January 2, 2023
Tuesday, January 3, 2023:
Greetings:
The first business day of the New Year brings the first news director opening of 2023.
Nickels
JENNIFER NICKELS has left Tegna-owned WBNS-TV (CBS) in Columbus, OH. She’d been the news director since since November, 2019, and had started at the station in September, 2016, when she was hired as the Assistant News Director. Jennifer’s worked in a number of other markets, as you will learn by checking out her Linkedin page.
Barring more UPDATES, we’ll see you Sunday with our full report.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Hoping that your holidays were great and that 2023 is everything you hope it will be.
Not surprisingly, not a lot of hiring this week, but we do have an UPDATE on a job posting we shared last week
With no changes, there are still 23 stations looking for a new news director.
We have ONE paid help wanted ad for an Assistant ND in Rochester, MN.
And we’re pleased to welcome Stephen Arnold Music back as an annual advertiser. Please check out their ad below for information on their offerings.
There an updated obituary for an EP of an ABC News program and an obituary for the mother of a veteran ND.
A former group head is in hospice care…his friends are hoping you’ll send him a note. And we have a look back at 2022 from local TV writers in two markets.
I assume next week’s edition will be busier…even on a short week. We’ll see you then.
Newly Named News Directors:
No movement this week, to the best of my knowledge. If you know of something I’ve missed, please email me.
New News Director Opening:
Garza
We have an update on the posted ND opening at KGNS-TV, in Laredo, TX. We told you last week this Gray TV owned NBC/ABC operation has a posting on its website for a new news director. I reached out to current ND (and anchor) JERRY GARZA who kindly responded with this explanation about why the job has been posted…as he put it…preemptively.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Assistant News Director, KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN:
ABC News Channel 6, KAAL-TV in Rochester, MN is looking for an Assistant News Director to help lead our news room operations.
KAAL is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting-a premier family-owned mid-sized media organization.
In this role, you would be in charge of the evening 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 great opportunity for either a lateral move or for someone looking to get into leadership.
Rochester, MN is one of the fastest growing cities in America. Home of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, Rochester is one of the most highly-educated, affluent and diverse communities in the country. Repeatedly named as America’s Most Liveable City; Rochester is full of great schools, parks, cultural outlets and is just 90 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul and 4 hours from Chicago.
Learn more about this opportunity and apply by clicking here and searching for jobs in Rochester, MN.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 11/6/22)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 10/30/22)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 10/23/22)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 11/13/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22)
KETK-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 12/11/22)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (relisted 10/30/22)
KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN (listed 12/18/22, see ad above!)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (EP & Digital EP, listing revised 12/4/22)
KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 10/30/22)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (listed 12/26/22)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 11/20/22)
WRTV, Indianpolis, IN (listed 11/20/22)
WTVF-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 12/11/22)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 12/4/22)
KSTU-TV, Salt Lake City (relisted 10/30/22)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 11/20/22)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 12/11/22)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (listed 12/4/22)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 10/30/22)
KXAN-TV, Austin, TX (AM EP, relisted 10/30/22)
WAVY/WVBT-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 11/13/22)
WIVB/WNLO-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 11/6/22)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 12/11/22)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 12/11/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, relisted 11/6/22)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 12/11/22)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 12/11/22)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, listed 12/11/22)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 12/11/22)
WRBL-TV, Columbus, GA (Digital EP, listed 11/20/22)
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL (relisted 10/30/22)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (listed 10/23/22)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 12/18/22)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 1/2/23:
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Livestream Producer)
Listed 12/4/22:
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)
Obituary:
Tejera
We told you in our last edition about the death of DAX TEJERA, the executive producer of ABC’s Sunday morning program This Week. He died of a heart attack on Friday, December 23rd. He was just 37 years old and leaves behind a wife and two young daughters. New this edition: This tribute to Dax, which aired on yesterday’s edition of This Week.
Diener
I’m sorry to report the passing of ROSLYN DIENER, mother of veteran news director SCOTT DIENER, now at Gray’s KMOV-TV (CBS) in St. Louis. Mrs. Diener was 96 when she died December 25th. In addition to Scott and his family, she is survived by a daughter. I never met her, but this obituary makes me wish I had. You can send a kind email to Scott here.
Names in the News:
Bock
MIKE BOCK, once the head of the Guy Gannett Communications TV group, and a former GM of its CBS affiliate in Cedar Rapids, IA, is in hospice care in Iowa. Some of his former colleagues reached out to me to let Mike’s friends know about his situation. They are hoping those friends would send Mike a note, especially with his 74th birthday nearing. More details here.
I stumbled across two reviews of local market news activity over the past year. I likely missed others, but, on the other hand, there aren’t as many local TV critics as there used to be.
JOHN KIESEWETTER reports that 24 on-air people left jobs in Cincinnati this year, with nine of them getting out of the business.
And ALAN PERGAMENT of The Buffalo News looks back at a year of lots of changes at Buffalo stations.
General Manager News and Notes:
Given the holiday break, I’m not aware of any GM moves this week. Please let me know if you know if I missed something.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Monday, January 2, 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
KTTV 1999 S. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles CA 90025
KSAT-TV 1408 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, TX 78215
KVUE- TV 3201 Steck Avenue, Austin, TX 78757
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
KSEE/KGPE-TV 5035 E McKinley Ave. Fresno, CA 93727
WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701
WSLS-TV 821 5th St. NE Roanoke, VA 24016
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719
WJRT-TV 2302 Lapeer Rd. Flint MI 48503
KIVI-TV 1866 E. Chisholm Dr. Nampa, ID 83687
KHGI-TV 1078 25 Road Axtell, NE 68924
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
WJET-TV 8455 Peach Street Erie, PA 16509
WGFL/WNBW/WMYG-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606
KALB-TV 605 Washington Street; Alexandria, LA 71301
WBUP/WKBP-TV 1705 Ash Street Suite 5 Ishpeming, MI 49849
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
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
