February 22, 2015
Greetings:
By my count, there are still 27 stations looking for news directors after a week that saw ONE new opening and THREE open positions filled. Of note: all three positions were filled from within the station.
Also, we erred last week in reporting GRIFF BENNER‘s move to Assistant ND at WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, PA. That’s correct. However, his former job at WCAV/WVAW-TV in Charlottesville, VA, was filled in December by VAL THOMPSON, whose name I butchered in a item in our mid-week UPDATE. It’s bad when you have to correct a correction.
No news director ads this week, but we do have a paid ad for an EP opening in Birmingham. And we welcome back Ivanhoe Broadcast News which has a new product. Check out their ad below.
Just one item in Names in the News…a new Senior VP/News at Tribune, which we told you about in a mid-week UPDATE. And we have several GMs on the move, two leaving their current stations and one coming out of retirement after just two months.
All that and more…after this ad for a new service from Ivanhoe:
New News Director Openings:

Murrieta
Central Florida News 13, Orlando, FL…after four years as ND, and eleven working here, RUDY MURRIETA has left this Bright House Networks owned 24 hour cable news channel. He joined the operation in 2003 as the Assistant News Director. He’s also worked in San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Ft. Myers.
Newly Named News Directors:

Daniels
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC…KEVIN DANIELS has been promoted to News Director for this Tribune owned FOX affiliate. Kevin’s been the interim ND here since KAREN KOUTSKY left at the end of 2014 to become ND for WJZY/WMYT-TV in Charlotte, NC. She was here for 14 years. Kevin’s been at the station for 15 years, most recently as the Assistant News Director. He’s also worked in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Sarasota, and Gainesville, FL.
KFDM-TV, Beaumont, TX…in another promotion from a longtime time employee to News Director, SCOTT LAWRENCE moves into the bigger office for this Sinclair-owned CBS affiliate. He’s been the Executive Producer here and replaces his longtime boss, DAVID LOWELL, who was ND there for 28 years. Dave left last month after 34 years at the station.

Tefertiller
KWES-TV, Midland, TX…Chief Meterologist TOM TEFERTILLER is assuming additional duties as News Director for this NBC affiliate which is owned by Drewry Communications. Tom’s been at the station for more than 20 years and previously worked in Columbus, MS, and Victoria, TX. He replaces DAVID MARINO who left late last year to become a Senior Producer for Time Warner Cable’s news operation in Austin, TX. (Tom’s not the first chief meteorologist to become ND: STEVE BRAY made that move at WISH-TV in Indianapolis more than two years ago.)
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Executive Producer, WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL:
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To apply, go to: http://wiat.com/wiat-42-careers/ or email rob.martin@wiat.com
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WBZ-TV, Boston, MA (relisted 1/11/15)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 12/27/14)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 12/27/14)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (new listing this week)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA (relisted 1/11/15)
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (relisted this week)
WFXT-TV, Boston, MA (relisted 1/11/15)
WJLA-TV, Washington, DC (2 positions, Dayside & Weekend, listed 1/18/15)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (listed 1/3/15)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 2/7/15)
WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL, (listed 2/1/15)
KDVR-TV, Denver, CO (Morning EP, listed 1/26/15)
KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA (PM EP, relisted 1/11/15)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (PM EP, relisted 1/11/15)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (PM EP, relisted 1/11/15)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (AM EP, listed 1/18/15)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (Morning EP, relisted 2/1/15)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI, (AM EP, PM EP & Spec. Projects, relisted 1/11/15)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (relisted 2/15/15, see ad above!)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (Morning EP, listing revised 1/3/15)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 2/1/15)
WMTW-TV, Portland, ME (AM EP, relisted 1/11/15)
WCYB-TV, Tri-Cities, TN (relisted 1/11/15)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 1/18/15)
ASSIGNMENT MANAGER:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (new listing this week)
Central Florida News 13, Orlando, FL (relisted 1/18/15)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 12/27/14)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WFXT-TV, Boston, MA (relisted 1/11/15)
NEWS OPERATIONS MANAGER:
WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA: (relisted 1/11/15)
WJLA-TV, Washington, DC (listed 2/15/15)
Situations Wanted:
We offer a free situations wanted ad to news managers who are out of work and looking for a new opportunity. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 150 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.
Names in the News…and other things:

Feder
BART FEDER will start in early March as the Senior Vice President of News for Tribune Media, replacing KATHERINE GREEN. Bart most recently worked as a Senior VP at CNN, leaving in 2013, after five years at the network. He served for seven years as President and CEO of The FeedRoom. Bart was a news director in New York, Boston, Sacramento, and Jacksonville, FL. The news release announcing his hire can be found here, and a click here will lead you to his Linkedin page.
General Manager News:
BOB CHIRDON, who’s been the GM for Raycom’s WTOL-TV in Toledo, OH, since 2001, will retire at the end of March. He joined the station in as the General Sales Manager, and previously worked in Cleveland. Click here to read a note from Raycom’s JEFF ROSSER to the WTOL staff, and also see Bob’s note to the employees.
WJET-TV (Erie, PA) General Manager TIM DUNST is leaving the station at the end of March to go into business for himself, according to a Facebook post. He’s run the Nextsar owned ABC affiliate for more than seven years. Nexstar also operates the local FOX affiliate.
DAN MODISETT, who retired in December as General Manager of WLBT-TV in Jackson, MS, will be the next GM for WTVA-TV in Tupelo, MS. The station was recently acquired by Heartland Media. PHIL SULLIVAN, the current GM, had already announced his retirement. More in this story.
Our Full List of ND Openings:
If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com
Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, February 22, 2015.
WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
KABC-TV 500 Circle Seven Drive Glendale CA 91201
KWHY-TV 4975 W. Pico Blvd Los Angeles,CA 90019 *
KNXV-TV 515 N. 44th St. Phoenix AZ 85008
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St. Miami FL 33178
KCEC-TV 777 Grant St. #110 Denver CO 80203 *
KMGH-TV 123 Speer Blvd. Denver CO 80203
Central Florida News 13, 20 N. Orange Ave. Suite 13 Orlando FL 32801
WOIO/WUAB-TV 1717 E. 12th St. Cleveland OH 44114
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KATU-TV 2153 NE Sandy Boulevard Portland OR 97232
KENS-TV 5400 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio TX 78229
KUTV 299 S. Main St. #150 Salt Lake City UT 84111
WOOD-TV 120 College SE Grand Rapids MI 49503
WWL-TV 1024 North Rampart St. New Orleans 70116
WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd. Albany NY 12204
KJRH-TV 3701 South Peoria Avenue Tulsa OK 74105
WBIR-TV 1513 Hutchison Ave Knoxville TN 37917
WOWK-TV 555 Fifth Ave. Huntington WV 25701
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens St. Columbia SC 29201
WSYR-TV 5904 Bridge St. East Syracuse, NY 13057
WJCL/WGTS 1375 Chatham Parkway Third Floor Savannah, GA 31405
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas Rd. Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WDAZ-TV 2220 S. Washington Grand Forks, ND 52801
KTVL-TV 1440 Rossanley Dr. Medford OR 97501
KMVT/KSVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd. North Twin Falls, ID 83301
WBUP/WBKP-TV 1705 Ash Street Ishpeming MI 49849
* Spanish language station