March 31, 2024

Sunday Mar 31, 2024

Greetings:

Perhaps it’s the holiday, perhaps it’s the NCAA basketball tournament, but the flood of news slowed a little this week.

There are TWO ND openings, ONE created when the incumbent left to become one of the TWO new NDs in this week’s report.

There are still 34 stations on our list of openings, with THREE of those jobs among our SEVEN Paid Help Wanted ads.

A former news director becomes a GM in Atlanta, and replaces a GM who himself had once been a news director.

And we have an obituary for another former Atlanta ND who went on to be a GM in two markets.

There are a few management moves, and a worth your time to read email from a 40 year veteran…and FIVE time ND…who is retiring.

All that and more below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Gegg

WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH…CHRIS GEGG takes his sixth ND job as he moves to this Gray TV owned FOX affiliate. Here’s the note to the staff from WXIX GM JENNIFER RIEFFER. Chris has spent the last 2+ years as ND for WHAS-TV (Tegna/ABC) in Louisville, has held ND jobs in Norfolk, Albany, NY, Milwaukee, and Madison, WI and worked in other cities. He replaces STEVE HYVONNEN who is now Managing Editor for WFTV (ABC) in Orlando.

Raffaele

WHP-TV, Harrisburg, PA…MICHAEL RAFFAELE will be the next ND for this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate. We told you last week he’d left WNYT-TV in Albany for Harrisburg: I just didn’t know about the job! He’s spent three years there following ND stints in Columbia, SC, and Tupelo and a few other jobs. At WHP, he replaces BRYAN QUEEN who left in January after 7+ years to return to sister Sinclair station WLOS-TV in Asheville, NC.

SciLine has a wide variety of scientific experts ready to help with your news stories over the next few weeks.

SciLine Briefing:

Climate change and agriculture: air, water, and soil

Tuesday, April 9 (2-3 p.m. EDT) – Zoom

SciLine’s next media briefing will cover the myriad ways agricultural production is—and may soon be affected further—by climate-driven shifts in air quality, including changing carbon dioxide and ozone levels; water quality and quantity; and soil health. Three scientists will make brief presentations and then take questions on the record. SciLine Director Rick Weiss will moderate.

Panelists:

Dr. Courtney Leisner, Virginia Tech
Dr. Mallika Nocco, University of Wisconsin Madison
Dr. Michelle Wander, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

New News Director Openings:

WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY…you learned above that CHRIS GEGG is leaving this Tegna owned ABC affiliate to head north on I-71 to Cincinnati, where he’ll be the next ND for Gray’s WXIX-TV (FOX). He was here not quite three years.

Ehrhart

WGEM-TV, Quincy, IL…JOHN EHRHART will, in his words, turn off the set for the last time on April 12th, ending a long career in our business, much of it spent in the field as a photographer or on the assignment desk, plus a few stints as an ND. Here’s his note to me, and his Linkedin page which details his many stops. John’s been the ND at this Gray owned NBC affiliate for just over a year.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KXNews, Bismarck, ND:

Calling all news managers looking to grow their skillset in a city with plenty of outdoor adventures. Nexstar Media Group, Inc. has a News Director opening at KX News in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Our market covers half the state of North Dakota. KX News has studios in Bismarck and Minot.

The right candidate will be a strong mentor who understands the importance of local enterprise stories. We’re searching for a decisive decision maker with a track record of leading newsroom teams.

Learn more here!

News Director, WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO:

Want to live in a vibrant, growing city that is home to the Super Bowl Champions?

Nexstar Inc. seeks an experienced, driven broadcast professional to serve as News Director for WDAF FOX4.

We are the news leaders in the Kansas City market with more than 70 hours of live news programming each week. You will lead and supervise all aspects of news, weather, and sports on FOX4 and all digital platforms.

We are looking for someone who has passion for the industry, the vision and willingness to innovate the news product, and the mindset to grow collaborative winning teams.

Apply here: Careers (myworkdayjobs.com)

News Director, WNYT-TV, Albany, NY:

NBC News Channel 13 in Albany, NY is looking for a News Director to help lead our news room operations.

WNYT-TV is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting-a premier family-owned mid-sized media organization.

In this role, you would be in charge of the news broadcasts as well as having a key role in the recruitment and training of news producers and on-air talent.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about objective journalism, believes in treating people with respect and dignity and wants to be an active member of their community. This is a rare opportunity at this 100-Year old legacy organization.

Albany, NY is the bustling capital of the Empire State. The seat of government for the fourth largest state in the country, there is no shortage of news stories-whether government focused, breaking news or investigative focused.

Only 2 hours to New York City or Boston, you are close to all of the amenities of these great cities without the high costs of living there. In Albany, you can be in the heart of the city in a top 60 market one moment and then be in the mountains or near a lake within a few minutes.

Come see why Albany is a great place to live and work!

To apply for this opportunity, please visit our career website: WNYT News Director.

Senior Director, CNN NewsSource, Sales and Affiliate Relations:

CNN NEWSOURCE SEEKS A SALES AND AFFILIATE RELATIONS SENIOR DIRECTOR.

Our new team member will focus on helping our local news affiliates tell their stories, leading new business generation and account service. Every great story hW

Check out the details here!

Assistant News Director, WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA:

WBRZ is seeking an innovative, energetic newsroom leader to join the journalism team as Assistant News Director.

This position mentors and coaches young journalists and works closely with MMJs and reporters on daily assignments and investigations. Previous experience as a reporter/MMJ or anchor is helpful.

This is a great opening for a reporter who is looking to move into a newsroom manager role. WBRZ owns investigative journalism and breaking news. This newsroom thrives on urgency.

Catapult your career by joining the WBRZ News management team. WBRZ prides itself on being authentically local and is the area’s only locally owned and operated TV news station. It has been so since signing on in 1955.

Send resume, brief cover letter and an outline of your news philosophy to Letitia Walker, Director of News, via email to lwalker@wbrz.com or mail to WBRZ-TV, P.O. Box 2906, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.

Pre-employment drug screening required. EOE.

Station Manager, KXXV/KRHD-TV, Waco/Bryan, TX:

KXXV/KRHD, the Scripps ABC stations in Waco, and Bryan, Texas, is searching for a Station Manager to lead local operations.

The Station Manager will report into and collaborate with the Regional VP/GM to oversee local market operations and execute local media strategic initiatives in an assigned station. Oversee department head leaders and manage day-to-day operations of the station while serving as a functional leader in own area of expertise.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Lead and implement the local media strategic plan, including the content & brand strategy, for assigned station.

Act as co-leader in generating ratings and revenue, including developing strategic plans and operational plans for the station’s growth in multi-platform content delivery and revenue generation.

In partnership with the Regional VP/GM, support development of and ensure responsible financial stewardship to the station operating and capital expense budgets.

Continue to serve as the leader and subject matter expert for one of the station’s functional areas, while overseeing a team of department head leaders of other functional areas.

Lead a culture consistent with Scripps values, with a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and developing employees at all levels.

Responsible for all aspects of financial statements and ensuring station compliance with Scripps policies.

Enforcing all FCC, EEO, SOX and other appropriate rules and regulations.

Other duties as may be assigned.

Apply Here:

Senior Executive Producer, WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL:

The WINK Senior Executive Producer will oversee the development and training of producers and Executive Producers at Southwest Florida’s leading news operation.

WINK is looking for a leader capable of teaching and mentoring producers, as well as developing Executive Producers on our dayside team. Passion is important for this role, but more important is a sense of purpose.

The top candidate will be someone who demonstrates the ability to lead and teach. Creativity, strong news judgment, superb writing skills and excellent showcasing and production skills are a must.

The Sr. EP oversees all activities that go into the creation of the on-air product, which includes Executive Producers, Producers and Associate Producers.

Integrating social media into the newscasts is an emerging growth area in which the Sr. EP must embrace and lead by example. The Sr. EP must be able to step in and actually produce a newscast. The Sr. EP is the chief advocate for the practical execution of research strategies designed to meet audience expectations. This senior leadership position will help lead a team of experienced journalists that produce more than 70 hours of local news a week.

Click here to learn more and apply.

Southwest Florida is often praised as being one of the healthiest and happiest places in the world with miles of white-sand beaches and a dynamic community. Broadcast Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we are a drug-free and smoke-free environment.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WRC-TV, Washington, DC (listed 3/10/24)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (listed 2/4/24)
KOVR/KMAX-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 2/11/24)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 2/25/24)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 3/24/24)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (listed 2/11/24)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 1/7/24)
WJLA-TV, Washington, DC (PM EP, relisted 1/14/24)
The Hill, Washington, DC (Rising Program, listed 1/21/24)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 3/15/24)
WDCA-TV, Washington, DC (listed 3/15/24)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 3/15/24)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 3/3/24)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, relisted 3/15/24)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 2/24/24)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (relisted 3/15/24)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (2 openings, AM and Digital, modified 2/4/24)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (AM EP, relisted 3/15/24)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 2/25/24)
KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA (Supervising Producer, listed 2/4/24)
KSWB/KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 3/15/24)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted 3/15/24)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 3/15/24)
WTNH-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 3/3/24)
WISN-TV, Milwaukee, WI (listed 2/4/24)
WTKR-TV, Norfolk, VA (listed 2/25/24)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, (relisted 3/15/24)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (listed 2/4/24)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 3/15/24)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Senior EP, listed 3/10/24, see ad above!)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 2/4/24)
KETV, Omaha, NE (listed 2/4/24)
WHNT-TV, Huntsville, AL (Digital EP, listed 2/18/24)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 2/25/24)
KVEO/KGBT-TV, Harlingen, TX (listed 3/3/24)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, listed 2/25/24)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 2/4/24)
WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital EP, relisted 2/18/24)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (listed 2/25/24)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 3/17/24)
WJYZ-TV, Charlotte, NC (listed 3/17/24)

More News Management Openings:

Listed 3/17/24:

WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (Director of Special Projects)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (Digital Director)

Relisted 3/17/24:

WATN-TV, Memphis, TN (Director of Digital Content)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Director of Digital Content)

Listed 3/10/24:

KXXV/KRHD-TV. Waco/Bryan, TX (Station Manager, see ad above!)

Listed 3/3/24:

WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH (News Operations Manager)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (Assignment Desk Manager)

Obituary:

Woodin

JOHN WOODIN died this week. He’s a former news director in Atlanta, Providence and Huntsville, and a general manager in Seattle and Dayton. He had been in poor health recently and had undergone a liver transplant 13 years ago this month. I’ve reached out to a number of his former colleagues and friends and hope to have more details next week.

Names in the News (and other stuff):

ESTEPHANY HARO has been named Assistant ND at KSTS-TV (Telemundo) in San Jose.

DANIEL SANCHEZ returns to Scripps’ KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs as the Assistant ND. He left KOAA to be an EP at another Scripps’ station, KGTV in San Diego.

Phillip

PEGGY PHILLIP has retired after a long and varied career in our business. She’s been a photographer, reporter, executive producer, Special Projects Producer, a news director in FIVE markets, and finished on the assignment desk at Hearst’s WYFF-TV in Greenville, SC, a move driven by her desire to be closer to family. Her farewell note to the staff at WYFF is worth your time.

General Manager News and Notes:

Carter

RAY CARTER’s last day as GM of Cox Media Group’d WSB-TV in Atlanta was Thursday. We told you in January that Ray was leaving TV to lead the California Modesto Mission within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. WSB marked his departure with this story. He’s a former ND at WSB, as well as at several other stations, had been a Regional VP for Cox and spent 15 years as GM for Cox’s WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh. His career is detailed here.

Pittman

He’ll be replaced as GM for WSB-TV by another longtime Cox employee, MARIAN PITTMAN. She’ll add that job to her other responsibilities as head of Cox Media Group’s Content, Product, Innovation and Research teams. Much more on Marian’s new job…and her previous ones…in this news release.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, March 31, 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
WFLD-TV 205 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60601
KXTX-TV 4805 Amon Carter Boulevard, Ft. Worth, TX, 75155 **
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, GA 30324
KTVI/KPLR-TV 2250 Ball Drive St. Louis, MO 63146
WZTV 631 Mainstream Drive Nashville, TN 37228
KUTV 299 South Main Street, #150 Salt Lake City, UT 84111
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit Kansas City, MO 64108 (see ad above!)
WTIC-TV 285 Broad Street Hartford, CT 06115
WBMA-TV 800 Concourse Pkwy Ste 200. Hoover, AL 35244
WOLF-TV 1181 Highway 315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (News Manager)
WHAS-TV 520 W. Chestnut St. Louisville, KY 40202
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204 (see ad above!)
WZDX-TV 1309 N. Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL 35801
WTOC-TV 1511 Chatham Center Dr. Savannah, GA 31405
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WAND-TV 904 W. South Side Drive. Decatur, IL 62526
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323. Tyler, TX 75701
KNDU/KNDO-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave. Yakima, WA 98902
KHSL-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
KDRV-TV 1090 Knutson Ave. Medford, OR 97504
KESQ-TV 31276 Dunham Way Thousand Palms, CA 92276
KXMB-TV 1811 N 15th St. Bismarck, ND 58501 (see ad above!)
KOSA-TV 4101 E. 42nd. Suite J-7. Odessa, TX. 79761
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
WTVY-TV 285 North Foster St., Dothan, AL 36303
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
KGWN-TV, 2923 E. Lincolnway. Cheyenne, WY 82001
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KQTV 4000 Faraon St. Joseph, MO 64506

**: Spanish language station

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