December 9, 2018
Thursday, December 13, 2018 UPDATE #2
Greetings:
A second update this afternoon bring news of the resignation of a top 20 market news director.
Anne W.
At a staff meeting today, ANNE WITTENBORG announced she was leaving her job as news director for KSTP-TV. That’s the Hubbard Broadcasting owned ABC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Anne’s been the ND there since May, 2015, and has worked as the station for ten years in her second stint there. Anne’s LinkedIn page has her entire career story.
We hope to have more on this story and all the week’s news in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
Thursday, December 13, 2018 UPDATE:
Greetings:
A new news director for a Tribune-owned (at least for now) duopoly here in Indianapolis.
Waggoner
MATT WAGGONER, currently the Assistant News Director for Tribune’s KCPQ-TV (FOX) in Seattle, has just been named news director for the company’s WTTV/WXIN-TV (CBS/FOX) in Indianapolis. Here’s the note GM JAMIE AITKEN sent the staff.
Matt’s been the AND in Seattle for two years and first joined the station in 2012 as a producer. He was later promoted to Executive Producer and later Senior Executive Producer. He’s also worked in Portland, OR and Phoenix.
At WTTV/WXIN, he replaces KERRI CAVANAUGH who stepped down in early October to join Magid as a consultant, a move which allowed her to move to Florida to be close to family.
There’s still one open ND job in Indianapolis as WTHR-TV (NBC) continues its search for someone to replace KATHY HOSTETTER, who moved to Pittsburgh as ND for KDKA-TV.
More in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Lots to tell you about this week…partly because I did some long over due follow up work on some stations that have had ND openings for a while. (And thanks to those corporate execs who answered my emails on a Sunday.)
We have FOUR newly named news directors (THREE were promoted, ONE who’s going across the street). And there’s ONE new opening created by the move across the street.
Those changes means our list of stations with news director openings increases to 31.
In Names in the News, TWO multi-time news directors are highlighted…ONE taking a new job out of the business, and the other perhaps losing a power struggle that cost her her job. Just ONE news manager on the move, and NO general manager changes to my knowledge.
We do have a paid ad just below for the highly regarded Kneeland Project. If you’re not familiar with it, it would be worth a few moments of your time.
All that…and more…as you read on.
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Newly Named News Directors:
Coe
WATE-TV, Knoxville, TN…ALISON COE removes the ‘interim’ tag and is now the news director for this Nexstar owned ABC affiliate. She’s been running the shop since JAMIE FOSTER left in September after 12 years as news director. Alison spent 16 years at sister Nexstar station WKRN-TV in Nashville, most recently as the assistant news director.
Golden
WHIO-TV, Dayton, OH…CARYN GOLDEN has been promoted to news director at this Cox Media owned (for now) CBS affiliate. She’ll replace DAVE BENNALACK when he retires at the end of the year, after 11 years as ND and 30 years with Cox. Caryn is currently the Senior Content Director at CMGO (the combined TV, radio and newspaper newsroom). She began at WHIO as a reporter/anchor, left for a year for a PR job in California, and returned in 2004. Her not-yet-updated-station bio has more. Caryn’s also worked in Odessa, TX.
Gene K.
WRBL-TV, Columbus, GA…veteran newsman GENE KIRKCONNELL is the new ND for this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate. He need not move, as he’s been the ND for cross town NBC affiliate WLTZ-TV for the past 2 1/2 years. This detailed memo from GM DAVID HART details Gene’s background, including his past four ND jobs, a stint as a GM in Birmingham, and their past history together. At WRBL, he replaces KAY NORRED who was promoted to ND for Nexstar’s WFXR-TV in Roanoke last June.
Davenport
KPVI-TV, Pocatello, ID…15 year station employee MATT DAVENPORT adds additional responsibilities as news director for this Northwest Broadcasting owned NBC affiliate. Matt anchors the 5:00 and 10:00 news and began his career in radio. We’re a little late in reporting this…according to the station’s website he was promoted in July and replaces GREG SCHIEFERSTEIN who left in March after almost two years as ND.
New News Director Openings:
WLTZ-TV, Columbus, GA…as noted above GENE KIRKCONNELL has left this SagamoreHill Broadcasting owned NBC affiliate to move ‘across the street’ to WRBL-TV in Columbus as ND.
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 10/21/18)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 11/18/18)
WBTS-TV, Boston, MA (listed 10/28/18)
New England Cable News, Boston, MA (listed 10/28/18)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 10/14/18)
Spectrum News Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (listed 10/7/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 11/11/18)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (listed 10/21/18)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (listed 10/28/18)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (AM EP, relisted 10/14/18)
WFAA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 10/14/18)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (Dayside EP, relisted 11/25/18)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, listed 11/4/18)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, listed 11/11/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 11/18/18)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (listed 10/14/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (PM EP, new listing this week)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted this week)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, relisted 12/2/18)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, listing revised 12/2/18)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, listing modified 10/21/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, relisted 11/25/18)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 10/14/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted this week)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (relisted 10/14/18)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (AM EP, listed 10/28/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 10/14/18)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 10/21/18)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (listed 11/18/18)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 10/21/18)
OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
Listed this week:
WTOC-TV, Savannah, GA (Digital Content Manager)
Re-listed 11/11/18:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Editorial Content)
Listed 10/21/18:
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (AM Content Manager)
Listed 10/14/18:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Content Manager)
Listed 10/7/18:
Spectrum News Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (Assignment/Planning Manager)
Obituaries:
STU WITT, a former business executive for CBS News who went on to a long career as an agent for NS Bienstock, died Thursday of Parkinson’s disease. He was 84. More in this obituary from the NY Times.
Walker
And we have more details this week on arrangements for FRED WALKER, whose passing we reported last week in limited detail. Fred, a longtime GM in many major markets who later moved into station ownership, died December 1. Learn more about his life and career in this detailed obituary.
Names in the News (and other items):
Fowler
Three time Chicago News Director CAROL FOWLER has left The Chicago Sun-Times after 14 months as senior vice president, digital news products. Longtime Chicago media observer ROBERT FEDER suggests she lost a power struggle. She’s a former ND at WGN-TV, WBBM-TV, and WFLD-TV. Since moving out of TV newsrooms, she has concentrated on social media strategies.
Houston
CARLTON HOUSTON, who’s run the day-to-day operation at WUSA-TV in Washington for the past 2 1/2 years, is joining Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago as Director of Storytelling. He explains:
I’ll be working closely with the Executive communications team and its 36 BCBS companies across the United States. After 25 years in television, my wife and I are thrilled to be starting a new chapter.
Carlton’s a former ND in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, worked in management in Tampa and Jackson MS, and as a reporter/anchor in Kansas City, Norfolk, and Columbia, MO.
PETE GOMEZ moves within Scripps to become an EP for WPTV in West Palm Beach as the Nightside EP. He’s been an EP for another Scripps station, WEWS-TV in Cleveland. He’s also worked in Atlanta, Phoenix, Cincinnati, Columbus, OH, and Pocatello, ID.
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, December 9, 2018:
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
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
WJLA-TV 1100 Wilson Blvd. , 6th Fl. Arlington, VA 22209
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
WTTV/WXIN-TV 6910 Network Pl, Indianapolis, IN 46278
WPBF-TV 3970 RCA Boulevard, # 7007, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
WTLV/WJXX-TV 1070 E Adams St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
WFRV-TV 1181 E Mason Street. Green Bay, WI 54301
KMTV 10714 Mockingbird Dr, Omaha, NE 68127
KOLR-TV 2650 E Division St, Springfield, MO 65803
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WHEC-TV 191 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
WCSH/WLBZ-TV One Congress Square Portland, ME 04101
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
WAPT-TV 7616 Channel 16 Way Jackson, MS 39209
WVLA/WGMB-TV 10000 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, LA 70810
WJTV 1820 TV Road Jackson MS 39204
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Dr. New Bern, NC 28560
KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
KHSL/KNVN-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
WTVA-TV P.O. Box 320 Tupelo, MS 38802
KRCG-TV, 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
WTWO-TV PO Box 9268 Terre Haute, IN 47808
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
**: Spanish language station