December | 2020 | Rick Gevers & Associates

December 20, 2020

Greetings:

15.

That’s the number of open news director jobs on our list, which is as low as I can remember it in the 20+ years we’ve brought you this newsletter. That’s after a flurry of hires this week, and just ONE new opening.

We have ONE paid ad for an assistant ND job at a strong station in the south.

There’s an obituary for a long ago GM in Columbus, OH and Lexington, KY.

And we have THREE items in Names in the News, including a new scholarship funded by a former network executive who many of you know.

Since the next week is likely to be a very slow week for news, I plan to skip next week’s newsletter (for about the first time in at least ten years.) If I’m wrong about the slow week, we’ll see you Sunday night.

Best wishes for a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season to everyone.

Rick Gevers

Newly Named News Directors:

Nogy

KARE-TV, Minneapolis, MN…STACEY NOGY is now in charge of the newsroom for this Tegna owned NBC affiliate. She’s a 28 year veteran of the station and moves up after STUART BOSLOW (whose title was Director of Content) left for a new job as Director of Innovation for sister station KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston. Stacey’s also worked in San Diego.

Holliday

KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO…we don’t often report ‘interim news directors’ but we’ll make an exception as old friend and longtime anchor ART HOLLIDAY takes that title at this Tegna owned NBC affiliate. Art started here in 1979 as a sports reporter and anchor, moved to morning anchor, and has since anchored almost every newscast at the station. He reports to CAROL FOWLER, the Director of Content. (Full disclosure: Art & I worked together both here and at KOMU-TV in Columbia.)

Carree

WTVD-TV, Raleigh-Durham, NC…BERVETTE CARREE will be the next news director for this ABC o-and-o. It’s a return to North Carolina for her as she has worked for another Raleigh station and in Charlotte and in Greensboro/High Point. She’s currently the Nightside EP for WXIA-TV in Atlanta. Bervette’s also worked in Philadelphia and for CNN. She replaces MICHELLE GERMANO who left in July after almost five years as ND.

Dart

WDSU-TV, New Orleans, LA…MELISSA DART gets her first ND job at this Hearst owned NBC affiliate. Hearst often promotes from within, but Melissa is new to the company. She’s been the Assistant ND for Scripps’ WPTV in West Palm Beach. It’s also Melissa’s first job outside of Florida, as she’s worked in Tallahassee, Tampa, and Ft. Myers. She replaces AKILI FRANKLIN who was promoted to ND for Hearst’s WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC after five years as ND here.

New News Director Opening:

Otero

WCTI-TV, New Bern, NC…this Sinclair owned ABC affiliate is looking for a new ND to replace JAIME McCUTCHEON OTERO who left after not quite two years as ND. Jaime had been the Assistant ND before being promoted, and first joined the station as an anchor. She’s also worked in Omaha, Macon, GA, and Sioux Falls, SD.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

WbrzLogo

Assistant News Director, WRBZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA:

WBRZ, the only truly local TV station serving Louisiana’s capital city, seeks a bold leader to join the team as Assistant News Director.

Top leadership roles at this family-owned station are not available often. With the original local owners, this legacy station is positioning itself to own the future of not just news, but local broadcasting.

The Assistant News Director will manage day-to-day newsroom operations, mentor and coach budding journalists along with helping to create and implement big ideas.

This evolving newsroom doesn’t lose sight of the job: News. We do the news – period. Our investigative reporting prowess leaves a mark in the community. Local owners demand quality, hard-hitting journalism. It’s delivered 8 hours a day on TV or on online, where it’s usually reported first.

WBRZ, in Baton Rouge, is in the shadows of LSU’s Tiger Stadium football cathedral; The city is home to a rowdy, satirical Mardi Gras parade, an unmatched St. Patrick’s Day parade, renowned Southern University’s Human Jukebox and features lush city parks for outdoor enthusiasts.

Knowledge of Louisiana helpful; TV newsroom management experience required.

Email resume and a brief explanation of your news philosophy to Trey Schmaltz: trey@wbrz.com

Pre-employment drug screening required. EOE.

Equal Opportunity Employer.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 11/22/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 11/29/20)
WATN/WLMT-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 11/15/20)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 11/1/20)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 12/13/20, see ad above!)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (relisted 11/15/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 12/13/20)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listing revised 11/15/20)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (listed 11/15/20)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 11/22/20)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (EP Investigations, listed 11/29/20)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, relisted 11/8/20)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Digital EP, listed 11/1/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 12/13/20)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital Content EP, relisted this week)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (listed 11/8/20)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (relisted 11/22/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, relisted 12/13/20)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, relisted 12/6/20)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (Digital EP, relisted this week)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital EP, listed 11/8/20)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted this week)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted this week)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 11/15/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 12/13/20)

MANAGING EDITOR:

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

More News Management Openings:

Listed 11/15/20:

KXTV, Sacramento, CA (News Content Manager)

Listed 11/1/20:

WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Content Manager)

Obituary:

Von Stade

FRED VON STADE, a former General Manager for Taft Broadcasting in two markets, died in late November, just eight days before his 98th birthday. He spent 31 years with the company, running WKYT-TV in Lexington and later WTVN-TV (now WSYX-TV) before retiring in 1984. More on his life and career in this obituary.

Names in the News:

NATASHA GEIGER has been promoted to Director of Digital Content for Nexstar’s WFRV-TV (CBS) in Green Bay, WI. She had been a producer there.

Ginther

We have a brief update on Sinclair’s MARK GINTHER‘s battle against Covid-19. We reported last week that Mark (and his wife) were battling Covid-19. Mark sent me this brief update last Monday. (And the Viking’s loss today to the rival Chicago Bears likely did not improve his mood.) Before joining Sinclair, Mark was an ND in Dallas, Seattle, and Des Moines and also worked in Minneapolis.

Horner

Congratulations to former network executive BOB HORNER who’s funded a eponymous scholarship through RDTNF. Details in this news release. Bob spent almost 30 years running NBC NewsChannel and earlier held a similar role for CBS News. He also worked in local newsrooms in Missouri, Michigan, Wyoming, and Alabama. Friends can congratulate Bob via email:

General Manager News and Notes:

To my knowledge, no GM moves today. Please let me know if I’ve missed one: rick@rickgevers.com

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 20, 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

WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WXYZ-TV 20777 W. Ten Mile Rd. Southfield, Michigan 48075
WFOR-TV 8900 NW 18th Terrace Doral FL 33172
WTMO-TV 1650 Sand Lake Rd. # 340 Orlando, FL 32809 **
KAKW-TV 2233 W. North Loop Austin,TX 78756 **
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WSLS-TV 401 3rd Street SW Roanoke, VA 24011
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Dr, New Bern, NC 28560
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
KADN/KLAF-TV 1500 Eraste Landry, Lafayette, LA 70506
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
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903 ***

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

December 13, 2020

December 15, 2020 UPDATE:

Greetings:

In today’s UPDATE, a network owned station gets a new news director, and a longtime St. Louis anchor moves into management.

Carree

BERVETTE CARREE returns to North Carolina as the next ND for ABC’s WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham. She is currently the Nightside EP for Tegna’s WXIA-TV in Atlanta, a job she’s held for the last 18 months. More here.

Bervette earlier worked at another Raleigh station and in Charlotte and Greensboro/High Point. She’a also worked in Philadelphia and for CNN. At WTVD, she replaces MICHELLE GERMANO who left the station in July after almost five years as ND.

Holliday

ART HOLLIDAY, who’s worked for Tegna’s KSDK-TV (NBC) in St. Louis for more than 40 years, has been named interim news director. He will report to CAROL FOWLER, whose title is Director of Content. More from the station’s website.

Art started at the station as a sports reporter/anchor, moved to morning news anchor, and held some management responsibilities on that program for part of the time he also anchored it. He’s anchored a number of different newscasts and is currently anchoring the 4:00 news.

Congrats to Art, with whom (full disclosure) I worked both at KOMU-TV at the University of Missouri, and at KSDK (which was KSD-TV when we worked there.)

I anticipate at least one more ND hire to be announced this week, and we will bring that to you in our full newsletter this weekend.

regards,

gevers

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

Greetings:

Our list of open news director jobs drops to just 16 which is the lowest it has been in quite a while. And THREE of the FOUR new ND’s are in top 30 markets, TWO in top ten. And there’s just ONE new opening.

ONE of those 16 openings is featured in one of our TWO Paid Help Wanted ads.

Lots of important stories in Names in the News, including a new President of MSNBC, a new VP/News for Altice News 12, a new Assistant ND in Atlanta, and a three time ND turned corporate ND is hit by Covid.

And we have a new GM in an Illinois market to tell you about.

All that and more as you read on.

Newly Named News Directors:

Flores

WCAU/WWSI-TV, Philadelphia, PA…it’s a return to the NBC owned stations group for ELIZABETH FLORES who’s the new VP/News here. She’s currently the assistant ND for WABC-TV in New York but earlier worked for NBC’s Miami station, WTVJ-TV for 17 years. Elizabeth replaces ANZIO WILLIAMS who left in August to become Senior VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the NBC owned stations.

Roldan

KHOU-TV, Houston, TX…LIZ ROLDAN returns to her native Houston as the next ND for this Tegna owned CBS affiliate. It’s part of a new three person leadership team here, which includes STUART BOSLOW (now Director of Content at Tegna’s KARE-TV (Minneapolis/NBC) as Director of Innovation and RANDY KLEIN who’s being promoted to Digital Director. It’s all explained here. Liz replaces SALLY RAMIREZ who left this summer and is now an EP of The News with SHEPARD SMITH on CNBC.

Fahey

WBFF-TV, Baltimore, MD…the long vacant news director’s job here has been filled by MATT FAHEY, who comes from independent station WHDH-TV in Boston. He was an EP for that former NBC affiliate. Mike’s also worked for NBC’s cable operation, NECN in Boston, as well as in Providence and Baton Rouge. He replaces MIKE TOMKO who left almost a year ago.

McConico

WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL…MATT McCONICO is the new ND for this ABC/FOX duopoly. Matt tells me he’s excited to be within driving distance of his parents for the first time in 20 years. He most recently spent four years as the ND for WPMT-TV in Harrisburg. Matt’s a former ND in Reno, and has worked in Ft. Myers, Green Bay, and Eau Claire, WI. At WTVO, he replaces ALEX DeLEON who left in October after three years as ND. WQRF is owned by Nexstar, which operates Mission Broadcasting-owned WTVO under a shared services agreement.

New News Director Opening:

WFOR-TV. Miami FL…as we told you above, LIZ ROLDAN is leaving this CBS o-and-o after nine years as ND to become ND for Tegna’s Houston CBS affiliate, KHOU-TV.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

WbrzLogo

Assistant News Director, WRBZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA:

WBRZ, the only truly local TV station serving Louisiana’s capital city, seeks a bold leader to join the team as Assistant News Director.

The Assistant News Director will manage day-to-day newsroom operations, mentor and coach budding journalists along with helping to create and implement big ideas.

Knowledge of Louisiana helpful; TV newsroom management experience required.

Email resume and a brief explanation of your news philosophy to Trey Schmaltz: trey@wbrz.com

Pre-employment drug screening required. EOE.

News Director, KADN/KLAF-TV, Lafayette, LA:

NEWS15, the local FOX and NBC affiliate in Lafayette, LA is looking for a News Director to lead our news department. We are looking for someone with outstanding leadership skills who thrives on teaching, coaching and developing a strong and positive newsroom environment. In addition, the News Director leads and supervises all aspects of news, weather, and sports programming production.

The News Director will oversee a department that generates 40.5 hours of on-air content on the Lafayette market’s NBC and FOX stations. Lafayette is a great place to live and work with a culture all its own, and we are looking for a someone to oversee a department that produces professional and engaging content that reflects that culture in a way that appeals to our own families and communities.

Specific Job Duties:

Institutes training systems for new employees.
Makes decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion and termination of employees.
Develops news coverage strategy for the station and its website.
Critiques newscasts daily to correct errors, improve coverage and provide mentoring feedback to news staff.
Prepare the department’s budget and manages expenses to meet established financial goals.

Skills & Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience preferred.
Minimum five years’ experience in news programming production, with at least two years’ experience in a leadership role.

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please visit the below link to apply for the position.

https://www.kadn.com/about-us/jobs

Equal Opportunity Employer.