February 19, 2023
Tuesday, February 21, UPDATE:
Greetings:
A very well known figure in our industry is retiring.
Tompkins
AL TOMPKINS will leave his home of the last 25 years, The Poynter Institute, at the end of March. Much more about Al and his career in this appreciation by KELLY McBRIDE, the senior Vice President of Poynter. Al joined Poynter after 14 years at WSMV-TV in Nashville, where he began as a reporter and finished as news director.
I’m sure that almost everyone reading this newsletter has benefited from Al’s efforts, whether in their newsroom, a regional conference, or a national one. I know I’ve always enjoyed…and learned…when I attended and listened to him.
Al says he will still do some occasional teaching.
More in our full newsletter on Sunday.
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
A relatively slow week, with TWO new news directors named during the past seven days. And there are TWO new openings, ONE created by the upcoming retirement of a veteran ND. Thus, our list of openings remains at 29.
There’s just ONE paid ad this week. We do, however, welcome the return of Stringr as an annual advertiser. Their support helps make this effort possible. Return the favor by clicking on their ad just below.
We have an obituary for a long ago Pennsylvania ND and some corrections for TWO obituaries we shared last Sunday.
And just THREE items in Names in the News…a thought provoking column from former GM and consultant HANK PRICE, the retirement of a one-time Toledo ND who spent most of his career as a reporter and anchor in Columbus, OH, and swap of small market stations between Gray and Marquee Broadcasting.
I hope you have a great week!
Newly Named News Directors:
Perkins
WYMT-TV, Hazard, KY…after one year as a producer (following several years as a print journalist), JENNIFER PERKINS has been promoted to ND here. The staff note from GM NEIL MIDDLETON is here, and Jennifer’s staff bio is here. STEVE HENSLEY, who has been both ND and anchor, will transition to become anchor and Managing Editor for this Gray TV owned CBS affiliate.
Mahon
WJRT-TV, Flint/Saginaw, MI…SEAN MAHON has been promoted to news director for this Allen Media owned ABC affiliate. Here’s the news release. Sean’s been the Assistant ND here since October, spent five years as an ND in Cadillac, MI, and also was Managing Editor for Spectrum News in Wisconsin. He began as a photographer and worked for three Detroit stations. Sean replaces DENISE KILLIAN who returned to Wichita as the ND for KWCH-TV after three years as ND here.
New News Director Openings:
Bonilla
WNEP-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA…RACHEL BONILLA has left this Tegna owned ABC affiliate after about 18 months as news director. Before joining WNEP, Rachel worked in a variety of places as you’ll learn with a simple click on her Linkedin page.
Frank V.
KOKI-TV, Tulsa, OK…longtime multi-market news director FRANK VOLPICELLA is retiring after 43 years in our business, the last three at this Cox owned Fox affiliate. Frank tells me he will move to be close to family in Dallas, near where he spent many years as the ND for KVUE-TV in Austin. He’s also been a news director in Atlanta, Lexington, and Huntsville, and worked in Tampa, Oklahoma City, and Jacksonville (twice).
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WTVD-TV, Durham, NC (listed 1/29/23)
WOWK-TV, Charleston/Huntington, WV (listed 2/12/23, see ad above!)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 1/15/23)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 1/15/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)
KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN (listed 12/18/22)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
News 12 Long Island, Bethpage, NY (listed 1/15/23)
News 12 Edison, NJ (Spec. Projects. Prod., listed 1/15/23)
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listing revised 1/8/23)
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (AM/Special Projects EP, listed 2/19/23)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 1/29/23)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (listed 2/5/22)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 2/12/23)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (listed 12/26/22)
KXTV. Sacramento, CA (listed 1/15/23)
WTVD-TV, Durham, NC (listed 1/29/23)
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 2/19/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 1/15/23)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 1/15/23)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital EP, listed 2/12/23)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 1/15/23)
WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 1/15/23)
WWL-TV, New Orleans (AM EP, listed 1/15/23)
WNYT-TV, Albany, NY (listed 2/12/23)
WDTN-TV, Dayton, OH (Digital EP, listed 2/12/23)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (PM EP, listing modified 1/15/23)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 2/19/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (relisted 1/15/23)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (relisted 2/19/23)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (listed 1/22/23)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, relisted 1/15/23)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (relisted 2/19/23)
KETK-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 1/29/23)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (listed 1/29/23)
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 1/15/23)
KFDX/KJTL-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (listed 1/22/23)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (listed 1/15/23)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 2/5/23:
Gray Television, Remote (Producers for Magazine Program)
Listed 1/9/23:
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Livestream Producer)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (Assignment Desk Manager)
Obituaries:
Baum
JERRY BAUM, a onetime news director for WBRE-TV in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA, died Friday, February 10th, after a brief illness. He was 88. During his 31 years at WBRE, he also served as anchor, sports anchor and reporter, until he retired in 1992. After serving in their Navy, Jerry worked at KING Radio in Seattle before moving to Pennsylvania. Much more about his life and career in this obituary.
And we have two corrections to obituaries we reported last week. Beloved Seattle newsman BOB THRONDSEN worked for KOMO-TV for 34 years, not KIRO-TV as we told you. And GINNY GINTHER’s (mother of newsman MARK GINTHER) husband’s name was DENNY, not DANNY. Apologies to all.
Names in the News:
Ramos
TINO RAMOS, a one-time news director for WNWO-TV in Toledo who spent most of his career reporting and anchoring for WBNS-TV in Columbus, OH, is retiring. He was the ND for WNWO in the early 90’s before heading south to Columbus where he spent almost 30 years as an anchor/reporter, much of it on the morning shift. The station’s report on his departure is here.
Price
In a column that first appeared in TVNewsCheck.com website, former general manager and consultant HANK PRICE wonders if new GMs are getting enough training before moving into the top job. And I suggest the same might be true for many new news directors.
Gray Television and Marquee Broadcasting are swapping two small market TV stations.
General Manager News and Notes:
As far as I know there were NO general manager changes this week. If you are aware of something I’ve missed, please let me know.
Our List of Open News Director jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, February 19, 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
KIRO-TV 2807 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121
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
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Fairway, KS 66205
KVUE- TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WYFF-TV 505 Rutherford St. Greenville, SC 29609
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave. Fresno, CA 93727
WNEP-TV 16 Montage Mountain Rd. Moosic, PA 18507
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74129
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719
KHGI-TV 1078 25 Road Axtell, NE 68924
KMIZ-TV 501 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia MO 65201
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa TX 79763
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