Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

April 24, 2023

Greetings:

BREAKING NEWS!

(Please don’t think that I am emulating network news, where every story, many that are hours old, get a big banner of breaking news, but for the second week in a row, there’s a major development today at the top of a big broadcast company. )

Shell

Late today came word that JEFF SHELL, CEO of NBC Universal, will leave the company immediately after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a woman inside the company. More details in this story from The New York Times and the story from the NBC News website.

On to our normal business.

We have TWO new news directors to report, both in Illinois, one in a very big market and one in a small market. And there’s ONE new ND opening. In Hawaii! That leaves 44 open ND jobs on our list.

There’s ONE help wanted ad for an Assistant ND job at a Baton Rouge station. And Sciline has an ad describing some free opportunities you have to interview experts in a variety of fields.

TWO obituaries plus a tribute to one of last week’s deaths, sort of a look back at TV news years ago.

In our GM News section, a new leader for Allen Media Broadcasting and a former GM, ND, network executive, group head AND consultant gets a new GM job.

A former investigative producer in two markets is arrested on child porn charges, while another investigative producer gets a promotion at a network o-and-o. Those items are in Names in the News, along with two stories about programming initiatives from group owners.

Great to see some of you at NAB. I hope you enjoyed the convention.

Newly Named News Directors:

Ramirez

WMAQ/WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL…one of our TWO Monday UPDATES told you that SALLY RAMIREZ is returning home as SVP for these NBC and Telemundo stations. AKEMI HARRISON was named ND for WMAQ and DIANA MALDONADO is the VP/News for Telemundo, both reporting to Sally. More details about each woman, their news roles, and their backgrounds in this news release.

Erhart

WGEM-TV, Quincy, IL…JOHN EHRHART started a few weeks ago as the next ND for this Gray Television owned NBC affiliate. John’s background is wide and diverse, as you’ll by checking out his LinkedIn page. At WGEM, he replaces CHAD MAHONEY who left the station earlier this year (after 14 years as ND) to become President and CEO of the Missouri Broadcasters Association.

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 these via Zoom at the links above, or request a SciLine interview clip for your use.

UPCOMING: Interview a scientist via Zoom:

April 25: Chronic school absenteeism: Dr. Joshua Childs, U. Texas.

May 11: Electric bikes: Dr. Jennifer Dill, Portland State U.

May 17: OTC hearing aids, Dr. Nicholas Reed, Johns Hopkins U.

May 30: Food insecurity on the rise, Dr. Hilary Seligman, UCSF.

June 8: Gender transition in young people, Dr. Meredithe McNamara, Yale U.

June 21: Overdose prevention & naloxone, Dr. Brandon Marshall, Brown U.

Need a scientist-source for a story right now? SciLine’s FREE expert matching service runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays.

New News Director Opening:

KITV, Honolulu, HI…after four + years, JANICE GIN is stepping down as news director for this Allen Media owned ABC affiliate. Janice tells me she will continue working on some projects for the station, including LOCAL Now, Allen’s OTT platform. Janice is a 20 year veteran of the San Francisco market, who’s also worked in Phoenix, Sacramento, and Greensboro.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

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.

Like the cypress knees of the nearby swamps, Baton Rouge is knee-deep in history and activities to keep you busy year-round. Experience Saturday tailgating at LSU or Southern football or hike the trails in one of the 170 public parks available across the city. As a locally owned station, news and programming decisions are made in-house and with viewers and team members at the forefront of business operations.

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

Pre-employment drug screening required. EOE.

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 3/26/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 4/16/23, see ad above!)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

News 12 Long Island, Bethpage, NY (listed 1/15/23)
News 12 Edison, NJ (Spec. Projects. Prod., listed 1/15/23)
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 3/26/23)
WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA (Morning EP, listed 3/19/23)
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (AM/Special Projects EP, relisted 4/23/23)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 4/23/23)
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (Nightside EP, listed 3/26/23)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (listed 4/23/23)
WRTV, Indianpolis, IN (relisted 3/26/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 3/26/23)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 3/26/23)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City (relisted 3/26/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 3/26/23)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 3/26/23)
WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 3/26/23)
WGNO-TV, New Orleans, LA (Digital EP, listed 4/2/23)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 2/25/23)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 2/19/23)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 2/19/23)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP listed 4/23/23)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, relisted 3/26/23)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (relisted 2/19/23)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (Digital EP, listed 4/23/23)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (relisted 4/23/23)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (listed 2/25/23)
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 3/26/23)

MANAGING EDITOR:

KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 4/16/23)

More News Management Openings:

Listed 3/12/23:

WTKR-TV, Norfolk, VA (Manager of Enterprise Content)

Listed 3/5/23:

WINK-TV, Ft. Meyers, FL (Digital News Director)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (Digital News Manager)

Listed 2/5/23:

Gray Television, Remote (Producers for Magazine Program)

Obituaries:

Christian

GAIL CHRISTIAN, a onetime news director for KCET-TV (PBS) in Los Angeles and news director for the PBS news service, who once served prison time for armed robbery, died April 12th. She was 83. Gail was a early black correspondent for NBC News who covered the Patty Hearst kidnapping trial among other stories before moving to KCET. Details in this New York Times obituary.

Mix

GALE “GUB” MIX, who owned radio stations in Washington and Idaho, and also served as news director for KTVB-TV in Boise, died March 16th at the age of 89. He also owned businesses in a wide variety of industries, and organized the very first National Manufactured Housing Convention located at the former Desert Inn Resort in Las Vegas. More details in this obituary.

Campbell

We told you last week that BOB CAMPBELL, a former ND at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis and for two stations in Eugene, OR, died March 9th at the age of 75. New this week: a tribute to Bob, a look at the way newsrooms used to be, written by TOM COCHRUN, Bob’s anchor at WTHR and later ND for WISH-TV in Indianapolis. Full disclosure: Bob and I were classmates at Missouri.

Names in the News:

Drechsler

Investigative producer PHIL DRECHSLER, an eleven year veteran of KNBC-TV in Los Angeles until he was laid off in February, was arrested this week in Cincinnati. He’s charged with distributing more than 100 child porn videos. While KNBC, as far as I can tell, has NOT reported this, kudos to WCPO-TV in Cincinnati where Phil worked from 2004-2012, which did report on the case. Full disclosure: I hired Phil as a photographer in 1987 at WTOL-TV in Toledo where he worked for 13 years.

ABC o-and-o WTVD-TV in Raleigh/Durham has hired ROSS WEIDNER as its next Assistant ND. Ross had been an investigative producer at WTVD before moving to sister on-and-o WLS-TV in Chicago (in the same role) 14 years ago.

JOSH KOUMJIAN has been promoted to Assistant ND for Hubbard’s WNYT-TV in Albany, NY. He had been the dayside EP for this NBC affiliate.

Scripps Sports has signed its first deal, a multi year contract to carry WNBA games on its ION network.

Gray Television will launch a weekday news magazine program called InvestigateTV+ this fall. The weekday version joins a weekend version. Both will run in Gray’s 113 markets and be made available to stations in other markets.

General Manager News and Notes:

Hair

Our Monday UPDATE told you that PRINCELL HAIR had been named President of Allen Media Broadcasting. He’ll also be Executive Vice President of Allen Media Group. The move comes as President/CEO BOB PRATHER and COO ANDY FISHER are leaving the company. Princell’s extensive career history is detailed in the news release above.

Doerr

Veteran broadcaster STEVE DOERR has a new job. He’s been named general manager for KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, where he will oversee News Press and Gazette’s ABC and Telemundo affiliates there. He replaces MARK PIMENTEL who is retiring. More details here. Steve’s been a GM, news director, corporate head and a consultant during his career, as explained here.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 23, 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

KNBC/KVEA-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, #2120 Universal City, CA 91608
KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
KTTV 1999 S. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles CA 90025
KTVT/KTXA-TV 5233 Bridge St. Fort Worth, TX 76103
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, Georgia 30324
WZDC-TV 4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 **
KIRO-TV 2807 3rd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121
KMGH-TV 123 E. Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80203
KUSA-TV 500 E Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80203
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Doral, FL 33178 **
WJZ-TV 3725 Malden Avenue Baltimore, MD 21211
WTIC-TV 285 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06115
KVUE- TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WAVY-TV 300 WAVY Street Portsmouth, VA 23704
WWL-TV 1024 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70116
WLNE-TV 10 Orms St. Providence, RI 02904
KFTV 3239 W Ashlan Av. Fresno, CA 93722 **
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave. Fresno, CA 93727
WNEP-TV 16 Montage Mountain Rd. Moosic, PA 18507
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74129
KITV 801 So. King St. Honolulu, HI 96813
KWCH-TV 2815 E. 37th Street North. Wichita, KS 67219
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719
WTVG-TV 4247 Dorr St. Toledo, OH 43607
KNWA-TV 609 W. Dickson St. Suite 300, Fayetteville AR, 72701
WNDU-TV 54516 Indiana State Route 933. South Bend, IN 46637
WQAD-TV 3003 Park 16th Street Moline, Illinois 61265
KHGI-TV 1078 25 Road Axtell, NE 68924
KIMA-TV 2801 Terrace Heights Dr.Yakima, WA 98901
KSBW-TV 238 John St. Salinas, CA 93901
KMIZ-TV 501 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia MO 65201
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa TX 79763
WGFL/WNBW/WMYG-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606
WBUP/WKBP-TV 1705 Ash Street Suite 5 Ishpeming, MI 49849
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
WBKO-TV 2727 Russellville Road. Bowling Green, KY 42101
KGNS-TV 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo TX 78041
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd North, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KNOP-TV 402. S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101

**: Spanish language station

April 16, 2023

Monday, April 17, 2023 UPDATE #2:

Greetings:

We rarely do TWO updates in a day, so the second tends to be a big story. And I think this qualfiies.

Hair

Veteran broadcaster PRINCELL HAIR has been named President of Allen Media Broadcasting and will also have the title of Executive Vice President of Allen Media Group. This news release says the company ‘proudly announces’ the hire. It also contains details of Princell’s extensive career history, including his most recent job, a two year stint as President of the Black News Channel.

We were FIRST to report last night that Allen’s President/CEO BOB PRATHER and COO ANDY FISHER were leaving the company, with the new structure to be announced today.

These UPDATES are keeping me from my appointed rounds on the NAB floor, so good by for now. 🙂

regards,

Rick Gevers

Monday, April 17, 2023 UPDATE:

Greetings:

One of the largest openings on our list has been filled with a local who is returning home.

Ramirez

SALLY RAMIREZ returns to Chicago as the Senior VP/News for both NBC’s WMAQ-TV and its Telemundo station there, WSNS-TV. Sally’s a native of Chicago who earlier in her career had worked at WGN-TV as an EP. She’s a former ND in Houston, spent 17 years in Portland, OR, and worked in a number of other markets. Sally most recently was EP for CNBC’s The News with Shepard Smith.

This NBC news release has complete details, including details about the two news directors (one at WMAQ, one at WSNS) who will report to her.

There’s a good chance another large market ND job will be filled this week. We’ll bring you that when it happens.

regards,

Rick Gevers

Greetings:

BREAKING NEWS!

(Unlike network news, I am not going to use that banner on 99% of the stories. Who do they think they are fooling?)

But this, I think, qualifies:

Major changes today at the top of Allen Media, as both President/CEO BOB PRATHER and COO ANDY FISHER are leaving the company.

The move was disclosed to employees in an email late today. BYRON ALLEN is expected to announce the new structure tomorrow, perhaps at the NAB convention.

Greetings, by the way, from Las Vegas and the NAB and BEA conferences, where I’ve already had the pleasure of seeing a few of you. Unfortunately a very full edition of the newsletter (and breaking news!) prevented me from hitting the floor today, but I plan to be there Monday and Tuesday.

While the newsletter IS full, only TWO news director changes, with ONE job filled and ONE new opening. So our list of open ND jobs remains at 45.

There’s ONE new help wanted ad, that for an Assistant ND job at a Baton Rouge powerhouse station. And Sciline has an ad describing the free opportunites you have to interview experts in a variety of fields.

Sadly, there are FOUR obituaries, THREE of former news directors, including a classmate of mine from Missouri.

In our GM News section, a Miami GM is retiring after just two years on the job and there’s a change near the top of Gray TV.

And a lot of interesting items in Names in the News, including the demise of Eyewitness News at the first station to use that branding.

All that and more as you read on. Hope to see you at NAB.

UPCOMING: Interview a scientist via Zoom:

April 20: Colorado River drought crisis: Dr. Jack Schmidt, Utah State U.

April 25: Chronic school absenteeism: Dr. Joshua Childs, U. Texas.

May 11: Electric bikes: Dr. Jennifer Dill, Portland State U.

May 17: OTC hearing aids, Dr. Nicholas Reed, Johns Hopkins U.

May 30: Food insecurity on the rise, Dr. Hilary Seligman, UCSF.

June 8: Gender transition in young people, Dr. Meredithe McNamara, Yale U.

June 21: Overdose prevention & naloxone, Dr. Brandon Marshall, Brown U.

Need a scientist-source for a story right now? SciLine’s FREE expert matching service runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays.

Newly Named News Director:

Eller

WJCL-TV, Savannah, GA…as is often the case, Hearst filled the ND opening at this ABC affiliate from within by promoting KIMBERLY ELLER to replace WILL DILLARD, who was also promoted within Hearst to become ND at WYFF-TV (NBC) in Greenville, SC. Kimberly’s the Assistant ND at WGAL-TV (NBC) in Lancaster, PA. She’s also worked for Hearst in Salinas and for other companies in Charlotte and Roanoke.

New News Director Opening:

Megan J.

KUSA-TV, Denver, CO…our UPDATE reported that MEGAN JURGEMEYER told the staff on Friday she was leaving…and then left. She’d been the ND since 2019 after joining the station in 2013. Before that, Megan had worked at KMGH-TV in Denver and in Grand Junction, CO, as an anchor and reporter. Of note: her former station, KMGH, currently as an ND opening. KUSA Director of Content TIM RYAN will oversee the newsroom for now.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

Previous experience as a reporter/MMJ or anchor is helpful.

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 Jonathan Shelley, Director of News, jshelley@wbrz.com or mail to WBRZ-TV, P.O. Box 2906, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.

Pre-employment drug screening required. EOE.