January 17, 2021
Monday, January 18th, 2021 UPDATE:
Greetings:
News today of the resignation of a news director in Los Angeles.
Ball
JASON BALL is leaving Nexstar’s KTLA-TV after the February rating period. He’s been the VP/News for the station for more than 12 years, and earlier worked for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.
Jason began his career in Memphis and later moved to WPLG-TV (ABC) in Miami. His Linkedin page has the details.
We’ll have more on this story…and all the week’s news…in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Another busy newsletter, especially with many items in Names in the News.
We have TWO news news directors (both first-time NDs) and THREE new openings, TWO at Spanish language stations, leaving 14 open news director jobs.
There are FIVE Paid Help Wanted ads, including a new one for a Broadcast Instructor position at a Mississippi University.
We have ONE obituary for a long-ago ND in New York State, and a link to the video of the funeral service for longtime broadcaster STEVE MINIUM who died earlier this year.
In the afore-mentioned Names in the News segment, a new national newscast debuts tomorrow morning, a new DC bureau chief for CBS, layoffs at Univision, a new digital exec at Hearst, THREE new news managers at Scripps stations, what sounds like a fun new job for a former Los Angeles Assistant ND, a look at how a Honolulu GM quit his job and became mayor of Honolulu, and the retirement of a well known…and well liked…longtime broadcast educator.
And there’s a new GM in Baltimore.
Read on for details and check out this new ad from Stephen Arnold Music, who has agree to continue supporting this newsletter for another year. Thanks to them!
Newly Named News Directors:
Ashburn
WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA…this Graham Media NBC affiliate has named MARGARET (KREGER) ASHBURN to succeed the retiring RICK MOLL as news director. She’s been the Assistant ND here for the last two years. Margaret’s a Roanoke native and has also worked in Atlanta, Greensboro, and Augusta, Ga. Rick is retiring after six years at WSLS and 30 as an ND.
Barnes
WCBI-TV, Columbus, MS…JOEY BARNES was promoted to ND here in November. He’d been the Assistant ND and anchor for this Morris Media owned CBS affiliate. He began as an intern, worked his way to an on-air position and then left the business for a while. Upon returning, he worked in Davenport, IA, then back to WCBI, then to Jackson, MS, before coming back to WCBI in 2013. He replaces ROBERT DAVIDSON who retired last September after eight years as ND.
New News Director Openings:
Turpin
KMPH/KFRE-TV, Fresno, CA…JIM TURPIN has left this Sinclair owned FOX/CW operation after almost eleven years as news director. He’s also been a news director in Memphis, Norfolk, and Wichita, and held corporate responsibilities in several of those jobs.
KTLM-TV, Harlingen, TX McALLEN, TX….this Telemundo owned station is looking for a new news director to replace MIGUELANGEL LOPEZ. We told you last week that he’s off to Orlando to become VP/News for WTMO-TV, the Telemundo station there.
KNVO-TV, McAllen, TX…ANGEL COVARRUBIAS has left the Entravsion owned Univision station after 4+ years as news director. The position has some regional responsibilities as several other stations air newscasts that are primarily produced here.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Broadcast Instructor, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS:
Oversee a student newscast in a vibrant southern college town. Teach writing/reporting courses, enjoy SEC sports, and be a part of an award-winning team. MSU features a brand-new digital media center with a new television studio and control room.
The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching courses related to the production of news in both broadcast and digital forms. Chief among these will be the broadcast capstone course, which mimics an active newsroom for one full day per week culminating in a live newscast.
A Master’s degree with coursework related to communication is preferred but a bachelor’s degree will be considered if there is substantial professional experience in the broadcast industry.
If interested, apply asap by clicking here. Review of applications will begin in early February.
Mississippi State University, with enrollment growth each of the last six years, features a nationally and internationally diverse student body. Restaurants, shopping along with the fun festivals, sporting action, and friendly residents make Starkville: Mississippi’s College Town!
The Department of Communication: www.comm.msstate.edu
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
MSU is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, gender identity, status as a U.S veteran, and/or any other status protected by applicable law. We always welcome nominations and applications from women, members of any minority group, and others who share our passion for building a diverse community that reflects the diversity in our student population.
Senior Director of News, Spectrum News, New York:
Spectrum Networks is aggressively seeking a bold, innovative team leader to join our Upstate New York team.
We are looking for a leader that will oversee our News management and content across our properties in Upstate New York.
At Spectrum Networks—we aren’t looking for a traditional news “boss.” We want someone who truly embraces our character-driven storytelling style. We’re looking for a leader that is interested in leading our content teams to deliver compelling, unique stories that resonate in our communities. We’re looking for a leader that understands the important role that storytelling plays—across all platforms.
If you are a manager that is looking to get away from house fire and car crash coverage and back to why you likely became a journalist—let’s talk. Send Mike.Bothwell@charter.com with a resume and any questions you may have.
Upstate NY experience preferred.
Click here to apply and learn more.
EP, Investigative and Special Projects, KPRC-TV, Houston,TX:
Are you sitting in your newsroom right now wondering why your bosses won’t support your Investigative Unit? Wondering why you can’t get stories approved? Wondering what happened to the days when the Investigative Unit was the centerpiece of a station’s success? Wonder no more.
KPRC 2 is on the search for an Executive Producer to oversee our award winning investigative and special projects team. KPRC 2 has a dedicated group of experienced reporters, producers, photographers and editors focused on creating compelling, promotable investigative and enterprise content.
It’s the best team in town and you’ll be the leader. Houston is a diverse, growing city with a non-stop appetite for enterprise and investigative journalism. The ideal candidate is someone who is aggressive, competitive and wants to win every story and every newscast.
Learn more and apply by clicking here.
Executive Producer, KPRC-TV, Houston,TX:
KPRC 2 is on the hunt for a leader, coach, creative thinker, innovator and top-notch journalist to join our team as a newscast 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. The ideal EP 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.
Check out our posting and apply today!
Assistant News Director, WBRZ-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:
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE (AM EP, listed 1/3/21, see ad above!)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 11/15/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 12/13/20)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 1/17/21:
Spectrum News: Senior Director of News, New York (see ad above!)
Obituaries:
Friends of the late STEVE MINIUM can now check out a video recording of his funeral service which was held just over a week ago (January 12, 2021). The recording has been added to the memorial page his family created after Steve died earlier this year at the age of 70.
Herrick
JOHN HERRICK, a Marine veteran who served as news director for WENY-TV in Elmira, NY, died January 5th at the age of 83. He also worked for WETM-TV in Elmira, served two terms on the Elmira City Council, and owned a popular pizza place there. More details about his life and career in this obituary.
Names in the News:
Minnaugh
Another national newscast starts tomorrow morning, as Sinclair debuts The National Desk, which will air on 68 CW and My Network affiliates across the country. Former Tampa and Norfolk ND RYAN MINNAUGH is the executive producer. More details in this news release from the company, which says the program will “will provide audiences with commentary-free news coverage from both a local and national perspective.”
Univision laid off a number of people earlier this week, as detailed here by Media Moves.
Phillips
At Hearst, EMILY PHILLIPS has been promoted to senior director and managing editor for Hearst Television’s central digital content teams. Emily will be tasked with developing new storytelling formats. She first joined the company in 2017. Before that, she worked for Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal. Emily began her career as a newspaper reporter in Georgia and Wisconsin.
Ciprian-Matthews
At CBS News, INGRID CIPRIAN-MATTHEWS has been named Washington Bureau Chief. She’s been the Vice President of Strategic Professional Development, the latest in a long run of executive jobs that she has held at CBS. She first joined the network in 1993 as a producer for live segments on the morning news, and earlier had worked for CNN and as a reporter for a Spanish language program on NPR.
Reese
From Los Angeles to Key West: Former KTTV (Fox/Los Angeles) Assistant news director DAVID REESE’s Linkedin page shows him as the new President and GM for WKEY-FM in Key West. More about WKEY here. David also worked for KNBC -TV and KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, and also spent almost four years as news director for KMIR-TV in Palm Desert, CA.
Blangiardi
Longtime Honolulu General Manager RICK BLANGIARDI is settling into new new job: Mayor of Honolulu. We told you a few weeks ago that Rick was elected after spending many years as GM for stations in Honolulu. He was also GM for stations in Seattle and San Francisco. Variety looks at how he became mayor of Hawaii’s largest city.
New news managers at three Scripps stations:
Glaszcz
At WTMJ-TV (NBC) in Milwaukee, RACHAEL GLASZCZ has been upped to Executive Producer. She’s worked there twice, and most recently was Special Projects Producer. Rachael’s also worked in Columbus, OH, Kansas City and Topeka.
GUSTAVO AGUIRRE is the new EP for Scripps’ KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi, TX, coming from a producer job in El Paso, while ALEXA DENAGALL has been named the Assistant ND for WTXL-TV in Tallahassee. She’s been an EP in Macon, GA, and a producer in Mobile.
Silcock
Finally, best wishes to longtime educator BILL SILCOCK on his retirement. Bill spent almost 20 years of a long career at Arizona State University, where he retired as Assistant Dean. “Dr. Bill” also taught at Missouri (where he earned his doctorate), and at Brigham Young. ASU posted this interesting and well deserved tribute to its website.
General Manager News and Notes:
Robbins
Sinclair’s WBFF-TV (FOX) in Baltimore has named BILLY ROBBINS as its next general manager. He’s been the station manager there for the last two years following a long career in sales at the station. He’s a 17 year veteran of the station. More in this news release.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, January 17, 2021:
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
WFOR-TV 8900 NW 18th Terrace, Doral FL 33172
WTMJ-TV 720 E Capitol Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53212
KAKW-TV 2233 W. North Loop Austin,TX 78756 **
KMPH/KFRE-TV 5111 E. McKinley Ave.Fresno, CA 93727
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
KTLM-TV 200 S 10th St. Fl 2 McAllen, TX 78501 **
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Road McAllen TX 78501 **
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
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Drive Corpus Christi TX 78411
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903 ***
**: Spanish language station
***: News Director and Anchor