April 2, 2023
Monday, April 3, 2023 UPDATE:
Greetings:
I’m guessing many billable hours were involved in the news of a reorganization from Sinclair this morning.
Here’s the news release and here’s the memo sent to employees.
I’m also guessing you’ll see other stories which will do a better job than I could of explaining exactly what this means.
I also wanted to correct a mistake which I made (actually twice) in yesterday’s full edition. I told you that KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, MO, was owned by Nexstar.
It is actually owned by Gray TV.
Apologies to you for the error and thanks to those who pointed it out.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Lots of changes this week on the news director front.
FOUR new news directors and FIVE new news director openings, so our list of open jobs balloons to 43.
ONE of those open jobs is our only paid ad this week…for the FOX station in Tulsa.
No obituaries, unusually NO Names in the News, and just ONE item in our GM section…the retirement of a former ND turned GM.
We’ll see you next weekend with another full newsletter.
Newly Named News Director:
Rick M.
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH…RICK McLAUGHLIN returns to his native Ohio as the next news director for this Tegna owned CBS affiliate. He’s spent the last 13 years working for several Hearst stations, the last three as ND for WAPT-TV in Jackson, MS. Rick replaces JENNIFER NICKLES who left in January and is now EP for an under-development magazine show for Gray TV.
Neely
WAPT-TV, Jackson, MS..LEE NEELY is being promoted to news director for this Hearst owned ABC affiliate, replacing the above mentioned RICK MCLAUGHLIN who is off to Ohio and WBNS-TV. Like Rick, Lee is a long-time Hearst employee, first joining the company in 2004 as an editor for WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC. He later became a producer there before moving to WAPT in 2017 at the Assistant News Director.
Snuffer
KFDX/KJTL-TV, Wichita Falls, TX…starting tomorrow, MIKE SNUFFER will be the ND. Mike’s been the Assistant ND for Gray’s KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, MO, but has been an ND in Harrisburg, IL and Lincoln, NE. He’s replacing ADAM BRADSHAW who died in January. (HENRY CHU had accepted the job but family matters required him to change his mind.) Nexstar owns KFDX and provides services to Mission Broadcasting owned KJTL.
Morris
WJET/WFXP-TV, Erie, PA…COREY MORRIS has been promoted to news director here. Corey’s background is primarily newspapers and digital, though he has been serving as a digital reporter here. His station bio has more details. Corey succeeds SEAN LAFFERTY who remains at the station as an anchor: he had been both ND and anchor. Nexstar owns WJET and operates WFXP which is owned by Mission Broadcasting.
New News Director Opening:
Saiers
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA…our Friday UPDATE brought first news that PETE SAIERS is leaving as ND for this Nexstar owned CW affiliate. He’s been there for two years and sent this note to his staff on his last day. Pete’s came to LA from Seattle, where he spent two years as ND for Tegna’s KING/KONG-TV. Pete’s spent most of his career in California, except for three years in Beirut early in his career.
R.W. III
WTIC-TV Hartford/New Haven, CT…our Monday UPDATE told you that RICHARD WASHINGTON III was leaving this Tegna owned FOX affiliate after two years. After our report, Richard sent me this note: I’m leaving the station and TEGNA on good terms. My contract is up in June 2023 and I’ve decided to take a leap of faith rooted in my desire to be closer to my fiancée and family. Richard’s worked in some big markets: his Linkedin profile tells you where.
Esparros
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA…that same UPDATE told you that KEITH ESPARROS is retiring after eight years as ND at this Tegna/CBS station. New this edition: the note Keith sent his staff and this very nice story from NOLA.com . Keith spent almost half his career in California, the rest in New Orleans, including an earlier stint at WWL and six years as ND for WVUE-TV (whose call letters I bungled in our first story.)
Harrell
WNDU-TV, South Bend, IN…after a little over a year as news director here, family matters are causing KENT HARRELL to leave this Gray Television owned NBC affiliate. Kent tells me he is moving to Colorado to care for his aging parents. Kent has a number of news director jobs on his resume. You can read all about ’em on his LinkedIn page.
Phillips
WBKO-TV, Bowling Green KY…KALUP PHILLIPS is leaving this Gray TV owned ABC affiliate to become the Assistant News Director for Gray’s KFVS-TV (CBS) in Cape Girardeau, MO. Kalup described KFVS as the station ‘he grew up watching’ in a social media post. Before WBKO, Kalup spent eight years at KAIT-TV (ABC) in Jonesboro, AR, finishing his time there as the Assistant ND.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WTVD-TV, Durham, NC (listed 1/29/23)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 1/15/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)
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 (relisted 3/26/23)
WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA (Morning EP, listed 3/19/23)
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (AM/Special Projects EP, listed 2/19/23)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 1/29/23)
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (Nightside EP, listed 3/26/23)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (listed 2/5/22)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 2/12/23)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (Morning EP, listed 3/19/23)
WTVD-TV, Durham, NC (listed 1/29/23)
WRTV, Indianpolis, IN (relisted 3/26/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 3/26/23)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 3/26/23)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City (relisted 3/26/23)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City (listed 2/25/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/26/23)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 3/26/23)
WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 3/26/23)
WGNO-TV, New Orleans, LA (Digital EP, listed 4/2/23)
WNYT-TV, Albany, NY (listed 2/12/23)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 2/25/23)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 2/19/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)
WSAV-TV, Savannah, GA (listed 4/2/23)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (relisted 2/19/23)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, relisted 3/26/23)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (relisted 2/19/23)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (listed 1/29/23)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (listed 2/25/23)
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 3/26/23)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 3/26/23:
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (Assignment Desk Manager)
Listed 3/12/23:
WTKR-TV, Norfolk, VA (Manager of Enterprise Content)
Listed 3/5/23:
WINK-TV, Ft. Meyers, FL (Digital News Director)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (Digital News Manager)
Listed 2/5/23:
Gray Television, Remote (Producers for Magazine Program)
Names in the News:
Unusually, no items this week.
General Manager News and Notes:
Pimentel
A 45 year career in our business will end soon when multi-time news director turned multi-time general manager MARK PIMENTEL retires. He’s been the GM for News-Press & Gazette’s KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs for the last five years. He detailed his career path in a note to me after I reached out to confirm his retirement.
Our List of Open News Director jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 2, 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
KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Bldg 2120 Universal City, CA 91608
KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
KTTV 1999 S. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles CA 90025
WMAQ/WSNS-TV 454 N. Columbus Dr. Chicago, IL 60611
KTVT/KTXA-TV 5233 Bridge St. Fort Worth, TX 76103
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, Georgia 30324
WZDC-TV 4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 **
KIRO-TV 2807 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121
KMGH-TV 123 E. Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80203
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Doral, FL 33178 **
WJZ-TV 3725 Malden Avenue Baltimore, MD 21211
WTIC-TV 285 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06115
KVUE- TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WAVY-TV 300 WAVY Street Portsmouth, VA 23704
WWL-TV 1024 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70116
WLNE-TV 10 Orms St. Providence, RI 02904
KFTV 3239 W Ashlan Av. Fresno, CA 93722 **
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 (see ad above!)
KWCH-TV 2815 E. 37th Street North. Wichita, KS 67219
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719
WTVG-TV 4247 Dorr St. Toledo, OH 43607
WJCL-TV 1375 Chatham Pkwy., 3rd floor Savannah, GA 31405
KNWA-TV 609 W. Dickson St. Suite 300, Fayetteville AR, 72701
WNDU-TV 54516 Indiana State Route 933. South Bend, IN 46637
WQAD-TV 3003 Park 16th Street Moline, Illinois 61265
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
WGFL/WNBW/WMYG-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606
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
WBKO-TV 2727 Russellville Road. Bowling Green, KY 42101
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