January | 2025 | Rick Gevers & Associates

January 26, 2025

Monday, January 27, 2025 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Sorry to report the passing of a veteran news director, and two corrections from last night’s full newsletter in today’s UPDATE.

Payer

BILL PAYER died suddenly last Tuesday. Bill was 78 and was enjoying retirement in South Carolina. A complete obituary can be found here. During his career, he was a news director in Birmingham, Buffalo, Columbus, OH, and Tulsa, worked in several other markets, and also worked for the long shuttered CONUS satellite service. His career history is here. Our sympathy to his family and friends.

Licon

Last night’s newsletter contained incorrect information on the new assistant news director at KNBC/KVEA-TV in Los Angeles. LIZBETH LICON has been promoted from her old job as Managing Editor. Here’s the note from ND MARINA PERELMAN.

She succeeds JAMIE NOVOGROD who left last year.

And speaking of Los Angeles, due to an editing error, I included the wrong note from longtime LA newsman WARREN CEREGHINO about life after losing his home in the wildfires. Here’s the correct one.

Apologies.

If we do another update before next weekend, hopefully it will contain happier news..

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

For the second consecutive weeks, there are THREE ND changes this week, but this week TWO are in top 20 markets.

TWO of these changes are new news director openings and ONE change is a new solution to an ND opening, so our list of stations with openings grows to 44.

NO Paid Help Wanted ads this week, but both WMV and Sciline have ads, including Sciline’s offer of a crash course in science essentials for reporters. Both ads are below.

There’s an obit for a controller turned GM who later ran her city’s Chamber of Commerce.

And..again…lots of interesting items in Names in the News (and other stuff) including:

Winners of the DuPont Awards
Ever changing details on how a local group will cover weather
An update on how a former LA ND in coping after losing his house
Lots of news management changes

And a veteran GM…who succeeded her husband…is retiring.

All that and more below!

Newly Named News Directors:

Dallman

KREX/KRQX-TV, Grand Junction, CO…this opening has been resolved with a two-pronged solution. Production Manager SCOTT SHERIFF assumes an additional role as news operations manager, while GM BILL DALLMAN (a former ND in multiple large markets) will handle other duties. This combo replaces TERRI CHAPPELL-PAXSON who left last summer. Nexstar owns KREX (CBS) and KRQX (FOX).

New News Director Openings:

Carson

WJLA-TV, Washington, DC…the second of TWO Updates this week told you CHERYL CARSON is stepping down as ND for this Sinclair owned ABC affiliate at the end of February. Cheryl told the staff why in this staff memo. She’s been the ND there for six years, spent more than three years as ND for KING-TV in Seattle (in addition to three years as the Assistant ND at KING) Her complete career history is here.

McGinley

WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL…this week’s FIRST Update brought word of ALLISON McGINLEY’s pending departure from this Graham Media owned CBS affiliate. She’s off to a new job at her alma mater, the University of Central Florida. She’s been ND here since 2015. Allison joined the station in 1993, though she took a four year break to become a mom. She’s a past chair of RTDNA, as well.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

No ads this week. If you want to reach a VERY targeted audience for your news management opening, please send me an email: rick@rickgevers.com

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (listed 1/26/25)
WTAE-TV, Pittburgh, PA (listed 1/26/25)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (relisted 11/17/24)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 1/19/25)
WBRE/WYOU-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (relisted 1/12/25)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 1/5/25)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (listed 11/3/24)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (relisted 12/1/24)
WANE-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 1/12/25)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 1/19/25)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (listed 1/5/25)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

Spectrum Noticias, New York, NY (Senior EP, relisted 1/12/25)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (AM Broadcast EP, relisted 10/6/24)
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 1/26/25)
Spectrum News, Tampa, FL (National EP, released 12/22/24)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 1/12/25)
WTSP-TV, Tampa, FL (Digital EP, listed 1/5/25)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (relisted 1/12/25)
Spectrum News, Orlando, FL (relisted 1/12/25)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (relisted 1/5/25)
Spectrum News 1, Raleigh NC (relisted 12/22/24)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (listed 12/22/24)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (listing modified 1/12/25)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (Digital EP, relisted 1/12/25)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 1/5/25)
WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Nightside EP, listed 1/5/25)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville FL (listed 1/5/25)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 1/5/25)
WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 1/12/25)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 1/26/25
WVLA/WGMB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (relisted 1/26/25)
WQAD-TV, Moline, IL (relisted 1/5/25)

More News Management Openings:

Listed 1/19/25:

WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (Manager of Real-Time Depth)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (News and Content Manager)
WJET-TV, Erie, PA: (Digital Content Manager)
WSAV-TV, Savannah, GA (Digital Content Executive Producer)

Listed 1/12/25
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Senior Digital Content Producer)

Relisted 1/5/25:

KGW-TV, Portland, OR (Digital Director)
WGNO/WNOL-TV, New Orleans, LA (Digital Content Manager)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Digital Webmaster & Content Dir.)
WVLA/WGMB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 12/15/24:

KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (Streaming/Weekend Executive Producer)

Relisted 12/1/24:

KSWB/KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (Digital Content Manager)

Obituary:

Hooper

A long battle with cancer claimed DEBORAH HOOPER on January 20th. She was 67. Deborah spent 25 years at WFMY-TV in Greensboro, beginning as the controller and raising to General Manager, and played an important role when Harte-Hanks sold WFMY (and other stations) to Gannett. She also served as President of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. More on an interesting life in this obituary.

Names in the News (and other stuff):

The 2025 DuPont-Columbia Award winners and finalists were announced this week. KPRC-TV in Houston, WTVF-TV in Nashville, KXTV in Sacramento, KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City were winners, while finalists included Chicago’s WBBM-TV, WVUE-TV in New Orleans, and KUSA-TV in Denver. Apologies to any local stations I may have missed. The complete list is here and will reassure you that lots of good work is being done on the local level.

The ever evolving story of how weather will be covered at Allen Media Group stations continues to, well, evolve. Last week we told you that local meteorologists at Allen stations would be replaced by forecasts from (Allen owned) The Weather Channel. It was only a day or two later that several stations, including WTVA-TV in Tupelo and WAAY-TV in Huntsville posted stories that the decision had been reversed. As I said earlier this week, lots more to come there.

Before news of the possible reversal, veteran broadcaster HANK PRICE, whose work from TVNewsCheck.com we share with you from time to time, called it a tragedy and one of the saddest moves he’d ever seen.

In another TVNewsCheck story, EMILY BARR, formerly head of Graham Media and a one-time GM for WLS-TV in Chicago, praised the coverage of the California wildfires provided by local stations in Los Angeles.

Warren C.

Speaking of the fires, we have an UPDATE from longtime Los Angeles newsman WARREN CEREGHINO, who was among the many residents who lost their home…and most everything else…in the California wildfires. He emailed this update on his life after the fire. It’s worth a moment of your time. Warren’s a former ND at KTLA-TV and KTVU-TV in San Francisco/Oakland, and worked at several LA stations.

BRAD HYATT joins Nexstar’s WJZY/WMYT-TV (FOX/MyTV) in Charlotte as Assistant ND. He most recently was the ND for WIS-TV in Columbia, SC. ND CASEY CLARK shared the news with staff.

Higgins

NATHAN HIGGINS has been promoted to Assistant News Director at Tegna’s KUSA-TV (NBC) in Denver. But he won’t start the new role until mid-April. He’s got a good excuse, as explained in this Linkedin post.

But an Assistant ND job has opened at another Tegna station, KSDK-TV, (also NBC) in St. Louis.

They’re restructuring there, replacing retiring news director ART HOLLIDAY with an Assistant ND. We told you a few weeks ago that Art will leave in July on his 46th anniversary, a great career art KSDK, with four distinct chapters. Art reported (as will the new AND) to Director of Content MORGAN SCHAAB.

General Manager News and Notes:

Byrnes

Longtime Cleveland GM MICKI BYRNES will retire from Tegna’s WKYC-TV (NBC) in April. She’s been GM since 2015, succeeding her husband, BROOKE SPECTORSKY, and was station manager and marketing director before that, first joining the station in 1997. She’s also worked in Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco and Orlando and (fun fact) is a Trustee for the Cleveland based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, January 26, 2025:

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

WPHL-TV 5001 Wynnefield Ave. Ste 3. Philadelphia, PA 19131
KDFW-TV 400 N. Griffin Street Dallas, TX 75202
WKTB 4675 River Green Pkwy, Duluth, GA 30096 **
WJLA-TV 1100 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22209
WTVT-TV 3213 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609
KSTP-TV 3415 University Ave. St. Paul, MN 55114
WKMG-TV 4466 N John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32804
WISH-TV 1950 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
KSL-TV 55 North 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84180
WOAI-TV 4335 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX, 78229
WHTM-TV 3235 Hoffman Street. Harrisburg, PA 17110
WHAS- 520 W Chestnut St, Louisville, KY 40202
WOLF-TV 1181 Highway 315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (News Manager)
KFSN-TV 1777 G St, Fresno, CA 93706
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave, Fresno, CA 93727
KATV 10 Turtle Creek Lane Little Rock, AR 72202
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KCCI-TV 888 9th St. Des Moines, Iowa 50309
WCIV-TV 88 Allbritton Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WRCB-TV 900 Whitehall Rd. Chattanooga, TN 37405
WSAV-TV 1430 East Victory Drive Savannah, GA 31404
KTBS-TV 312 E. Kings Highway. Shreveport, LA 71104
KINT-TV 5426 North Mesa Street El Paso, TX 79912
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WMBF-TV 918 Frontage Rd. East; Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
WNCT-TV 3221 South Evans Street. Greenville, NC 27834
KSFY-TV 325 S 1st Ave, Ste 100, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
WGXA-TV 599 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Macon, GA 31201
KHSL-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
WREX-TV 10322 Auburn Road, Rockford, IL 61101
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KOSA-TV 4101 E. 42nd. Suite J-7. Odessa, TX 79761
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa, TX 79763
KWES-TV 11320 West County Rd. 127. Odessa, TX 79765
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
KECI/KCFW/KTVM-TV, 340 W. Main St. Missoula, MT 59802
KTVQ-TV 3203 3rd Ave N., Billings, MT 59101
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KIEM/KVIQ-TV 5650 S, Broadway St. Eureka CA 95503
KIDY-TV5 S. Chadbourne San Angelo, TX 76902
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501

**: Spanish language station

January 19, 2025

Friday, January 24, 2025 UPDATE:

Another day, and another departure (at least for now) of another experienced news director.

Carson

Today it’s CHERYL CARSON who will leave Sinclair’s WJLA-TV (ABC) at the end of February. Cheryl tells me she needs to spend more time caring for her elderly parents (her dad is 90 and her mom is not far behind). She also said she’s not done working in journalism, which she also expressed in this note she sent to the WJLA staff.

She’s been the ND here since February, 2019, earlier spent three years as the ND for KING-TV (NBC) in Seattle, and had a variety of other stops as detailed in her Linkedin page.

It’s shaping up to be a busy week for our full newsletter which we expect to send out on Sunday.

We’ll see you then.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Thursday, January 23, 2025 UPDATE #2:

A veteran ND and one time RTDNA chair is leaving the business for a job at her alma mater.

McGinley

ALLISON McGINLEY, who’s been the news director for Graham Media’s WKMG-TV (CBS) since 2015, is leaving to become Executive Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at UCF, her alma mater. Allison first joined WKMG in 1993 as a producer, took a break in 2004 to become a mom (though did some projects for WKMG during that time), and returned four years later.

From 2021-22, she served as the chair of RTDNA.

And an update on the apparent reversal of Allen Media’s decision to move weathercasts from its local stations to recorded forecasts from the Allen owned Weather Channel.

An Allen spokesperson returned my call today but said he had ‘nothing to add’ to the company’s Saturday news release that first reported the change.

You likely saw our earlier update today that the policy was being reversed in at least three markets, Honolulu, Huntsville, and Eugene. I’ve since heard that the change will be reversed at the Allen station in Eugene, OR.

My guess is that this story is far from over.

We’ll see you Sunday with our full report.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Thursday, January 23, 2025:

Greetings:

A stunning but probably not surprising reversal from, shall we say, an odd move from Allen Broadcasting.

This story on the website of Allen’s WTVA-TV in Tupelo shows that the company has reversed its decision to eliminate local meteorologists and air weathercasts produced (and usually recorded) from the Allen owned Weather Channel.

What’s unclear (at this point, though I have a call into an Allen Media spokesperson) is whether (weather? pun intended) this change is just for Tupelo or all the stations. I am told that Allen stations in Huntsville and Hawaii will also restore local weather people.

More details as I have them.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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

Greetings:

Only THREE ND changes this week, but a lot of other interesting items in this report.

There are TWO new news director openings and ONE new ND that were announced this week, moving our list of stations with ND openings to 43.

ONE of those openings (in California!) is featured in a Paid Help Wanted ad.

We have the obituary for a longtime anchor of an Arkansas station who also was the ND for seven years, and more details (and what I think is an fun story, if that’s possible in an obit) on the death of an early adopter webmaster in Indianapolis.

Just a week after CBS announced changes to its weather presentations, a group owner announced big changes on how its stations present weather …and they are possibly related.

That’s in Names in the News, along with the departure of the President of MSNBC, once a former local ND. You’ll also learn that some Los Angeles newspeople (including a former ND) lost homes in the wildfires, and news of other news people, some current, and some former.

And we confirmed the departure of a top five market o-and-o GM.

Have a great week.

Newly Named News Directors:

Shelley

WZDX-TV, Huntsville, AL…veteran news director JONATHAN SHELLEY moves from interim ND to permanent ND at this Tegna owned FOX affiliate. Jonathan’s been the interim ND since last July and was made permanent about a month ago. He’s a former ND in New Orleans, Ft. Wayne, and Baton Rouge and succeeds ANDREA CLENNEY who stepped down in October, 2023, after six years on the job

New News Director Openings:

Roberts

WRCB-TV, Chattanooga, TN…MEGAN ROBERTS is stepping down after three years as ND for this Sarkes-Tarzian owned NBC affiliate. Megan posted the details of her departure on her Linkedin page. She started at the station in 2013 as a weekend producer, went to Nashville, and then returned as ND, replacing CALLIE STARNES who was promoted to (and remains) GM here.

Reyes

KINT-TV, El Paso, TX…BRENDA REYES has left this Entravision owned station after three years as news director. She first joined the station in 2009 as a weather anchor. When her newscast was cancelled, she moved into a producer position and then served as Assistant ND for three years before her promotion to ND.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

News Director, Redwood News, Eureka, CA:

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The person stepping into this role will be responsible for overseeing all news, weather, and sports content and execution. You won’t be bogged down by budgets and endless reports. Newsroom experience a must: producers and executive producers are welcome to apply.

Redwood News is situated in Eureka, CA which is the largest city in the two county DMA: Humboldt and Del Norte. Route 101 runs from the top to the bottom of the DMA with breathtaking views of the ocean and weaving in and out of the magnificent Redwoods. There are numerous rivers for kayaking and fishing. The area has a temperate climate, but if it’s heat or snow you seek it’s an hour away inland. The area boasts a significant population of artists and performers and is home to Cal Poly Humboldt University. In recent times Cal Poly has been a feeder to our news staff so you will have a recruiting pipeline.

If you love the outdoors and a laid-back vibe then Eureka is the place to be!

Learn more and apply here!

Salary $68,640

Imagicomm Communications, LLC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, genetic information, ancestry, age, sex, gender, marital status, national origin, disability or handicap, veteran status, or any other status or characteristics protected by federal, state and/or local laws. Applicants may notify the appropriate local, state or federal agency if they believe they have been the victims of discrimination.