March 28, 2021
Greetings:
Apologies for the late posting of this week’s newsletter which comes from our west coast office.
But we still have lots to share. THREE new news directors, and THREE new openings, leaving our count of open ND Jobs at 28, as we have also removed one job from the list as we’ll explain below.
Beaumont, TX, is featured in both categories, as one job was filled while another opened up. And THREE larger markets (New York, Seattle, and Hartford) account for SIX of the openings.
You can learn more about TWO of those open ND jobs in Paid Help Wanted ads below.
We have some sad news about a legendary newsman who has entered hospice care. That’s below.
There’s lots of news managers on the move. Of note: ALL five of them moved within their current companies.
And we’ll tell you about a former Illinois news director who’s running for mayor in a city where she worked for two TV stations over more than 20 years.
A Texas Tegna GM gets a promotion, and a Scripps GM moves from Colorado to Florida for his new assignment.
All that and more below.
Newly Named News Directors:
McMahan
KFDM-TV, Beaumont, TX…KEITH McMAHAN moves across Texas to become news director at this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate. He’s been the Assistant News Director for sister Sinclair station WOAI-TV (NBC) in San Antonio for the last 7+ years. He’s a former ND at KABB-TV in San Antonio. At KFDM, he replaces PAUL ALEXANDER who left the station a few weeks ago.
Terlecki
WAOW-TV, Wausau, WI…COURTNEY TERLECKI has been promoted to ND for this Quincy owned (for now, sale pending to Gray) ABC affiliate. She’s been here for almost six years, most recently as Assistant ND. Courtney replaces KEVIN CARPENTER who’s retiring after three years as news director. Kevin spent much of his career as Director of Digital Operations at WLS-TV in Chicago after beginning as a reporter in smaller markets.
KIDY/KXVA-TV, San Angelo, TX…congratulations to GABE VELA who is being promoted to news director for these Tegna owned FOX affiliates. Gabe is currently the Senior Producer for sister-Tegna station KENS-TV (CBS) in San Antonio, TX. He replaces CODY BROADWAY who left the station in December 2019.
Also, please note that we’ve removed WFMZ-TV in Allentown, PA, from the list of open ND jobs. Longtime ND BRAD RINEHART has decided to stay on.
The station has promoted JAMASYN DIEHL to assistant news director to help Brad. She’s been with WFMZ since 2003, most recently as the executive content manager.
New News Director Openings:
WGXA-TV, Macon, GA…this Sinclair owned FOX/ABC affiliate has a posting for a news director opening. I believe it is to replace JENNA HUFF who left last September to become ND for WANE-TV (Nexstar/CBS) in Ft. Wayne but several emails to a Sinclair representative for that region have not been answered.
Brown
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX…DANIEL BROWN will leave this Tegna owned ABC affiliate in a few months and will leave television news, as least for a bit. He’s been the news director here for about two years and previously worked at Tegna stations in Atlanta (WXIA-TV) and Charlotte (WCNC-TV), and also worked in Cleveland and Baton Rouge, LA.
Pickey
KOSA-TV, Odessa, TX…this Gray Television owned CBS affiliate is advertising for a new news director. My records show SCOTT PICKEY had been the ND here since July, 2018. He’s a former news director in Oak Hill/Beckley, WV, Wilmington, NC, El Paso, TX and Fayetteville, AR. He’s also worked in Raleigh, Richmond and Syracuse.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WPIX-TV, New York, NY:
The search is on for the next News Director at WPIX in New York City.
Join #NexstarNation in the #1 Market in the country. Lead an award-winning team of journalists for the largest TV ownership group in the nation.
We are looking for an experienced news leader – who has a passion for enterprise reporting, issue-based political coverage, and an eye for stories that impact the local communities that make up New York City.
Must come with a love for weather coverage and sports. WPIX is the broadcast home for both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets.
WPIX already produces more than 50 hours of local newscasts each week, and we are just getting started, We need a News Director who has a real passion for the industry, the desire to create new products, and the mindset to grow winning teams.
If this describes you, apply here.
News Director, KAKE-TV, Wichita, KS:
KAKE and KAKE.com, Wichita’s legacy ABC affiliate, seeks a News Director to lead a dedicated team of journalists and photojournalists in one of America’s most livable cities.
KAKE produces 40+ hours of local television news each week and embraces a screen-agnostic approach to coverage and, as a result, enjoys a leadership position in the market with digital audience engagement.
We are committed to excellence in journalism. KAKE journalists are timely, accurate, and unbiased in their reporting on all platforms. We seek someone who shares that expectation of excellence and can demonstrate their ability to lead strong teams.
Requirements:
Minimum 4 years of News Director experience
Four-year degree in Journalism, English, Mass Communications or other applicable discipline required
Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills with an emphasis on collaboration, setting expectations, accountability, managing conflict, decision-making, coaching and delegation
Strong broadcast and AP style writing skills for all platforms
Strong command of the English language, journalism ethics, and the tenets of professional journalism
Competency with Microsoft Office applications, newsroom software, social media, camera equipment, and editing systems
Interested candidates can apply to:
Lori Johnson, Business Manager e-mail to: ljohnson@kake.com
No telephone calls please
Lockwood Broadcast Group and KAKE provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Pre-employment drug test is required along with a background screen as allowed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WJLA-TV, Washington, DC (listed 2/21/21)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 1/31/21)
WGAL-TV, Lancaster, PA (listed 2/21/21)
KIII-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted this week)
KXMB-TV, Bismarck, ND (listed 3/7/21)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Proj./Investigations, revised 3/21/21)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 3/7/21)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (EP Investigations, relisted 1/31/21)
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA (listed 2/21/21)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Digital EP, relisted 3/14/21)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted this week)
KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA (PM EP, new listing this week)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 2/21/21)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (Lifestyle show, listed 3/7/21)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital Content EP, relisted 2/21/21)
WISN-TV, Milwaukee, WI (listed 2/21/21)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (AM EP, new listing this week)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (Digital EP, new listing this week)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 3/14/21)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (relisted 3/14/21)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (Digital EP, listed 3/21/21)
WDSU-TV, New Orleans, LA (listed 2/21/21)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (relisted this week)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 2/21/21)
KTAL-TV, Shreveport, LA (relisted 3/21/21)
WVLA-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 2/14/21)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 2/21/21)
WJHL-TV, Johnson City, TN (Digital EP, listing revised this week)
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL (listed 1/31/21)
KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE (AM EP, relisted 3/14/21)
WTVM-TV, Columbus, GA (listed 2/28/21)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 2/14/21)
More News Management Openings:
New Listing this Week:
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL. (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 3/14/21:
Spectrum News: Senior Director of News, New York, NY
Listed 2/28/21:
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Broadcast Director)
Listed 2/21/21:
Spectrum Networks NY1 Senior Manager, News and Content
Listed 2/14/21:
Names in the News:
Davis
I’m sorry to report that legendary broadcaster PAUL DAVIS has entered hospice in Illinois. He’s been battling bone cancer and treatments are no longer working. I spoke to Paul this week and he seemed in good spirits, although he shared that doctors have given him 2-3 months. He no longer accesses email though family would share your thoughts with him via a note to this email. Paul’s a past president of RTDNA and SPJ, spent 14 years as ND of WGN-TV in Chicago, was ND for the former Tribune station in Boston, and was a longtime ND and anchor in Champaign. His mother, ZONA DAVIS, was a ground breaking radio news director in Illinois, as her 1987 obituary explains.
Baldner
Speaking of former Illinois news directors, NORA BALDNER is running for mayor of Quincy, IL. She spent four years as news director for KHQA-TV in Quincy (leaving in 2014) and worked for almost 20 years in a variety of roles at WGEM-TV in Quincy. She also worked in Columbia, MO, where she received a masters from the University of Missouri. Her website has more.
Matovina
WTMJ-TV, the Scripps station in Milwaukee, has promoted LAURA MATOVINA to become its broadcast director, reporting to news director TIM VETSCHER. Tim sent this note to the staff outlining Laura’s new role. She’s been the morning EP for this NBC affiliate, and the search is on for her replacement. That opening is listed among many other EP openings above.
Two other internal promotions at Scripps:
SYDNY (cq) BOYD was promoted to EP at KMTV in Omaha. She’s been a producer there. And DAMIEN RICHARD was promoted to EP for KATC-TV in Lafayette, LA, from Assignment Manager.
We have a number of other news manager promotions to share:
Trevizo
VIOLETA TREVIZO has been promoted within Tegna to be the new Assistant News Director at WATN-TV (ABC) in Memphis. She’s been the AND at KWES-TV in Midland, TX.
KERELLE SAMPSON joins Tegna’s WBNS-TV (CBS) in Columbus, OH, as EP. He’s spent most of his career at a variety of operations in Raleigh/Durham as you’ll learn from his Linkedin page.
General Manager News and Notes:
Pappas
EVAN PAPPAS moves from Colorado to Florida to become the next GM for Scripps’ WFTX-TV (FOX) in Ft. Myers. For the last eleven years, he’s been the GM for KOAA-TV (NBC) which Scripps acquired in 2019. It’s a return to Florida for Evan, who previously worked in Miami, West Palm Beach, and Jacksonville. He also ran KSBY-TV in San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara, CA, for Scripps.
Gonzales
Tegna has promoted KVUE-TV (Austin, TX/ABC) General Manager KRISTIE GONZALEZ to VP/Media Operations. She’ll continue to oversee KVUE and will add oversight of Tegna’s KYTX-TV in Tyler, TX, to her responsibilities. This news release says she will also help with recruiting for Tegna’s eleven Texas stations. She’s been the GM at KVUE since 2016
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, March 28, 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
WABC-TV 7 Lincoln Square, New York, NY 10023
WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10017 (see ad above!)
News Nation 2501 West Bradley Place Chicago, Illinois 60618
KNXV-TV 515 North 44th Street Phoenix, Arizona 85008
KING/KONG-TV 1501 1st Ave. South Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KOMO-TV 140 4th Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109
WFOR-TV 8900 NW 18th Terrace, Doral FL 33172
KTXL-TV 4655 Fruitridge Road Sacramento, CA 95820
WCCB-TV 1 Television Place Charlotte, NC 28205
WTIC-TV 285 Broad Street Hartford, CT 06115
WVIT-TV 1422 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06110
KMPH/KFRE-TV 5111 E. McKinley Ave. Fresno, CA 93727
WNEP-TV 16 Montage Mountain Rd, Moosic, PA 18507
KAKE-TV 1500 N West St, Wichita, KS 67203 (see ad above!)
WCHS-TV 1301 Piedmont Rd. Charleston, WV 25301
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600 Columbia, SC 29201
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Road McAllen TX 78501 **
WILX-TV 500 American Rd, Lansing, MI 48911
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
WGXA-TV 599 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Macon, GA, 31201
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Drive Corpus Christi TX 78411
WKBT-TV 141 South 6th Street La Crosse, WI 54601
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KOSA-TV 4101 E 42nd St. Ste 107 Odessa, TX 79762
KTXS-TV 4420 N. Clack Abilene, TX 79602
WDAM-TV 2362 US-11, Moselle, MS 39459
KAIT-TV 472 Craighead 766. Jonesboro, AR 72401