December 18, 2022
Greetings:
A busy week!
THREE new news directors to tell you about, with TWO new openings.
Those changes mean 23 jobs remain on our list of open ND positions.
We have TWO Paid Help Wanted ads, ONE for an Assistant ND job at a family owned station in the Upper Midwest and ONE for an EP in Ft. Wayne.
We have news of the upcoming retirement of TOM DOLAN, a longtime management recruiter, former consultant, and two time large market news director. That is Names in the News, along with a third book from another former consultant, GM, and ND…and news of another former ND who’s been named CEO or a state wide non-profit news organization.
There are THREE obituaries for former news directors, and, as far as I know, no GM changes.
As you know, next Sunday is Christmas. I plan to publish sometime over the holiday weekend.
Until then, Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Newly Named News Directors:
Burger
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA…LISA BURGER moves within Nexstar and within California as she’ll be the next news director for this FOX affiliate. Here’s the note to staff from General Manager SCOT CHASTAIN. Lisa’s been the ND for KSEE/KGPE-TV in Fresno for more than three years. She worked for another Fresno station earlier in her career and also worked in Denver and San Diego. Lisa replaces veteran newsman ED KOSOWSKI who left in October after 1 1/2 years as ND.
Fickett
KTIV-TV, Sioux City, IA…KIM FICKETT moves from Digital Content Manager to ND at this Gray owned NBC affiliate. It’s a quick ascension for Kim, who joined KTIV in September as Digital Content Manager, coming from editor of the Le Mars Sentinel. She’s being replaced in the digital job by DEAN WELTE. Kim replaces KEITH BLIVEN as ND. He originally moved to Operations Manager in May and this week was promoted to Director of Operations.
Marshall
KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR…CATHY MARSHALL has been promoted to news director for this News-Press & Gazette owned NBC affiliate. She joined the station earlier this year as the morning anchor. Cathy’s worked for CNN, and for stations in Boston, Seattle, New Haven and for KGW-TV in Portland, OR, for eleven years before joining KTVZ. Cathy replaces NIC MOYE who left earlier this year after six years as ND.
New News Director Openings:
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA…you learned above that LISA BURGER is leaving this Nexstar owned NBC/CBS duopoly to become ND for Nexstar’s KTXL-TV (FOX) in Sacramento.
Cerbo
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID…CHRIS CERBO is leaving this Scripps owned ABC affiliate after less than a year in the top job. He was promoted to news director (from Assistant ND) last March when J BATES moved to the Scripps recruiting team. Chris has previously worked in Charlottesville, VA, and Myrtle Beach.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Assistant News Director, KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN:
ABC News Channel 6, KAAL-TV in Rochester, MN is looking for an Assistant News Director to help lead our news room operations.
KAAL is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting-a premier family-owned mid-sized media organization.
In this role, you would be in charge of the evening news broadcasts as well as having a key role in the recruitment and training of news producers and on-air talent.
We are looking for someone who is passionate about objective journalism, believes in treating people with respect and dignity and wants to be an active member of their community. This is a great opportunity for either a lateral move or for someone looking to get into leadership.
Rochester, MN is one of the fastest growing cities in America. Home of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, Rochester is one of the most highly-educated, affluent and diverse communities in the country. Repeatedly named as America’s Most Liveable City; Rochester is full of great schools, parks, cultural outlets and is just 90 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul and 4 hours from Chicago.
Learn more about this opportunity and apply by clicking here and searching for jobs in Rochester, MN.
Executive Producer, WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN:
WFFT in Fort Wayne, Ind. (DMA 111) is searching for an executive producer to create great content, help manage our staff, and execute some exciting projects we have in the works.
The pay range is between $45,000 and $55,000 a year in a city that is safe and one of the most affordable in the country. The hours are mostly dayside so no early mornings and few late nights.
You’ll join a talented and diverse newsroom where training and culture is a priority. At least two years of experience as a line-producer required.
Send questions to news director Andy Paras at aparas@wfft.com
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 11/6/22)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 10/30/22)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 10/23/22)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 11/13/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22)
KETK-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 12/11/22)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (relisted 10/30/22)
KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN (listed 12/18/22, see ad above!)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (EP & Digital EP, listing revised 12/4/22)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (AM EP, relisted 10/9/22)
KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 10/30/22)
WOIO/WUAB-TV, Cleveland, OH (AM EP, listed 10/9/22)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 11/20/22)
WRTV, Indianpolis, IN (listed 11/20/22)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 12/11/22)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 12/4/22)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City (relisted 10/30/22)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 11/20/22)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 12/11/22)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (listed 12/4/22)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 10/30/22)
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (AM EP, relisted 10/30/22)
WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 11/13/22)
WIVB/WNLO-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 11/6/22)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 12/11/22)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 12/11/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 12/11/22)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 12/11/22)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, listed 12/11/22)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 12/11/22, see ad above!)
WRBL-TV, Columbus, GA (Digital EP, listed 11/20/22)
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 10/30/22)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (listed 10/23/22)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 12/18/22)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 12/4/22:
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 11/13/22:
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Digital Content Manager)
Obituaries:
Haley
I’m sorry to tell you that SKIP HALEY died today at a Louisiana hospice after a long illness. Skip’s a former news director in Atlanta (WSB-TV) and Montgomery, AL (WSFA-TV) and served as interim ND for KNOE-TV in Monroe, LA. He also worked for more than 25 years for WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge, LA. In recent years, Skip had worked as a diver. More details about his career on his Linkedin page. I hope to have more in next week’s edition.
Pontz
Another obituary of a former news director: ANDREW PONTZ was 80 when he died last Sunday (December 11). Andrew had battled Parkinson’s disease for more than 17 years. He had been an ND at a number of stations, including KNOE-TV in Monroe, LA, KTAL-TV in Shreveport, LA, and KBTX-TV in Bryan, TX, which remembered him here.
Floyd
JOHN FROYD began his career in radio and then transitioned to television, working in a number of markets, most of them in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He died earlier this month at the age of 89. John was an ND in Alexandria, MN, worked in Green Bay (where he announced the famous ‘Ice Bowl’ game, and spent eight years as the main anchor at WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, WI, which aired this tribute to him.
Names in the News:
Dolan
TV management recruiter TOM DOLAN is retiring at the end of the year. Details of his background and decision in this note he sent me. Tom’s been head of Dolan Media Management for 23 years following a career as a consultant (Broadcast Image Group) and news director in Phoenix (KSAZ-TV) and Chicago (WLS-TV). Many of you met Tom at industry conventions where he was a regular attendee and frequent presenter. Friends can wish him well via an email sent here.
Willi
Another old friend, JIM WILLI, has been busy since retiring from AR&D in 2018. He’s now published his THIRD book, The Firebug of Cedar Creek. Jim sent this note:
Wanted to let you know I published my third novel in three years this week.
As usual I use real facts (this time the history of volunteer fire departments around Cedar Creek Lake) coupled with fictional mayhem (a serial arsonist).
If any of your readers are interested have them drop me an email at JWilli@ar-d.com and I’ll send them a signed copy and an invoice.
Thanks brother- Merry Christmas!!
Walker
I hope you are aware of the growth of non-profit news organizations around the country. One of them is the South Dakota News Watch, which describes itself at the state’s first nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization. It has hired CARSON WALKER as its first CEO. He’s a former news director for KDLT-TV in Sioux Falls and also worked for the AP. More in this story, where you will also learn that longtime TV executive MARCI BURDICK will serve as the board chair for the organization.
General Manager News and Notes:
I’m not aware of any GM moves this week.Please let me know if you know of something I missed.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 18, 2022:
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
KTTV 1999 S. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles CA 90025
KSAT-TV 1408 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, TX 78215
KVUE- TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave. Fresno, CA 93727
WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701
WSLS-TV 821 5th St. NE Roanoke, VA 24016
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719
WJRT-TV 2302 Lapeer Rd. Flint MI 48503
KIVI-TV 1866 E. Chisholm Dr. Nampa, ID 83687
KHGI-TV 1078 25 Road Axtell, NE 68924
WKBT-TV 141 South 6th Street La Crosse, WI 54601
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
WJET-TV 8455 Peach Street Erie, PA 16509
WGFL/WNBW/WMYG-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606
KALB-TV 605 Washington Street; Alexandria, LA 71301
WBUP/WKBP-TV 1705 Ash Street Suite 5 Ishpeming, MI 49849
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd North, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KNOP-TV 402. S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101
**: Spanish language station