owned/NBC affiliated station, is on the search for a leader, coach, creative thinker, innovator and top-notch journalist to join our news team as an Executive Producer.
Our next EP will come to work every day, with the passion and drive to be the #1 news organization in Houston on all platforms.
Houston is a diverse, growing city with a non-stop appetite for breaking news, enterprise and investigative journalism. It’s a market prone to year-round severe weather events and winning weather coverage is a top priority.
You’ll help lead the editorial direction of the newsroom, focusing on stories that interest and engage our very diverse audience. Our ideal candidate is someone who’s obsessed with understanding and serving our target audience, understands how to showcase big stories with memorable live shots, has impeccable news judgement and can motivate and lead veteran reporters and young producers while maintaining their cool under pressure.
Our Executive Producers need to react to breaking news and weather without hesitation and be willing to scrap stories the team has been working on all day to get it covered.
As a condition of employment, GMG requires that all newly hired employees be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by the first day of employment, to the extent permitted by applicable law, unless you qualify for a medical or religious accommodation, or as otherwise allowed by law.
Visit Click2Houston.com to learn more and apply.
KPRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Managing Editor, KPRC-TV, Houston, TX:
KPRC2 is on the search for a Managing Editor to oversee assignment desk operations.
Our next Managing Editor will serve as a leading voice on daily editorial calls, setting the tone for the day and coming prepared with a competitive strategy to win the big story.
They will supervise all operations of the KPRC2 assignment desk, including making key content decisions and leading efforts on pre-planned, breaking news, severe weather and enterprise coverage. They will serve as one of several “point-people” for news crews in the field, coaching reporters and videographers on story elements, logistics and execution of content on all platforms.
The ideal candidate will have 5 years of experience managing a team of journalists, preferably in a local, network, cable or OTT news operation, advanced understanding of state laws regarding libel, fair use, and video/audio recordings, and a collaborative, positive, competitive attitude and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
Located in the 4th largest city in the nation, the home of NASA, and “the energy capital of the world”, KPRC2 is a Graham Media Group news hub with strong ratings on broadcast and digital platforms and deep community ties.
As a condition of employment, GMG requires that all newly hired employees be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by the first day of employment, to the extent permitted by applicable law, unless you qualify for a medical or religious accommodation, or as otherwise allowed by law.
Visit Click2Houston.com to learn more and apply.
KPRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Executive Producer, KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ:
We’re looking for an Executive Producer to lead our evening producers to deliver promotable, compelling, and well- written newscasts as well as online content. He, she will work closely with the News Director and Assistant ND to develop and implement strategies to improve product and raise ratings while managing resources. The EP will also work closely with our promotions department to ensure content is not only dynamic but also promoted accurately on multiple platforms. In addition, the successful candidate will:
- Exercise strong news judgment and review newscast rundowns with an eye toward promotable content,
- Engage in creative content development following up on viewer submission of story ideas via Facebook, Twitter and other online sources, as well as official sources
- Motivate staff and encourage “buy in” for station’s news brand, news strategies and action plans, ·
- Work with reporters/photographers to determine direction of stories and expectations.
- Work closely with assignment desk on coverage, story selection, live coverage, assignment of reporters and crews.
- Collaborate with producers on rundowns, story selection, formats, graphic elements, content and pace and flow of newscasts.
- Supervise long term planning for sweeps and special events.
Requirements include at least four years of experience in producing newscasts.
Experience in management and a four-year college degree preferred.
Interested applicants can click here to apply and learn more!
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Digital AND, relisted 1/16/22)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (listed 4/3/22, see ad above!)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 2/27/22)
WXBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 3/13/22)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 3/13/22)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 4/3/22)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 3/27/22)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 3/27/22)
KBTX-TV, Bryan, TX (listed 2/27/22)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 3/13/22)
WAND-TV, Decatur, IL (listed 3/27/22)
WTVC-TV, Chattanooga, TN (listed 4/3/22)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (listed 4/3/22)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 3/20/22)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (listed 3/27/22)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WDCW-TV, Washington, DC, (Digital EP, listed 4/10/22)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (listed 4/3/22, see ad above!)
KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 4/3/22, see ad above!)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 2/13/22)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 2/27/22)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 4/10/22)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 3/13/22)
WJZY-TV, Charlotte, NC (relisted 4/3/22)
KMOV-TV. St. Louis, MO (Special Projects EP, listed 2/27/22)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (Digital EP, listing revised 4/10/22)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (listing revised 3/27/22)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 2/27/22)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 4/10/22)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham AL (listed 2/20/22)
WGNO/WNOL-TV, New Orleans (EP Special Projects, revised 2/27/22)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 4/10/22)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 3/13/22)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (Digital EP, listed 4/10/22)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 2/27/22)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/20/22)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (relisted 3/20/22)
WAFF-TV, Huntsville, AL (relisted 3/20/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, listed 1/16/22)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 4/3/22)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (listed 3/20/22)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (listed 4/3/22)
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL (Digital EP, relisted 2/13/22)
KADN/KLAF-TV, Lafayette, LA (relisted 2/27/22)
SUPERVISING PRODUCER:
KOMU-TV, Columbia, Mo (relisted 4/3/22)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (listed 4/3/22, see ad above!)
Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC (listing revised 4/3/22)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 2/27/22)
KOMU-TV, Columbia, Mo (relisted 4/3/22)
More News Management Openings:
Relisted 4/3/22:
Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, MO: (Director, Documentary Journalism Center)
Listed 3/27/22:
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital Content Director)
Listed 3/13/22:
Listed 3/6/22:
U. of Mississippi, Oxford, MS (Director of Student Media)
Listed 2/13/22:
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (Digital Director)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Assignment Desk Manager)
Relisted 2/13/22:
E.W. Scripps, Cincinnati, OH: National Director of News Platform Strategies and Special Projects
Relisted 2/6/22:
WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH: (Digital Content Director)
Relisted 1/30/22:
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY (Assistant Professor)
Names in the News:
Lopez
MIKE LOPEZ returns to Indianapolis where he’ll be the Assistant News Director for Nexstar’s WTTV/WXIN-TV (CBS/FOX). Here’s the staff email from ND CJ HOYT. Mike’s currently the Managing Editor for Graham Media’s KPRC-TV (NBC) in Houston (which is advertising the job below), but earlier was an EP for WISH-TV (then CBS, now CW) in Indy. He’s a former ND in Rock Island, IL, and Eau Claire, WI, and has also worked in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Norfolk (three times at two stations.)
Waldvogel
Also getting an Assistant News Director’s job is MASON WALDVOGEL who fills the vacancy at Tegna’s WBNS-TV (CBS) in Columbus, OH. He’s been an executive producer for sister Tegna station KING-TV in Seattle. Mason earlier worked in Tulsa at KTUL-TV where he began as a producer, was promoted to executive producer, and then to assistant news director. He also worked for KJRH-TV in Tulsa.
There are TWO new assistant news directors at Nexstar stations:
CHRISSY MAZZONE has been promoted to AND from Executive Producer at KXAN-TV (NBC) in Austin, TX.
MELISSA HOUNSHELL joins WDKY-TV (FOX) in Lexington, KY, as its new Assistant ND. She’s also worked at another Lexington station.
And ONE new Assistant ND at a Scripps station, that at KXXV-TV (ABC) in Waco where LAURA HARTOG joins from sister Scripps station WEWS-TV (ABC) in Cleveland, where she was an EP.
Also at Scripps, KENNEDY THOMAS will be the new EP at KERO-TV in Bakersfield. She’s worked (twice) for KGET-TV in Bakersfield.
For the second week in a row, we have details on a network under fire for hiring someone from politics to serve as a on-air consultant. This week it’s MSNBC, criticized from within for hiring JEN PSAKI, President Biden’s Press Secretary. Last week we told you that journalists at CBS News were unhappy that the network had hired former Trump interim chief of staff MICK MULVANEY.
General Manager News and Notes:
Carlston
A big shakeup in senior management at NBC’s Los Angeles properties, where both KNBC-TV General Manager STEVE CARLSTON and CELIA CHAVEZ, the GM for Telemundo’s KVEA-TV are on the way out. Limited details in this story from TVSpy.com
After 14 years as GM there, JOHN O’BRIEN leaves Gray’s WNDU-TV (NBC) in South Bend to move south to Louisville, where he will take over as GM of sister Gray NBC affiliate WAVE-TV. He also spent seven years at WILX-TV in Lansing, MI, as the General Sales Manager.
Scott
CHASTITY SCOTT starts Monday as the new GM for WFXG-TV (Lockwood Broadcasting/FOX) in Augusta, GA. (Hope she got in town to early to check out the Masters.) Her background in in sales with jobs at a number of local stations, as well as a role with the Air Force. At WFXG, she replaces DENISE VICKERS who left to become Director of the Innovation News Center at the University of Florida.
Sinclair named three new general managers this week:
CORY CULLETON will be the next GM for WPMI/WJTC-TV in Mobile, AL, and WEAR/WFGX-TV in Pensacola.
In Gainesville, FL, HILLARY WALKER is being promoted from General Sales Manager at WGFL/WNBW-TV to General Manager of WTGS-TV in Savannah, GA. She will also oversee WGFL/WNBW-TV.
Finally, GREG CONNER assumes additional duties overseeing WGXA-TV in Macon, GA. He’s currently for TWO Sinclair/Fox stations, WACH-TV in Columbia, SC, and WFXL-TV in Albany, GA.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 10, 2022.
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
KPIX-TV 855 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111
WTSP-TV 11450 Gandy Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
KOVR/KMAX-TV 2713 KOVR Drive, West Sacramento, CA 95605
KDKA-TV 1 Gateway Ctr. Pittsburgh, PA 15222
KTVX-TV 2175 West 1700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104
WPTV 1100 Banyan Blvd. West Palm Beach, FL 33401
WTLV/WJXX-TV 1070 East Adams Street Jacksonville, FL 32202
WZZM-TV 645 3 Mile Rd NW. Grand Rapids, MI 49544
WHTM-TV 3235 Hoffman Street. Harrisburg, PA 17110
WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701
KGMB/KHNL-TV 420 Waiakamilo Rd. Suite 205, Honolulu, HI, 96817
WOI-TV 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
KOLR-TV 2650 E. Division Springfield, MO 65803
KXXV-TV 1909 S. New Rd. Waco, TX 76711
WBTW-TV 101 McDonald Ct, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588 (see ad above!)
KRNV/KRXI-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502
KNDO/KNDU-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave., Yakima, WA 98902
KAPP/KVEW-TV 601 N. Edison Kennewick, WA 99336
KADN-TV 1500 Eraste Landry Rd. Lafayette, LA 70506
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KRCG-TV 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
WTVO/WQRF-TV 1917 N. Meridian Road Rockford, IL 61101
KBJR-TV 246 S Lake Ave. Duluth, MN 55802
KMIR-TV 72920 Park View Dr., Palm Desert, CA 92260
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KIMT-TV 135 E William St. Albert Lea, MN 56007
KODE/KSNF-TV 1502 S. Cleveland Avenue, Joplin, MO 64801
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790
KTAB/KRBC-TV 4510 South 14th St. Abilene TX 79605
KULR-TV. 2045 Overland Ave. Billings, MT 59102
KALB-TV 605 Washington Street; Alexandria, LA 71301
KXLF/KBZK-TV,90 Television Way, Bozeman, MT 59718
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
**: Spanish language station