August 20, 2023
Greetings:
Another busy week, with lots of ND changes and a lot of stories in the Names in the News (and other stuff!) department.
THREE new news directors with TWO new openings mean there are now 37 stations looking for a new news director.
No Paid Help Wanted ads this week, but we do welcome the return of Barry Nash & Company as an advertiser. Click on the ad below: coaching and training are keys to growing…and retaining…your staff. Barry and his experienced colleagues can help.
Scripps promoted FIVE general managers to regional VPs this week. We’ll tell you who and what other changes are in store.
Sadly, there’s an obituary for a young producer at a California station who died in a rope swing accident.
And..as mentioned…lots of items in Names in the News, including more big changes at the top of CBS News, the National Edward R. Murrow Awards are announced, a former ND is playing a key role in the coverage of the Maui disaster, and a new job for a veteran Los Angeles newsman.
And that’s only HALF of the news.
Read on and we’ll see you next week.
The days of being talked at are done. At RTDNA23, coming Sept. 20-22 to Minneapolis, we offer leadership, not lectures. Our focus is on training that thrives out of conversations, shared experiences, and real-world exercises that transcend the typical conference lecture room. We’re making learning personal and practical.
But hurry! The LAST DAY to secure the best possible rate is TOMORROW, MONDAY, August 21, and the deadline to reserve your hotel room is August 25. Register now!
If you’re feeling a little caught up in the grind, or if you are bored to death by another Zoom call, RTDNA23 has the perfect mix for you. Be inspired with keynotes that focus on you as a leader — and as a human. Let’s talk about keeping promises, about building and supporting your team, about doing good, not just looking good. Take a breath and reconnect with peers at some of Minneapolis’ most inspiring spaces.
We’re bringing together leaders at RTDNA23. And not just any leaders — the leaders who want to invest in themselves and their team, who come with an open mind and a hunger for learning. We’ve tossed out the massive conference center and the endless rows of chairs in favor of a more intimate group ready to dive in headfirst. We guarantee you’ll leave Minneapolis with new ideas, new peers and new friends.
After all, we’re better together.
Newly Named News Directors:
Segura
KUAN-TV, San Diego, CA…in one of two new news directors at Telemundo stations, ALDOLFO SEGURA moves south to become VP/News here. He’s been the VP/News for both KSCO-TV in Sacramento and KNSO-TV in Fresno. More details in this story. Adolfo is a former news director for the Telemundo station in San Antonio. At KUAN, he replaces MIKE GAYTAN who moved to Los Angeles to become ND for Telemundo’s KVEA-TV.
Andrade
KULX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT…PEDRO ANDRADE is being promoted to news director here. He’s been the Assistant News Director for the last year after first joining the station as a producer in 2020. Media Moves has more on his career. Pedro earlier worked as a producer for the Telemundo station in San Francisco, KSTS-TV and began his career as a radio journalist in Venezuela.
Grinestaff
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL…we now know that the new news director for this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate is MAGGIE GRINESTAFF. Maggie’s a ten year veteran here, having started as a reporter before moving into management. She’s also the subject of a flattering profile in the local newspaper. Maggie replaces ANDY MILLER who left after a long career to start his own market research firm.
New News Director Openings:
Heverling
WDIO-TV, Duluth, MN…ROB HEVERLING is leaving this Hubbard owned ABC affiliate early in September and making quite a career change, as he outlined in this note to me. It’s his second ND turn in Duluth, having been at KDLH-TV earlier in his career. Rob’s been the news director here for just over two years, and has also been an ND in Buffalo, Little Rock, and Fayetteville AR. He’s also worked in Denver and Cleveland.
KQTV-TV. St. Joseph, MO…this Heartland Media owned ABC affiliate has a posting on its website for a news director. I believe DAVID BODDEN has been the ND here
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
There are no new help wanted ads this week. If you want to get the word out about your openings, please email me for details on how to reach our very targeted audience: rick@rickgevers.com
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (listed 8/20/23)
KENS-TV, San Antonio, TX (listed 8/20/23)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 7/9/23)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (listed 7/30/23)
WNEP-TV, Scranton, PA (listed 8/20/23)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WAS (listed 8/20/23)
WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC (relisted 7/9/23)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (listed 8/13/23)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, relisted 8/20/23)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul (listed 7/30/23)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (listed 8/20/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 8/6/23)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Nightside EP, listed 7/9/23)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 8/20/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 8/6/23)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 8/6/23)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 7/9/23)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (listed 8/20/23)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 8/13/23)
WLEX-TV, Lexington, KY (listed 7/2/23)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 8/20/23)
WOI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 8/20/23)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 7/30/23)
WTOL-TV, Toledo, OH (listed 8/20/23)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (relisted 8/20/23)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (Digital EP, relisted 8/20/23)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 8/30/23)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (listed 7/2/23)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 7/23/23)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 6/11/23)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 8/20/23:
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Director of Digital Content)
Obituary:
Our sympathy to the staff of Hearst’s KCRA-TV (NBC) in Sacramento on the death of KATHRYN ‘KATIE’ HOEDT. She died after falling from a rope swing at Folsom Lake. Those are prohibited in the area. Katie was only 28 and was the 8:00 AM producer for KCRA. The station remembered here in this story. She is survived by her parents, one brother and one sister.
Names in the News:
RTDNA announced the winners of the National Edward R. Murrow awards this week. Congratulations to the Overall Excellence Winners:
Network: ABC News
Large Market TV: WFAA-TV, Dallas
Small Market TV: WPRI-TV, Providence, RI
And a nod to my former employee and friend STEVE HARTMAN of CBS for winning…again…the National Murrow for Best Writing.
The complete list of all the winners is here.
Speaking of CBS, yet another shakeup at the top of the news and stations division. NEERAJ KHEMLANI is out as co-President of the News and Stations division for a ‘first-look’ development deal with CBS. The New York Post called his reign ‘tumultuous’ with personnel clashes and HR complaints.
WENDY McMAHON, who was the co-president, now holds the title of Presdient and CEO of CBS News and Stations while INGRID CIPRIAN-MATTHEWS is now President of CBS News.
A former news director is playing a key role in coverage of the disaster in Maui. Since 2014, DAN DENNISON has been the Senior Communications Manager at the Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources after 16 years as a news director. Check out his post on Linkedin (including a link to video he shot). And Dan sent along this note to me, with advice for media and wondering…with this new perspective…might have he acted differently when in news.
NICOLE HOGENSEN, the news director for Sinclair’s WSYX/WTTE-TV (ABC/FOX) in Columbus, OH, was on the other side of the camera this week, as an advocate for a sheriff’s office campaign against drunk driving. She shared the personal story of the loss of her younger sister to a drunk driver more than ten years ago. Here’s the station’s report. (Having lost a niece and a co-worker to drunk drivers, I applaud her efforts.)
Longtime Los Angeles newsman PETE WILGOREN picked a heckuva time to star a new job. He starts tomorrow (Monday, August 21, in the middle of tropical storm Hilary) as he new Managing Director of Content and Coverage for Nexstar’s KTLA-TV. ND ERICA HILL-RODRIGUEZ told the staff about its new colleague. Pete most recently was the assistnat ND and interim ND (for eleven months!) at FOX’s KTTV.
WATN-TV in Memphis (Tegna/ABC) has a new Assistant ND. It’s KENT FLOYD who comes from sister Tegna station KARE-TV in Minneapolis where he was Managing Editor.
I assume you’ve seen the coverage of a police raid of the newsroom at a small Kansas newspaper. Veteran GM HANK PRICE has some thoughts on how you should prepare in case the cops arrive at your front door.
One correction: In reporting MARTI GOING‘s promotion to Managing Editor for KOKI-TV (FOX) in Tulsa, we mis-identified the station owner. It’s Imagicomm.
General Manager News and Notes:
According to published reports, Scripps has promoted five of its GM’s to Regional Vice President roles. The company will hire a station manager at each of those five stations. That position will be filled by a department head who will continue in their current jobs. The company did not post a news release about the changes on its website, so we rely on this report from TheDesk.net.
Our List of Open News Director jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 20, 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
KCBS-TV 4200 Radford Av. Studio City, CA 91604 (VP/ND for AM news)
KTVU-TV 2 Jack London Sq. Oakland, CA 94607
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, GA 30324
WZDC-TV 4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 **
WDIV-TV 550 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
WCCO-TV 90 S. 11th Street Minneapolis, MN 55403
WFOR-TV 8900 NW 18th Terrace Doral, FL 33172
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Doral, FL 33178 **
WRAL-TV 2619 Western Boulevard Raleigh NC 27606
WOOD-TV 120 College Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WLNE-TV 10 Orms St. Providence, RI 02904
KFTV 3239 W Ashlan Av. Fresno, CA 93722 **
WRGB-TV 1400 Balltown Rd. Schenectady, NY 12309
WATE-TV 1306 North Broadway Knoxville, TN 37917
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens St. Columbia, SC 29201
WHNT-TV 200 Holmes Avenue Huntsville, AL 35801
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WICS-TV 2680 E. Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WBND-TV 53550 Generations Drive South Bend, IN 46635
WQAD-TV 3003 Park 16th Street Moline, IL 61265
WFIE-TV 1115 Mt. Auburn Road Evansville, IN 47720
KIMA-TV 2801 Terrace Heights Dr. Yakima, WA 98901
WDIO-TV 10 Observation Road Duluth, MN 55811
KIFI-TV 1915 N. Yellowstone Hwy. Idaho Falls, ID 83401
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WBUP/WKBP-TV 1705 Ash Street Suite 5 Ishpeming, MI 49849
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KGNS-TV 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo TX 78041
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
KIEM-TV 5650 S Broadway St Eureka, CA 95503
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KQTV 4000 Faraon St. Joseph, MO 64506
KTVH-TV 100 W Lyndale Ave. Ste A. Helena, MT 59601
KNOP-TV 402 S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101
**: Spanish language station