January 22, 2023
Greetings:
Just ONE news director change…but it’s a well known ND in a larger market. (We first reported the change on Tuesday).
Our list of open ND jobs grows ever so slightly to 28.
There are THREE Paid Help Wanted ads, all for jobs in the top ten markets.
Another ad for an awards program, this time the Scripps Howard Awards which offers $170,000 across 15 categories.
We have new information about the death of a longtime Hearst employee who actually left the company in 2021.
Several former top 20 market NDs have new jobs (okay, in one case he returns to his old company) while another two-time ND retires after more than 40 years in news.
And The National Press Club rips Nexstar over a deal to cover LIV Golf on the (mostly) Nexstar owned CW Network.
And just ONE new GM who’s replacing someone who held the job for more than TWO decades!.
All that and more below!
The 70th Scripps Howard Awards, one of the nation’s most prestigious American journalism competitions, is accepting entries from now until Feb. 5, 2023, for journalism and storytelling produced in 2022.
Click here to apply for the 70th Scripps Howard Awards.
This year’s awards offer $170,000 in prize money in 15 categories. The awards honor work from television stations, networks, radio and podcasts, visual media, online media outlets, independent producers, newspapers and other print publications.
Finalists will be announced in September, with winners announced in October during a special program airing on Scripps News, formerly Newsy, the national broadcast news network owned by The E.W. Scripps Company.
Learn more about the Scripps Howard Awards at SHAwards.org
Newly Named News Directors:
To my knowledge, no hires this week. If I’ve missed something , please let me know.
The deadline for the 2023 Edward R. Murrow Awards is approaching fast!
The Radio Television Digital News Association is accepting entries through 5 p.m. EST Tuesday, February 7.
Don’t miss this opportunity to highlight the outstanding journalism your teams produced in 2022.
Since 1971, RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards. Among the most prestigious in news, the Murrow Awards recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community. Murrow Award-winning work demonstrates the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.
Learn more and enter here:
https://www.rtdna.org/edward-r-murrow-awards
New News Director Opening:
Gauntt
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO…our Tuesday UPDATE brought you the first report of HOLLY GAUNTT’s late April retirement as ND for this Scripps’ owned ABC affiliate. Here’s her terrific note to the staff (worth your time if you missed it Tuesday) and here’s what the station posted. Holly’s a former ND in Seattle and Philadelphia (and for another Denver station). Her background is here.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Executive Producer, News 12 Long Island, Bethpage, NY:
News 12 Long Island is looking for an Executive Producer for our 3.5 hour morning broadcast. The right candidate will be part of a management team dedicated to innovative, authentically local storytelling.
The EP will be expected to be a newsroom leader, responsible for overseeing all aspects of our morning daypart. A strong editorial and control room leader, the right candidate will be a team leader and be able to foster a cohesive team dynamic on a daily basis. With multiple direct reports, this is an incredible opportunity for a seasoned professional and/or strong producer looking for the next opportunity.
If you are an innovative storyteller, with strong story showcasing abilities looking for a collaborative newsroom environment, please consider joining our team.
Click here to learn more and apply!
Special Projects Producer, News 12 New Jersey, Edison, NJ:
The Special Projects Producer’s main responsibility is to facilitate the production of on-air promos, sales tapes and marketing projects designed to promote awareness of network’s programming and strengthen its brand.
The SP Producer will juggle multiple projects while working closely with staff editors under very tight budgets and deadlines.
If you have 5+ years experience in broadcast or cable television production, we want to hear from you!
Livestream Producer, KPRC-TV, Houston,TX:
Are you a creative news producer who’s longing to develop content you’d actually watch? Then come play in the KPRC 2 streaming sandbox! We’re hiring a Livestream Producer to delight our audiences with engaging live coverage and next-generation newscasts on the KPRC 2+ livestream.
The Livestream Producer will build live daily news programs that move seamlessly between breaking news and important events as they’re happening. The ideal candidate will be aggressive when it comes to breaking news and enthusiastic about identifying new ways to produce coverage of the day’s top stories, including experimenting with innovative formats for live reporter hits.
The Livestream Producer will be a multi-skilled journalist capable of researching, gathering and producing original content daily. And they’ll have a nose for digging into the details of the day’s big story and the important issues facing Houston.
Our next Livestream Producer will have 1-3 years of experience of experience as a producer in a live broadcast news operation, including control room experience, strong editorial judgement and critical thinking skills, be proficient with digital tools and content management systems, and have an understanding of metrics for digital and streaming products.
College degree in Journalism or communication preferred.
To apply: Please send your resume to: Tiffani Lupenski, Livestreaming Executive Producer, tlupenski@kprc.com
Visit Click2houston.com to view learn more.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 1/15/23)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 1/15/23)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 1/15/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (relisted 10/30/22)
KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN (listed 12/18/22)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
News 12 Long Island, Bethpage, NY (listed 1/15/23, see ad above!)
News 12 Edison, NJ (Spec. Projects. Prod., listed 1/15/23, see ad above!)
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listing revised 1/8/23)
KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 10/30/22)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (listed 12/26/22)
KXTV. Sacramento, CA (listed 1/15/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 1/22/23)
WRTV, Indianpolis, IN (relisted 1/15/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 1/22/23)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 1/15/23)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City (relisted 1/15/23)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 12/4/22)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 1/15/23)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 1/15/23)
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (AM EP, relisted 1/15/23)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 1/15/23)
WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Nightside EP, listed 1/15/23)
WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 1/15/23)
WWL-TV, New Orleans (AM EP, listed 1/15/23)
WDKY-TV, Lexington, KY (listed 1/22/23)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (PM EP, listing modified 1/15/23)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 12/11/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (relisted 1/15/23)
KTAL-TV, Shreveport, LA (Digital EP, listed 1/15/23)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 12/11/22)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (listed 1/22/23)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, relisted 1/15/23)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 12/11/22)
WRBL-TV, Columbus, GA (Digital EP, relisted 1/22/23)
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 1/15/23)
KSNT-TV, Topeka, KS (Digital EP, listed 1/22/23)
KFDX/KJTL-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (listed 1/22/23)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 12/18/22)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (listed 1/15/23)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 1/9/23:
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Livestream Producer, see ad above!)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (Assignment Desk Manager)
Obituary:
Sherwin
We have more on the death of TRAVIS SHERWIN, a longtime Hearst employee. We told you Sunday that Travis had passed away. We did not owe that Travis had left Hearst 18 months ago. While there, he’d been the EP of the investigative unit and the ND for Hearst’s WPBF-TV in West Palm Beach. He also worked for Hearst’s WESH-TV in Orlando, as well as for another Orlando station and stations in Ft. Myers and his native Wyoming.
Names in the News:
The controversial Saudi backed LIV Golf tour scored its first television contract with the CW Network, which is 75% owned by Nexstar. Details here. But in what strikes me as an unusual move, The National Press Club ripped the deal. USA Today has more.
Ginther
We told you Friday about two additions to the team at consulting and research firm SmithGeiger. MARK GINTHER joins as Senior VP of Strategy. He’s spent the last four years as Director of News Content and Operations for Sinclair. Mark’s a former news director in Seattle, Dallas, and Des Moines and has worked in Minneapolis : Linkedin tells the full story.
Culliton
And former news director and general manager JOHN CULLITON returns to SmithGeiger after almost a year away. John was a Senior VP for more than 17 years before leaving last April. He’s a former GM in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Minneapolis, where he began at WCCO-TV (CBS owned) as a producer and rose to VP/News and then GM. He began in Columbia, MO and then worked in Toledo, OH, where he worked for me when I was ND at WTOL-TV.
Kosowski
Veteran news director ED KOSOWSKI has a new gig.
He’s joined the University of North Texas at Dallas as Director of Integrated Communications. Ed explains his new job in this note he sent me. Ed’s a former ND in a number of markets, both large ands small, and also worked for CNBC. It’s all outlined on his Linkedin page.
Williams
Another former ND is noteworthy, not for a new job, but for her retirement. CAROLYN FESSLER WILLIAMS stepped down last month after more than ten years as the Assistant for WAVE-TV (NBC) in Louisville. Carolyn’s a former ND in Indianapolis and Tulsa but began her career at the Chicago News Bureau. She sent me this note which includes her entire career history.
And apologies to REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN whose name I misspelled last week in reporting her move to NBC News from The New York Times.
General Manager News and Notes:
Keefe
BETSY KEEFE steps into big shoes as she moves into the corner office for Gray’s WSAW-TV (CBS) in Wausaw, WI. She’s been the General Sales Manager there for ten years. But the man s he’s replacing is AL LANCASTER, who’s been the general manager there for 23 years. Al’s retiring after 45 years in our business. More here. Betsy’s also worked in Milwaukee.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, January 22, 2023:
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
KMGH-TV 123 E. Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80203
WOIO/WUAB-TV 1717 E. 12th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr. Columbus, OH 43215
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
WBRE/WYOU-TV, 62 S Franklin St, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
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
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KFDX/KTJL-TV 4500 Seymour Hwy. Wichita Falls, TX 76309
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
WGEM-TV 513 Hampshire. Quincy, IL 62301
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KGNS-TV 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo TX 78041
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