January 21, 2024
January 23, 2024 UPDATE:
Greetings:
After a long search, one of the top openings on our list has been filled.
Friedrich
MIKE FRIEDRICH will be the next news director for WRAL-TV (NBC) in Raleigh. Here’s the note from WRAL General Manager JOEL DAVIS to the station, while you can read the full news release here.
Mike’s been the ND for Sinclair’s KUTV (CBS) in Salt Lake City since the fall of 2021. His complete work history (including a three year hiatus from TV news) is detailed on his Linkedin page.
Mike will replace longtime WRAL ND RICK GALL who will retire at the end of May. Rick and Mike will work together on the transition at this Capitol Broadcasting station. Rick’s been ND here since 2005.
We’ll see you Sunday with our full newsletter.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
For the second consecutive week, we have TWO new news directors to tell you about. But this week there are TWO new openings.
That leaves 31 stations with ND openings. At least ONE…and possibly TWO of the larger market jobs will be filled this week.
If you like politics, check out our ONE paid ad for an EP job for a political program in Washington.
We have TWO obituaries for former news directors.
After 50 years with ABC, CHERYL FAIR will retire in March as GM for KABC-TV in Los Angeles, where she had earlier been the news director. And there’s another new station manager at a Scripps station.
In Names in the News, a the executive chairman of Sinclair, DAVID SMITH, buys the daily newspaper in Baltimore and you’ll want to read about his first meeting with the staff.
We also have a request for assistance with a research project. Details just below. And we’ll tell you about an IRE webinar I’m moderating later this week on investigating recycling, both curbside AND plastic bags.
All that and more below.
Can you help with a research project?:
Arizona State media scholar and doctoral candidate Kris Vera-Phillips is conducting a research study to understand the experiences of American broadcast journalists of color and their definitions of fairness. She invites BIPOC broadcast journalists to participate in the study, which will involve at least one interview of approximately 60-90 minutes in duration.
The interviews will be conducted either in person or virtually using a platform such as Zoom. The audio and video tracks of the interview will be recorded for analysis.
During this interview, we would like to discuss journalists’ definitions of fairness in news media and in their newsrooms. For all participants in this study, we will keep participants’ names and other personally identifiable details confidential.
The study will provide gift cards to eligible participants who complete an interview. If you are interested, please fill out our screen survey. Contact Kris at kvp@asu.edu for more information.
Newly Named News Directors:
Simon
KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE…KATIE SIMON will be the new Executive News Director for this Standard Media owned ABC affiliate. STEFFANI NOLTE will remain as the ND. Katie most recently was a Senior Producer for Sinclair’s National Desk in Washington, but has extensive experience at a number of local stations, as you will learn when you check out Katie’s Linkedin page.
Turner
Delta News, Greenville, MS…we are unacceptably late in reporting that DENNIS TURNER has been the news director since last April. (Thanks to a reader for the tip.) Dennis earlier covered the region for more than 23 years for a Memphis station as you’ll learn in his station biography. This is an Imagicomm owned operation which is affiliated with all four major broadcast networks.
New News Director Openings:
Gamboa
KYTX-TV, Tyler TX…MATEO GAMBOA is returning to Dallas and leaving this Tegna owned CBS station where he’s been ND since late 2021. He’s going to CBS’s KTVT-TV where he’ll be the Assistant ND. CLARIFICATION 1/25/24: Mateo will be the AND of Mornings. GINGER MADDON remains AND of days and evenings at KTVT. KYTX GM ELLIOTT MOORE shared details in this note to the staff. Before moving to Tyler, Mateo was a senior producer for WFAA-TV in Dallas and has also worked for KXAS-TV there.
Matt M.
KBJR-TV, Duluth, MN…this Gray TV owned NBC/ABC operation has a news director opening. My records show MATT McCONICO had been the ND there for not quite two years. Matt’s a former ND in Harrisburg, Rockford, IL, and Reno, NV, and has also worked in Eau Claire, WI, Ft. Myers, and Green Bay.
Media Briefing: Renewable energy and the grid
Wednesday, January 24th (2-3 p.m. ET) on Zoom
Americans are increasingly making the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, with solar and wind leading the charge. SciLine’s next media briefing will summarize progress towards U.S. renewable energy goals and address hurdles that remain for communities—including technical and economic challenges that local governments and utilities must overcome to integrate new solar and wind sources into the grid, and ways that everyday life may change for individuals in a renewable future. Three panelists will make short presentations and then take questions on the record. SciLine Director Rick Weiss will moderate the briefing.
Panelists:
- Dr. Melissa Lott, Columbia University
- Dr. Sarah Kurtz, University of California, Merced
- Dr. Erin Baker, University of Massachusetts Amherst
More from SciLine:
FREE training opportunities:
Interview an expert:
SciLine, a philanthropically funded, free service for reporters, arranges 1-on-1, broadcast-quality interview opportunities with articulate scientists. Reporters can book 15 mins with them via Zoom or request a SciLine interview clip for your use. SciLine also runs a free expert matching service that connects reporters rapidly to scientist-sources on deadline.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
Executive Producer for ‘Rising’, The Hill, Washington, DC:
Wish your career was on the RISE? Love politics? Wish you were in DC to cover all the action? OK- check this out:
The Hill has an immediate opening for an Executive Producer for Rising.
Rising is a daily digital opinion program. It is primarily distributed on YouTube and The Hill TV FAST streaming channel.
The 90-minute morning show features commentary and analysis from all sides of the political spectrum. The program also features interviews with political and cultural newsmakers. Rising is produced five days a week and consists of ten segments per episode.
Cover the future of politics for the digital media juggernaut – The Hill- and become a part of the largest TV ownership group in the nation- Nexstar Media Group.
Check out who we are looking for and apply here:
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KNBC/KVEA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 1/7/24)
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN (listed 10/22/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 1/7/24)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 1/21/24)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (listed 1/7/24)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 11/12/23)
WACH-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 1/14/24)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 1/7/24)
WTVC-TV, Chattanooga, TN (listed 1/14/24)
WCIV-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 1/14/24)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 11/12/23)
KBOI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 1/14/24)
WGXA-TV, Macon, GA (listed 1/14/24)
KVII-TV, Amarillo, TX (listed 1/14/24)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 1/7/24)
KTVO-TV, Kirksville, MO (also PM anchor, listed 1/14/24)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Special Projects EP, relisted 1/7/24)
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Sports EP, listed 12/3/23)
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (listed 1/21/24)
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 1/7/24)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 12/10/23)
WJLA-TV, Washington, DC (PM EP, relisted 1/14/24)
The Hill, Washington, DC (Rising Program, listed 1/21/24, see ad above!)
Nexstar DC Bureau, Washinton, DC (listed 12/24/23)
WSNN-TV, Sarasota, FL (listed 1/7/24)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, relisted 1/7/24)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 11/12/23)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (relisted 1/7/24)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (listed 11/12/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 1/7/24)
WRTV, Indianapolis IN (Digital EP, listed 11/12/23)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (AM EP, relisted 1/7/24)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 12/24/23)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 12/24/23)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 12/17/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted 1/7/24)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 1/7/24)
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (relisted 1/7/24)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Digital EP, listed 11/12/23)
WPEC-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 1/14/24)
KSNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 1/14/24)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (relisted 1/21/24)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (listed 1/21/24)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, (relisted 1/7/24)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (AM EP, relisted 1/7/24)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (Digital EP, listed 1/21/24)
WNEP-TV, Wilkes-Barre, PA (listed 1/7/24)
WRGB-TV, Albany, NY (listed 1/14/24)
WLEX-TV, Lexington, KY (listed 11/12/23)
WKEF-TV, Dayton, OH (listed 12/3/23)
WTVC-TV, Chattanooga, TN (relisted 1/14/24)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (AM EP, listed 1/21/24)
WJHL-TV, Johnson City, TN (relisted 1/7/24)
WCTI-TV, New Bern, NC (listed 1/14/24)
WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital EP, listed 12/17/23)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (listed 1/14/24)
WRDW/WAGT-TV, Augusta, GA (listed 1/14/24)
KTVE/KARD-TV, W. Monroe, LA (listed 12/17/23)
WMBB-TV, Panama City, FL (Digital EP, listed 1/21/24)
MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL, NEW MEDIA:
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 11/12/23)
More News Management Openings:
Relisted 1/7/24:
WATN-TV, Memphis, TN (Director of Digital Content)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Director of Digital Content)
Programming Alert:
Your editor is moderating an IRE webinar this coming Friday, January 26 at 1:00 PM Eastern. The topic: Covering recycling in your community, both curbside and plastic bags. Joining me will TONYA SIMPSON and CHO PARK from ABC News, and BOB SEGALL from WTHR-TV in Indianapolis. It’s FREE to IRE members. Click on the image below for details.
Obituaries:
Parisi
We’ve just learned that JIM PARISI, who was a news director in several markets and later became a radio talk show host, died way back in July. Jim was 67 and had battled cancer for more than six years. This obituary has more about a life well lived and Jim’s Linkedin page has a complete record of his long and very diverse career path, which took him from radio to television, to ownership of an online publication, and eventually back to radio.
Bieser
DICK BIESER, who spent 28 years working for WHIO-TV in Dayton, died last week. He was 93 years old. Dick had a wide variety of roles at WHIO, including sports anchor and eventually news director. After leaving WHIO in 1993, he worked in real estate for some 20 years. His former station remembered him with this story.
Names in the News:
Sinclair’s DAVID SMITH has purchased The Baltimore Sun newspaper in (where else?) Baltimore. His first meeting with the staff did not go over well, to put it mildly. Here’s an interesting account of that session.
MARISOL ROSAS has been promoted to EP for Univision San Diego.
General Manager News and Notes:
Fair
CHERYL FAIR is retiring at General Manager of ABC o-and-o KABC-TV in Los Angeles. Her departure at the end of March will bring an end to a 50 year career with ABC, which began at WPVI-TV in Philadelphia where she was a producer, to KABC, first as ND for more than 20 years, and, since 2015, GM. Her note to the staff is here, and here’s an email from ABC execs DEBRA O’CONNELL and CHAD MATTHEWS.
Moore
LISA MOORE is the new Station Manager for Scripps’ KSBY-TV (NBC) in San Luis Obispo, CA. She’ll continue as Director of Sales. In her new role, she’ll fill the void left by the departure of station GM ED CHAPUIS, whose job was eliminated as part of the on-going Scripps move to replace GMs with station managers in several of its markets. Ed, of course, was a longtime news director in several markets, including Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento (two stations) and Las Vegas.
Our List of Open News Director jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, January 21, 2024:
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
News 12 Bronx/Brooklyn, 930 Soundview Ave. Bronx, NY 10473
KXTX-TV 4805 Amon Carter Boulevard, Ft. Worth, TX, 75155 **
KDVR/KWGN-TV 100 East Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80203
WCNC-TV 1001 Wood Ridge Cntr. Dr. Charlotte, NC 28217
WRAL-TV 2619 Western Boulevard Raleigh NC 27606
KSDK-TV 1000 Market Street St. Louis, MO 63101 (Director of Content)
WTAE-TV 400 Ardmore Blvd Pittsburgh PA 15221
WHP-TV, 2300 N Cameron St Harrisburg PA 17110
WBMA-TV 800 Concourse Pkwy Ste 200. Hoover, AL 35244
KOB-TV 4 Broadcast Plaza SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104
WOLF-TV 1181 Highway 315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (News Manager)
WRGB-TV 1400 Balltown Rd. Schenectady, NY 12309
WHEC-TV 191 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604
WZDX-TV 1309 N. Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL 35801
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WBRZ-TV 1650 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WNCT-TV 3221 South Evans Street. Greenville, NC 27834
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323. Tyler, TX 75701
KNDU/KNDO-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave. Yakima, WA 98902
KDRV-TV 1090 Knutson Avenue Medford, OR 97504
KBJR-TV 246 S Lake Ave, Duluth, MN 55802
KXMB-TV 1811 N 15th Street Bismarck, ND 58501
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
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
KGWN-TV, 2923 E. Lincolnway. Cheyenne, WY 82001
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KQTV 4000 Faraon St. Joseph, MO 64506
**: Spanish language station