Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

October 23, 2023

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 UPDATE:

Greetings:

A rare cross-town move in a top ten market fills the largest market news director opening on our list.

Fernandez – Wische

AARON FERNANDEZ-WISCHE has been named (take a deep breath) Vice President of Content Creation and Distribution for FOX owned KRIV-TV in Houston. He’s been the Assistant ND at Graham Media’s KPRC-TV, just up (down?) Southwest Freeway, for the last five years, and first joined the station as Senior EP of Special Projects in 2012. Houston blogger MIKE McGUFF posted this story tonight, Aaron’s background is extensive and well detailed on his Linkedin page.

At KRIV, Aaron replaces SUSAN SCHILLER who left in September after seven years there.

And a little tease for Sunday’s edition: we’ll have what I believe will be an exclusive video on a big change coming to one of network television’s longest-running franchise segments.

That and much more on Sunday.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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Greetings:

It’s a busy and full newsletter, which helps explain why we are a little later than normal in our distribution.

There are FOUR new news director openings, while FOUR jobs have been filled. That leaves our list of open ND job as XX. TWO of these open ND jobs are among our THREE Paid Help Wanted ads, the other is for an EP job at a network o-and-o in Los Angeles.

And if you want to help find a solution to burnout in TV news, the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri has teamed up with SmithGeiger to conduct a study in search of a solution. You can contribute by taking the survey.

A veteran GM with a most interesting and diverse career is retiring. Tjhat’s below, along with details of another book from a former Ohio ND, and we have a link to Gray Television’s presentation to investors.

All that and more as you read on.

Newly Named News Directors:

News 12 New Jersey, Edison, NJ…MICHELLE MURRAY is the new ND for this Altice owned cable news channel. Michelle has had a number of jobs in sports television and also worked at the Black News Channel. Her Linkedin page details her entire career. She replaces TEISHA PARKER who is now the Assistant ND at WVIT-TV (NBC) in Hartford.

We’ve been a little behind in reporting other News 12 news.

Kowalski

STAN KOWALSKI is now the ND at News 12 Long Island, replacing ROBERT RIVAS who left after just over a year. Stan had been the ND at News 12 Bronx/Brooklyn. As best I can tell, Stan has not been replaced at News 12 Bronx/Brooklyn. Full disclosure: Stan’s first job in TV was an editor for me at WTOL-TV in Toledo.

Yost

WDTV, Bridgeport, WV…and we’re a little tardy in reporting that CHRIS YOST has been promoted to news director for this Gray Television owned CBS affiliate. He’d been the assistant ND there, and a producer before that. You’ll learn in his station bio that he’s a native of West Virginia. His promotion came this summer, shortly after BRENT BONFLEUR left (after two years as ND) to become ND at Gray’s WDBJ-TV in Roanoke.

Johnson

WLOX-TV, Biloxi, MS…we learn of new NDs in different ways. Here it came in an “I’ve left the station and you should contact newly named ND RENEE JOHNSON.” email. As of now, her station bio has not been updated but Renee’s been the Digital Content Manager for this Gray owned station. The “I’ve left the station…” email was from BRAD KESSIE who’s headed to WOOD-TV (NBC) in Grand Rapids, MI as ND.

New News Director Openings:

Baynes

KOVR/KMAX-TV, Sacramento, CA…MARY BAYNES has left this CBS operation (KMAX is an independent). Mary was ND for about 18 months following four years as the Assistant ND there. It was her second stint at KOVR: she’d been the EP and a producer earlier in her career, with a four year run as an EP at KCBS/KCAL-TV in Los Angeles in between. Apologies, by the way, for using the wrong caption under her picture in Friday’s UPDATE.

Davis

WKBN/WYTV-TV, Youngstown, OH…I’m sorry to tell you that health issues have forced MITCH DAVIS to step down as news director for this Nexstar operation. Mitch posted this message on social media with more details. He’s been the ND here for ten years and worked in several markets in the Carolinas. Nexstar owns WKBN (CBS) and provides services to WYTV (ABC), owned by Vaughan Media.)

Howard

KDRV-TV, Medford, OR…after almost four years as news director, JERRY HOWARD will become Director of Community Outreach for this Allen Media Broadcasting owned ABC affiliate. Jerry’s extensive career history is here. You can learn more about this opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted ad below.

KIDY/KXVA-TV, San Angelo/Abilene, TX…GABE VELA is returning to San Antonio as an EP for KENS-TV. He was a producer at KENS before taking the ND job for these FOX stations two years ago. All these stations are owned by Tegna.

And be sure to check out the ad for the open ND job at Tegna’s WCNC-TV (NBC) in Charlotte, a vacancy created when ND CARRIE HOFFMAN was promoted to a GM job. That’s below.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, KDRV-TV, Medford OR:

Can you help make a news operation that’s already a dominant #1 even stronger? Allen Media’s KDRV-TV (ABC) in Medford, Oregon, is looking for a news director ready to meet the challenge. Our next ND will be a hands-on leader with a successful track record as a mentor and motivator. Great opportunity for an assistant news director, executive producer, managing editor, assignment manager, or senior producer to step up and lead a newsroom.

KDRV is located in the beautiful Rogue Valley near the Southern Oregon Wine Trail and is just a short drive away from great hiking , mountain biking, skiing, golfing, fishing, whitewater rafting, the Britt Festival’s concerts under the stars, and the Tony award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival. If you still need an occasional big city fix, then Portland and San Francisco are just a quick direct flight or a few hours’ drive away. Or visit redwood forest, Crater Lake National Park and the Oregon coast all in our coverage area.

All of this is available along with a competitive salary and benefits from a station that has been the ratings leader in the Medford-Klamath Falls market for more than thirty years.

If all of this sounds appealing, then click here to apply!

A PRE-EMPLOYMENT DRUG SCREEN IS REQUIRED along with a good driving record. Must possess or be able to obtain an Oregon driver’s license. KDRV-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Executive Producer, KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA:

NBC is looking for a dynamic leader who can effectively oversee dayside coverage and make editorial decisions for the owned station in Los Angeles. The ideal candidate will also be responsible for assisting with newsroom operations and supervising editorial content for multi-platform delivery. The candidate must have a critical combination of excellent news judgement and management skills. This position would report directly to the VP of News for NBC4.

Essential Responsibilities:

· Overseeing editorial coverage day-to-day including breaking news, ensuring it is competitive across all platforms
· Copy edits scripts for factual integrity and style
· Collaborate with newsroom leadership, other NBC Owned Television stations and NBC News for special events planning as well as day-to-day coverage
· Responsible for scheduling editorial staff to ensure proper coverage
· Participate in the performance appraisal process for assigned editorial staff in conjunction with the VP of News
· Participate in the NBC4 recruitment efforts and facilitate the newsroom orientation of new employees when needed
· Track market competitive trends, develop and implement show content and format changes, and articulate vision to employees
· Works with Creative Services to craft promotions that attract a wide audience

Basic Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism or related field, or equivalent work experience
· Minimum 5 years of experience working in news management or 7 years of main show producing in a top 10 market.
· Must be able to work flexible hours including weekends, holidays and overnights
· Bilingual in Spanish desired but not required

Click here to learn more and apply!

Professional training opportunity:

Nov. 8: Science essentials for local reporters, a free SciLine “Crash Course.” Former longtime Washington Post science reporter Rick Weiss and Ph.D. neuroscientist Dr. Tori Espensen will lay out key do’s, don’ts, and pitfalls to watch for when including science in your news reporting.

REGISTER HERE

Experts available for Zoom interviews:

Nov. 15: Modernizing the electrical grid with Dr. Joshua Rhodes (UT Austin)

Training opportunities:

Dec. 6: Science essentials for news editors

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.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KNBC/KVEA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 10/8/23)
WFOR-TV, Miami, FL (listed 9/3/23)
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN (listed 10/22/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 10/22/23)
WJZ-TV, Baltimore, MD (AND/Mornings, listed 10/22/23)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (relisted 9/10/23)
WISC-TV, Madison, WI (listed 9/10/23)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (relisted 10/22/23)
WJHL-TV, Tri-Cities, TN (listed 10/1/23)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 9/10/23)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Special Projects EP, listed 8/28/23)
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 10/22/23, see ad above!)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, relisted 10/22/23)
WSNN-TV, Sarasota, FL (listed 10/8/23)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (relisted 10/22/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 10/22/23)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (AM EP, relisted 10/22/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 10/8/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, listed 9/10/23)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 9/10/23)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 10/8/23)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 9/10/23)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, relisted 10/22/23)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (AM EP, listed 9/10/23)
WATN-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 9/10/23)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (listing modified 9/17/23)
WJHL-TV, Johnson Coty, TN (listed 10/22/23)
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA (listed 10/22/23)

More News Management Openings:

Listed 10/1/23:

KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Assignment Desk Manager)

Listed 9/10/23:

KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (Digital Director)

Listed 8/20/23:

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

Names in the News:

Like the weather, everyone talks about burnout in television news. Now, the Reynolds Journalism Institute is conducting a survey to try and find solutions. RJI has partnered with SmithGeiger on the project. You’re invited to take the survey. Just click here!

Gray Television released its presentation to investors. Like the one we shared from Nexstar last week, there’s some interesting reading here.

Knopps

Former Toledo News Director ANTHONY KNOPPS has released a new book, his third. This one centers around a young boy who learns his father suffered a traumatic brain injury while overseas. That’s a subject with which Anthony is familiar, as he suffered his own TBI four years ago. Check out this note Anthony sent me where you’ll learn more about his book and that proceeds go to a military charity.

General Manager News and Notes:

Land

ERIC LAND is retiring, and what a career he’s had. For the last eight years, he’s been General Manager for Sinclair’s WBMA-TV in Birmingham, AL. That’s one of several GM jobs along the way, a career which also included several jobs in the aviation industry, and a two year stint as Chief Operating Officer of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers! His retirement announcement (via Linkedin) is here, while his entire career path is also on Linkedin.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, October 22, 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

KRIV-TV 4261 Southwest Freeway Houston, TX 77027
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, GA 30324
WDIV-TV 550 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Doral, FL 33178 **
KOVR/KMAX-TV 2713 Kovr Dr West Sacramento CA 95605
WCNC-TV 1001 Wood Ridge Cntr. Dr. Charlotte, NC 28217 (see ad above)
WRAL-TV 2619 Western Boulevard Raleigh NC 27606
WLOS-TV 110 Technology Drive Asheville, NC 28803
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WLNE-TV 10 Orms St. Providence, RI 02904
WRGB-TV 1400 Balltown Rd. Schenectady, NY 12309
WATE-TV 1306 North Broadway Knoxville, TN 37917
WFXR-TV 5305 Valleypark Drive, Suite 1 Roanoke, VA 24019
WHNT-TV 200 Holmes Avenue Huntsville, AL 35801
WZDX-TV 1309 N. Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL 35801
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WICS-TV 2680 E. Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WKBN/WYTV 3930 Sunset Blvd. Youngstown, OH 44512
WQAD-TV 3003 Park 16th Street Moline, IL 61265
KLKN-TV 3240 South 10th Street Lincoln, NE 68502 (Exec. ND)
KIMA-TV 2801 Terrace Heights Dr. Yakima, WA 98901
KNDU/KNDO-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave. Yakima, WA 98902
KDRV-TV 1090 Knutson Avenue Medford, OR 97504 (see ad above!)
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
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
WTOK-TV 815 23rd Ave. Meridian, MS 39301
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
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
KTVH-TV 100 W Lyndale Ave. Ste A. Helena, MT 59601
KNOP-TV 402 S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101

**: Spanish language station

October 15, 2023

Friday, October 20, 2023 UPDATE:

Greetings:

Just a week after filling the last news director opening at a CBS o-and-o, a new one popped up today.

Baynes

MARY BAYNES has left CBS’s KOVR/KMAX-TV (CBS, obviously, and independent) after not quite 1 1/2 years as ND. She’d been the Assistant ND there for four years before her promotion in May 2022. It was her second time working at KOVR: she was a producer and EP there for four years before a four year stint as an EP at sister CBS stations KCBS/KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.

Mary also worked as a producer for KSBW-TV in Salinas, CA.

We’ll see you Sunday with our full newsletter.

regards,

Rick Gevers

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Greetings:

It’s a slow week for ND changes (with just ONE new ND and ONE new opening) but we’ll make up for that with some links to what I thought were pretty interesting stories in Names in the News (and other things!).

There are still 32 stations with ND openings.

We have ONE paid ad for an Assistant ND job at a network o-and-o.

ONE new GM to report as a former ND gets his second GM job, this one in a top 20 market.

For more than a year, you’ve seen ads from Sciline in these pages. If you don’t know Sciline, it’s offering an online Open House so you can learn more about its worthwhile offerings. That’s in the ad below.

A Mississippi station bids farewell to its ND after 35 years at the station, 14 as ND, and a Connecticut station gets a new assistant ND.

More details on those stories in Names in the News, along with these items teased above:

What happened when NPR left Twitter? Not much.
Nexstar released an interesting presentation for investors. We have the link.
A North Carolina station hoped to make money in three years on a streaming product. They were wrong. It took three weeks.

Read on for more.

Newly Named News Directors:

Fernandez

WFOR-TV, Miami, FL…we were first to tell you (via our Wednesday UPDATE) that MIGUEL FERNANDEZ will be the next ND at this CBS o-and-o. It’s a return to WFOR for Miguel, who worked there for 22 years before a five year stint at the assistant ND at WLTV (Univision) in Miami. He replaces KERRI CAVANAUGH who stepped down in August while on leave for a personal matter. Kerri was ND here for two years.

New News Director Openings:

KNDU/KNDO-TV, Kennewick/Yakima, WA…these Cowles owned NBC affiliates are looking for a new news director. STEPHANIE ASHLEY has been the ND there for almost two years.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

Assistant News Director, KNBC/KVEA-TV, Los Angeles, CA:

NBC4 & T52 is looking for an Assistant News Director to lead the second largest duopoly newsroom in the country. The candidate will run day-to day editorial coverage for T52 and NBC4. The Assistant News Director must have strong news judgment and the ability to lead and inspire a highly talented news team. The job will require someone who is able to go beyond established goals and who will perform these functions within the context of the duopoly objectives, policies, and procedures. This position will report directly to the VP of News for T52 and NBC4.

Responsibilities Include:

Manage day-to-day coverage, major events, and breaking news across all NBC4/T52 broadcast and digital platforms
Implement strategies and tactics to increase ratings and performance
Oversees planning and execution of special projects coverage for the duopoly
Provides leadership to news professionals, driving culture of creativity and excellence in a multi-platform environment
Manage script approval process as delegated to individual managers
Ensures daily goals are communicated to the entire duopoly staff
Implements and has working knowledge of federal, state, and local laws impacting editorial operations
Enforces newsroom’s policies and procedures, including deadlines and style
Back-up for VP of News for T52 and NBC4, as needed

Qualification / Requirements:

Minimum 3 years experience as a Broadcast News Director, Assistant News Director or similar leadership role in a mid to large market
Minimum 5 years experience as a news manager
Bachelors degree in Journalism, Communications or equivalent work experience

Desired:

Bilingual – Spanish/English

Click here to learn more and apply!

SciLine “Open House” for local reporters 10/17/23: 1:00-1:30 Eastern

SciLine is hosting our first-ever “Open House” next week for reporters to meet our team and get a very quick rundown of our free services. Feel free to join and/or forward the opportunity to any journalist friends or colleagues who may be interested – we’re especially interested in connecting with reporters from local TV newsrooms.

Join us for a 15-minute run-through of SciLine’s free services and how to use them, including:

Our rapid response “I need an expert” service that quickly connects you to knowledgeable, articulate scientist-sources on deadline;
Weekly, broadcast-quality 1-on-1 Zoom-interview opportunities with diverse science experts;
Monthly on-the-record expert briefings on science-based topics in the news; and
Free professional development training opportunities—including tailored programming for individual newsrooms.

This short presentation will be followed by 10-15 minutes of open Q&A with SciLine’s Director and former longtime Washington Post science reporter, Rick Weiss, and SciLine’s Deputy Director and career science communicator, Becky Hazen.

Media Briefing:

Oct. 18: School shootings in the United States

Experts available for Zoom interviews:

Training opportunities:

Nov. 8: Science essentials for reporters
Dec. 6: Science essentials for news editors