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September 4, 2023

Greetings:

It’s probably not unusual for another slow week leading into the holiday, though we do have TWO new news directors, but again, no openings to my knowledge.

Our list of stations with open ND jobs drops to 36, with ONE of those stations advertising its opening in our Paid Help Wanted ad section below.

We’ll tell you about a former ND turned GM making another move up the corporate ladder.

There’s ONE obituary for a longtime NBC/Telemundo executive, and a request for stories about a man whose death we reported last week.

In Names in the News, a new leader at CNN, more on the end of a long ND tenure in San Diego, a VERY unusual move from a network o-and-o which is replacing its 6:00 PM news with…Jeopardy.

That and much more below. Enjoy Labor Day, even if you have to labor Monday.

Newly Named News Directors:

Henning

WAAY-TV, Huntsville, AL…ADAM HENNING returns to this Allen Media Group owned ABC affiliate as ND. Adam held that job from 2005-07 and was ND for WAFF-TV in Huntsville from 2009-16. Adam has been working in marketing since leaving WHBQ-TV (FOX) in Memphis in 2021. Adam’s LinkedIn page will also show his other ND jobs. STEPHEN GALLIEN, who’s been the ND here since 2020 will become Assistant ND.

Baumann

WBUP/WBKP-TV, Marquette, MI…this ABC/CW affiliate has apparently named ALEXIS BAUMANN as its news director. That’s according to the station’s website. I’ve emailed Alexis asking how long she’s been on the job and will share her answer if/when she replies.

New News Director Openings:

I’m not aware of any new news director openings this week.

Please let me know if I’ve missed one.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

News Director, WQAD-TV, Moline, IL:

WQAD, the TEGNA-owned ABC affiliate in the Quad Cities, is looking for a passionate news director with experience motivating teams, growing talent and creating an inclusive culture.

The Quad Cities is nestled on both sides of the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois. These cities offer a refreshing combination of low cost of living in a community with world-class museums, universities, four season outdoor activities for the whole family and excellent school systems. It also hosts a PGA Tour event, the John Deere Classic, each July that raises more money for charity than most other tournaments, proving the friendliness connection and pride of its Quad Citizens.

At WQAD, we have our eyes firmly fixed on the future, always looking for new ways to engage, educate and inform our audiences. We are looking for a leader who embraces creative storytelling and investigative journalism as key components of newscasts, as well as digital, streaming and social platforms.

If you want to make a significant mark in your career, this is the steppingstone for you.

WQAD encourages our journalists to pursue their purpose, find and tell truths, listen, amplify diverse voices, and filter out disinformation to create understanding, accountability, enlightenment, and empathy.

Learn more and apply here:

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WFOR-TV, Miami, FL (listed 9/3/23)
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:

WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Special Projects EP, listed 8/28/23)
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)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (Digital EP, relisted 8/20/23)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 8/30/23)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse-Eau Claire, WI (listed 9/3/23)
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 8/27/23:

WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 8/20/23:

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

Obituaries:

Browne

DON BROWNE died Wednesday, August 30th, at the age of 80. Don was a longtime NBC executive. He was an EVP of NBC News in the early 90’s, and became GM for NBC’s WTVJ-TV in Miami where he earlier had been the bureau chief. He later became Presdient of Telemundo. We have two obituaries, first from his former station, WTVJ, and from Variety magazine.

Case

Last week’s obituary of GEORGE CASE brought several emails with fun anecdotes from some of his friends. I shared those with George’s longtime friend, KIM MONTOUR, who plans to share them with George’s family. Kim also asked if others could send along stories that she could share with George’s widow, LAURA. You can send to them Kim via an email sent here.

Names in the News:

It’s been widely reported elsewhere, so you likely already know that MARK THOMPSON is the new chairman and chief executive of CNN.

Cohen

You learned yesterday in our UPDATE that STEVE COHEN’s long tenure as ND for San Diego’s KUSI-TV ended Friday when Nexstar took over that independent station. Nexstar already owns KSWB-TV (FOX), is combining the newsrooms, with current KSWB ND RICH GOLDNER overseeing the newsroom. Steve was ND there for 20 years. If you missed our UPDATE with many more details, you can find it here.

In an unusual move for a network owned station, viewers of CBS owned KTVT-TV in Dallas will find KEN JENNINGS on their TV sets when they tune in at 6:00 PM beginning Monday, September 11. The station is replacing its 6:00 news with Jeopardy followed by Wheel of Fortune. KTVT is adding a 7:00 newscast on its independent station, KTXA-TV.

Mussoni

I heard from a few friends after reporting JOHN BOBEL‘s retirement last week. Among those was JOHN MUSSONI, who worked with us at KCCS, Missouri’s campus radio station. John went on to a great career along what he calls the Amtrak northeast corridor, working in both radio and TV in several markets, including ND jobs at multiple outlets in Philadelphia. He sent along a note, calling it an appreciation note rather than his retirement note. His email is included in that note if you want to reach out.

General Manager News and Notes:

Rogers

Congratulations to one-time news director turned general manager TRACEY ROGERS as she continues her climb up the corporate ladder. Nexstar this week promoted her to Senior Vice-President and Regional Manager. Tracey is currently GM for Nexstar’s WKRN-TV (ABC) in Nashville, has been a GM for stations in Memphis and Jonesboro, AR, and worked as an ND in Memphis, Huntsville, and Paducah, KY.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, September 3, 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 (see ad above!)
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
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

August 27, 2023

Saturday, September 2, 2023 UPDATE:

Greetings:

A longtime news director is out of a job after his station was purchased by a company that’s merging the newsroom with a station it already owns in the market.

Cohen

The market is San Diego and the news director is STEVE COHEN. Steve’s spent the last 20 years as ND for KUSI-TV in San Diego, owned by the McKinnon family until…yesterday, when Nexstar took over. Nexstar owns FOX affiliate KSWB-TV (FOX) in San Diego and its news director, RICH GOLDNER, will oversee both stations. Rich is also a longtime ND, having held that job at KSWB for 15 years. (If you were wondering about the call letters, it had been a WB affiliate, then CW, before becoming a FOX affiliate in 2008.)

Steve’s background is long and varied, beginning in Jonesboro, AR, in 1971. His first ND job was in Peoria, followed by ND stops in Boston, New York, Los Angeles (twice) and GM jobs in Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and Buffalo. Oh, and he was the founding EP for Court TV and Trucker TV.

Want to learn more? Check out his memoir (The Newslife) available on Amazon.

More in our full report later this weekend.

regards,

Rick Gevers

***** **** ****

Greetings:

The slowest week in a while, with, to my knowledge, NO new openings or hires. So, 37 stations are still looking for a new news director.

ONE of those 37 stations is advertising its opening in our Paid Help Wanted ad section below.

Sinclair and SagamoreHill Broadcasting each named new GMs this week. We’ll tell you below.

TWO obituaries, a former executive at CBS and FOX whose presence in a room was often larger than life, and the other of the son of a longtime consultant and media coach.

In Names in the News, a promotion at Spectrum News in LA, a major broadcast company launches a hyper local streaming service, a University wants to help alums pay off student loans…IF they work for a non-profit news service, and a former ND and consultant is trying to retire. He says he’s not being very successful about it.

Hopefully we’ll have more news to share with you next week.

Newly Named News Directors:

It’s rare but I’m not aware of any new news directors this week. Please let me know if I’ve missed one.

New News Director Openings:

Like we said above, it’s rare but I’m not aware of any new news director openings this week. Please let me know if I’ve missed one.

However, we do have a new ad for the ND opening at WQAD-TV in the Quad Cities. That’s just below.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

News Director, WQAD-TV, Moline, IL:

WQAD, the TEGNA-owned ABC affiliate in the Quad Cities, is looking for a passionate news director with experience motivating teams, growing talent and creating an inclusive culture.

The Quad Cities is nestled on both sides of the Mississippi River in Iowa and Illinois. These cities offer a refreshing combination of low cost of living in a community with world-class museums, universities, four season outdoor activities for the whole family and excellent school systems. It also hosts a PGA Tour event, the John Deere Classic, each July that raises more money for charity than most other tournaments, proving the friendliness connection and pride of its Quad Citizens.

At WQAD, we have our eyes firmly fixed on the future, always looking for new ways to engage, educate and inform our audiences. We are looking for a leader who embraces creative storytelling and investigative journalism as key components of newscasts, as well as digital, streaming and social platforms.

If you want to make a significant mark in your career, this is the steppingstone for you.

WQAD encourages our journalists to pursue their purpose, find and tell truths, listen, amplify diverse voices, and filter out disinformation to create understanding, accountability, enlightenment, and empathy.

Learn more and apply here:

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:

WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Special Projects EP, listed 8/28/23)
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)
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 8/27/23:

WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 8/20/23:

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

Obituaries:

Case

I regret that many of you are too young to have known (and if you had known him, you’d have liked) GEORGE CASE. He began as a photographer for WBBM-TV in Chicago, later worked for CBS, and joined FOX News in its nascent days as a VP. George was always willing to help, once creating (at his own cost and without being asked) a brochure for an RTNDA (then) panel I moderated on how to be prepared to cover disasters. George died in May at 76. Here’s his interesting obituary.

Matt Morris

MATT MORRIS, the 46 year old son of veteran consultant MACKIE MORRIS, was found dead in his Texas apartment on Monday. Mackie posted this on Facebook. He’s had his own consulting firm for the past 22 years, spent 15 years as a consultant for Magid, and earlier taught at Missouri where he earned his master’s degree. Mackie is married to longtime broadcaster KATHY CLEMENTS.

Names in the News:

Some quick hits:

DAISY ESPINOZA moves to a new role at Spectrum News in Los Angeles as Senior Managing Editor for politics.

Cox has launched Neighborhood TV, a hyper local services in a few cities where it owns broadcast stations.

The Columbia University School of Journalism wants to give alumni working for non-profit news sites assistance in repaying student loans.

He’s been a news director, producer, executive producer, assignment editor, consultant, and spent 20 years in government public affairs, and now JOHN BOBEL says he’s trying to retire, and not doing very well at it. He explained in this note to me (which includes his email for friends who want to say hi). Full disclosure, as we like to say: John was the GM at the University of Missouri campus radio station, KCCS, when I was the news director there many years ago. (John, on the right below, his wife SCOOBIE RYAN, and I had a great catch-up dinner in Indy six weeks ago.)

Rick Gevers, Scoobie Ryan, John Bobel

General Manager News and Notes:

TWO new GMs to report.

ROCKY WAGONHURST joins Sinclair as GM of WVTV, the CW affiliate in Milwaukee. He’s been the Director of Sales for CBS’s WJZ-TV in Baltimore.

And SagamoreHill Broadcasting has tabbed CHRIS FLEMING to run its stations in Lake Charles, LA, KSWL/KWWE-TV (CBS/Telemundo). More here.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 27, 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 (see ad above!)
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

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.

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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

August 13, 2023

Greetings:

We have quite a bit of news in this week’s report (which partially explains why it’s being published a little later than normal).

Among that news: FOUR new news directors but we’re only telling you the names of three of them (and we’ll explain why below.) And THREE new openings mean there are still 35 stations looking for a new news director.

ONE of those jobs are featured in a Paid Help Wanted ad below.

There’s no new GM news, and ONE obituary for a titan of Seattle broadcasting.

There’s lots of items in Names in the News: We’ll tell you about a GoFundMe page for a former Colorado news director and her daughters who were injured in an accident last month. A longtime CBS affiliate relations employee is headed off for a new job, a former ND joins CBS as a recruiter, and there are a handful of management moves. We also have links to two important stories about the newspaper business: one is positive, the other not so much.

I know that’s not our normal coverage area but I found them interesting and hope you do, too.

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Newly Named News Directors:

Rosetti

KSNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV….JEFF ROSETTI starts August 21 as the ND for this Sinclair NBC affiliate. Here’s the memo from GM LARRY STRUMWASSER. Jeff most recently spent 3 years as ND for WTHR-TV (NBC) in Indianapolis. His complete career history is here. He replaces STEPHANIE WHEATLEY who left in May after eight years at the station, five as ND. She left for a PR job with Clark County saying she wanted to spend more time with her two sons.

Barber

WVLT-TV, Knoxville, TN…REX BARBER returns to Tennessee as the news director for the Gray TV owned CBS affiliate. He’s spent the last four years as ND for Nexstar’s WTWO-TV (NBC) in Terre Haute, IN. GM PETE VETO shared the news with the staff. Before moving to Indiana, Rex was the Assistant ND for WJHL-TV in Johnson City. At WVLT, he replaces MATT HUMMER who was promoted to ND for Gray’s WAVE-TV (NBC) in Louisville.

WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL…this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate has filled its open news director position but the name has not yet been made public. We’ll pass it along when we can confirm the identity.

KKCO/KJCT-TV, Grand Junction, CO…RUSSELL CROSS  is the new news director for this Gray Television owned operation. Russell most recently worked at CNN in Washington. His background is wide and varied, as you’ll learn from his station biography.

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.

Media Briefings:

Experts available for Zoom interviews:

New expert videos – available for download/use in stories:

New News Director Openings:

Kerri C.

WFOR-TV, Miami, FL…KERRI CAVANAUGH is stepping down as ND for this CBS o-an-o. This story from NextTV.com says she’s been on leave for a personal matter and told the station she’s not coming back. Kerri’s been ND there for about two years, and worked as for Magid for three years. She’s been an ND in Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, and Ft. Lauderdale. Kerri’s LinkedIn page has more. Her departure is presumably at the top of the ‘to-do’ list for incoming GM KIM VOET, the longtime ND for WDIV-TV in Detroit, who starts tomorrow.

WFIE-TV, Evansville, IN…this Gray owned NBC affiliate has begun the search for a news director following the sudden death of JOE SCHLAERTH. Joe died in late June at the age of 62 of an apparent heart issue. He was ND here for eight years and spent most of his career in his native Buffalo

WTWO-TV, Terre Haute, IN…you learned above that REX BARBER is returning to Tennessee as ND for Gray’s WVLT-TV (CBS). He spent five years as ND for this Nexstar owned NBC affiliate.


Paid Help Wanted Ad:

News Director, WBND-TV, South Bend, IN:

ABC57 News seeks a News Director to lead our newsroom as we innovate and grow. We are committed to storytelling, investigating and viewer advocacy. This award winning newsroom requires a hands-on leader who can grow ratings and grow our content on all platforms. Our managers work as a team in a collaborative environment. We seek a dynamic team leader who is comfortable in a fast-paced environment, who brings excellent judgment, high ethical standards and practices, and who has demonstrated success in driving coverage of breaking news and severe weather. If you want to add to your collection of Emmy and Murrow awards, this is the newsroom to lead.

Duties/Responsibilities:
Other duties, as assigned.

Requirements:

Candidate needs 7-10 years of professional journalism experience with at least 5 years in a progressive management capacity.
Must be a driven individual able to plan strategically, manage and nurture people, handle hiring, contracts and budgets.
Candidate should be passionate about social media and skilled in using it to complement our broadcast and digital offerings.

Our Perks & Benefits:

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance Package
Long Term Disability Insurance
HSA Plan
401k with Company Match
Vacation/PTO/Sick/Paid Holidays
Paid Qualified-FMLA Leave

Learn more by clicking here.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 7/9/23)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (listed 7/30/23)
WATN-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 6/4/23)
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, listed 6/4/23)
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul (listed 7/30/23)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, ND (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 8/6/23)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Nightside EP, listed 7/9/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 8/6/23)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 8/6/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Special Projects EP, listed 6/4/23)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WXIX-TV Cincinnati, OH (EP, listed 5/29/23)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listed 7/9/23)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 8/13/23)
WLEX-TV, Lexington, KY listed 7/2/23)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 7/30/23)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 6/11/23)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (Digital EP, listed 5/29/23)
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 5/7/23:

U. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Multimedia News Manager)
U. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Technical News Producer)

Obituary:

ERIC BREMNER, who started at KING-TV in Seattle as a part-time floor director and rose to president of the company that owned the station, died in late July at the age of 86. Please take a few minutes to read his obituary, in which you will learn (among other things) that he graduated from high school at age 15 before going on to a remarkable career in broadcasting.

Names in the News:

Gray

The family of former KKCO-TV (Grand Junction, CO) news director SARAH SCHWABE GRAY has started a GoFundMe page for the family after Sarah and her two daughters were injured in an accident. That accident was in late July. More details in this story from Sarah’s former station, KKTV in Colorado Springs, where she had worked as a morning anchor before moving to Grand Junction. Sarah left KKCO for a PR job in 2022.

Klein

After 27 years at CBS, LARRY KLEIN is leaving a for a new opportunity. He’s been the executive director of affiliate services there. Larry tells me he will be chief marketing officer at Videoship Enterprises, a Canadian company that offers video workflow and distribution systems for broadcasters. Here’s part of the note his boss at CBS, JOEL GOLDBERG, sent to affiliates. You can wish Larry well on his new gig via an email here.

R.W. III

RICHARD WASHINGTON III has a new job. We told you a few weeks ago he was leaving WTIC-TV (Tegna-FOX) in Hartford to be closer to family. Richard will be recruiting for CBS, as he explained in this note to me:

I’ll be recruiting for CBS Stations….everything from producers and digital content producers to executive producers and assistant news directors. Important to note, I’m not recruiting for on-air positions at the moment.

The news director for Univision’s o-and-o in Austin, TX, MARIO LOPEZ, posted on social media that he’d been laid off. Presumably his responsibilities will be assumed by the ND of Univision’s San Antonio station, MOANA RAMIREZ. That’s been the trend at Univision stations.

MARTI GOING has been promoted to Managing Editor for Imagicomm’s KOKI-TV (FOX) in Tulsa. She’s been the director of coverage and content there.

Watts

At KHSL-TV in Chico, CA, anchor and managing editor HAYLEY WATTS has been promoted to Assistant News Director. She’ll continue to anchor for the Allen Media Broadcasting owned CBS affiliate. Proud ND AARON VOGEL shared the news with his staff. Hayley’s a seven year veteran of the station and earlier worked in Parkersburg, WV.

The following stories are not television related, but they are journalism related and I hope you’ll find them as interesting as I did.

CBS’s Sunday Morning aired this story about a month ago. TED KOPPEL looked at an unusual partnership among small newspapers in South Carolina. Some of it is funded by contributions to a community foundation and the result is in-depth reporting the papers would not have been able to do alone.

On the downside: You’ve probably seen this happen in your area: newspapers are shutting down their printing presses and having the papers printed hundreds of miles away, which results in (obviously) ridiculously early deadlines. So Monday’s City Council meeting (or game, or whatever) may not be in the paper until Wednesday. Here’s a nice overview of that unfortunate trend.

General Manager News and Notes:

I don’t think I missed anything but I am not aware of any GM changes this week. If you know otherwise, please let me know.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 13, 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 (see ad above!)
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
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
KTVH-TV 100 W Lyndale Ave. Ste A. Helena, MT 59601
KNOP-TV 402 S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101

**: Spanish language station

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