Rick’s Weekly Newsletter | Rick Gevers & Associates

March 29, 2020

Greetings:

A little more movement this week to share with you.

There’s ONE new news director this week. And I’m not aware of any new openings, so our count of open ND jobs drops to 32.

There’s ONE new Paid Help Wanted ad…a great opportunity for someone wanting to get into management.

In our too-busy-for-our-liking Obituary section, we’ll tell you about the death today of a CBS News executive, as well as TWO other obituaries.

Syracuse has named a new dean for its School of Public Communications. That’s one of FOUR items in Names in the News, and we have TWO new general managers to tell you about, both of them promoted in their current companies.

Stay healthy and take care of your staffs!

Newly Named News Directors:

Bobula

WITN-TV, Greenville, NC…JESSICA BOBULA moves from one Gray station to another as she takes over the newsroom at this NBC affiliate. She was the Assistant ND at another Gray station, WIS-TV (also NBC) in Columbia, SC, and the company accelerated her start date to help WITN cover all the news. Her career background is on Linkedin. At WITN, she replaces MELISSA ABRAHAMSEN CASHWELL.

New News Director Openings:

No new news director openings this week.

Paid Help Wanted Ad:

KnwaLogo

Nightside Executive Producer, KNWA-TV, Fayetteville AR:

Is there a better time to be a newsroom leader? We are covering historic times. Here’s your chance to join the largest media company in the country – while making a difference in your local community.

KNWA & FOX24, the NBC & FOX affiliates in Fayetteville, Arkansas, are looking for an aggressive, innovative, creative and dynamic nightside Executive Producer.

We are looking for a true leader who wants to make an impact in our newsroom and our community. The nightside EP will help craft the station’s daily content, work with crews in the field, and mentor reporters and producers.

The nightside EP will work closely with the News Director and Assistant News Director to set and uphold the high standards for how KNWA & FOX24 newscasts are produced and executed on every platform, including digital.

Above all, we’re looking for someone with an optimistic outlook and a winning attitude.

Our newsroom is forward-thinking and built on a strong emphasis of positive reinforcement, feedback, growth and development of talent and a desire to win. We consistently win awards from our local audiences for our commitment to our community and our service-centered sense of duty.

Whether you are looking for a place to settle in or a place to equip yourself for that next “big step” – we have a proven track record of providing both outcomes.

(Fayetteville is actually a great place to live. In fact, U.S. News ranks Fayetteville the fourth best place to live in the country.)

Apply here:

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 3/22/20)
KCPQ/KZJO-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 2/2/2020)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 1/26/20)
WSFL-TV, Miami, FL (listed 2/2/2020)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 3/8/20)
WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI (listed 2/9/20)
Spectrum News, Milwaukee, WI (listed 1/19/20)
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (listed 3/15/20)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (listed 2/23/20)
KTIV-TV, Sioux City, IA (relisted 1/19/20)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (listed 3/22/20)
KNPN/KNPG/KCJO-TV, St. Joseph, MO (relisted 2/16/20)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

Nexstar’s News Nation, Chicago, IL (2 openings, listed 2/2/20)
Nexstar’s News Nation, Chicago, IL (Digital EP, listed 2/2/20)
WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA (relisted 2/16/20)
KPHO/KTVK-TV, Phoenix, AZ (EP Special Projects, listed 2/16/20)
WWSB-TV, Sarasota, FL (relisted this week)
KING/KONG-TV, Seattle, WA (listed 2/16/20)
KDVR-TV, Denver, CO (AM EP and Digital EP, listing revised 2/9/20)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 2/2/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, listing modified 1/19/20)
KGTV, San Diego, CA (listed 2/9/20)
KSND-TV, San Diego, CA (PM EP, relisted 3/1/20)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 2/16/20)
WFSB-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (AM EP, listed 3/15/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (EP/Innovation, listing revised 2/23/20)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 2/23/20)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 2/16/20)
WTVR-TV, Richmond, VA (listed 3/15/20)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 3/1/20)
WSAV-TV, Savannah, GA (listed 3/8/20)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (relisted this week)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, listing revised this week, see ad above!)
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL (listed 3/8/20)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (PM EP, listing revised this week)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (relisted 2/23/20)
KARD-TV, W. Monroe, LA (listed 3/8/20)
KCAU-TV, Sioux City, IA (listed 3/8/20)

MANAGING EDITOR:

Nexstar’s News Nation, Chicago, IL (2 openings, listed 2/2/20)
WSFL-TV, Ft. Lauderdale/Miami (Investigative/Enterprise, listed 3/15/20)
KOIN-TV, Portland, OR (relisted 2/9/20)

More News Management Openings:

Listed 3/15/20:

WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 2/23/20:

WJLA-TV, Washington, DC (Investigative Producer)
E.W. Scripps @ WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (News Manager Apprentice)

Relisted 2/23/20:

WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 2/16/20:

E. W. Scripps, Cincinnati, OH (Director of News Content Strategy)
WWSB-TV, Sarasota, FL (Digital Content Manager)

Listed 1/19/20:

WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Senior Multiplatform Producer)
WBOC-TV/Draper Media, Salisbury, MD (Director of Digital Content)
University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (Professor)

Listed 1/5/20:

WTKR-TV, Norfolk, VA (Assignment Desk Manager)

Obituaries:

Mercader

MARIA MERCADER, a 30 year veteran of CBS News, died today after contracting the novel coronavirus. She was just 54 years old but had battled cancer and other illnesses for more than 20 years. CBS This Morning’s ANTHONY MASON voiced this obituary. Maria began at CBS as a page, worked her way to producer, and most recently had been the Director of Talent Strategy.

Absher

BOB ABSHER, who spent almost 30 years in a variety of roles at WNEP-TV, died this week. He began at the station as a reporter and weekend anchor and later transitioned to management, retiring in 2005 as the assistant news director. The station aired this obituary.

Finally, our sympathy to CJ HOYT on the death of his mother. PAT HOYT died on March 17 after a 2 1/2 year cancer battle (which started with a prognosis of six months.) CJ was able to spend her final days with her as Nexstar allowed him to delay his start date for his new job as ND for Nexstar’s WTTV/WXIN-TV (CBS/FOX) in Indianapolis, where he began this week. CJ was working in his hometown of Harrisburg, PA as ND for WHTM-TV. Funeral services are delayed due to the coronavirus.

Names in the News (and other items):

KAI’BRINA PARKMAN stays within Sinclair and moves cross country to become the morning EP for KRNV-TV in Reno, NV. She’s also worked in Gulfport, MS.

Lodato

MARK LODATO is the new Dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He’s currently the Associate Dean at Arizona State University. Mark’s a former reporter and anchor at local stations in Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington and Ft. Myers. Oh, and Mark also worked in Columbia, MO, where he earned his undergraduate degree at the Univeristy of Missouri (noted another proud Missouri alum!)

Hartman

CBS “On the Road’ correspondent STEVE HARTMAN spent the last week teaching an online course called Kindness 101. He aired some of his stories and taught a valuable theme from each of them. The lessons streamed live on the CBS Evening News Facebook page and received more than two million views. More here. Full disclosure: I hired Steve for his first job (as the weekend producer) at WTOL-TV in Toledo.

All news directors have made dramatic shifts to their operations over the last two weeks. Here’s an account of how one NBC affiliate newsroom (where all the reporters are students, and many of the producers) handled the changes. STEVE ACKERMANN (who’s leading the newsroom at KOMU-TV in Columbia, MO, during a faculty search) has details here.

General Manager News and Notes:

Chastain

Nexstar has transferred SCOT CHASTAIN to KTXL-TV (FOX) in Sacramento as GM. He’s been running the company’s Lansing, MI, station, WLNS-TV. More on his new job and background here. Scot spent more than 20 years at NBC, mostly in affiliate relations jobs, and has also worked at stations in New Orleans, Winston-Salem, and Bryan, TX.

Henrich

Another GM transfer finds CHARLIE HEINRICH headed to KCTV (CBS) in Kansas City as GM. That’s a Meredith station, as is WHNS-TV (FOX) in Greenville, SC, where he’s been the GM. Here’s the news release. It’s a return to KC for Henrich, who spent five years there as the VP/Operations for Newport Broadcasting. Charlies replaces CHUCK PODUSKA who is retiring.

Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, March 29, 2020:

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

WNJU-TV, 2200 Fletcher Avenue Fort Lee, NJ 07024
WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WEWS-TV 3001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115
WCNC-TV 1001 Wood Ridge Center Dr., Charlotte, NC 28217
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St, Baltimore, MD 21211
KOAT-TV 3801 Carlisle Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87107
WGAL-TV 1300 Columbia Avenue. Lancaster, PA 17603
WHTM-TV 3235 Hoffman St, Harrisburg, PA 17110
WPMT-TV 2005 South Queen Street York, PA 17403
KOKI-TV 2625 S. Memorial Drive, Tulsa, OK 74129
WRGB-TV 1400 Balltown Road, Schenectady, NY 12309
WOI-TV 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
KREM-TV 4103 S Regal St, Spokane, WA 99223
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
KVAL/KMTR-TV 4575 Blanton Rd., Eugene, OR 97405
KSBW-TV 238 John Street, Salinas, CA 93901
KRIS-TV 301 Artesian Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KRCR-TV 755 Auditorium Dr. Redding, CA 96001
KOMU-TV 5550 Old 63 S, Columbia, MO 65201
WREX-TV 10322 Auburn Rd, Rockford, IL 61101
KFDM-TV 2955 I-10 East Beaumont, TX 77702
KSWO/KAUZ-TV 1401 SE 60th St, Lawton, OK 73501
KPLC-TV 20 Division Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601
WTVY-TV 285 N Foster St # 7, Dothan, AL 36303
KULR-TV 2045 Overland Ave. Billings, MT 59102
KHQA-TV 301 S 36th St, Quincy, IL 62301
Delta News 837 Washington Av. Greenville, MS 38701
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903
KAEF-TV 540 E St Eureka, California 95501
KAVU-TV 3808 N Navarro St, Victoria, TX 77901

**: Spanish language station

March 22, 2020

Greetings:

As you might imagine in this unusual time, there was no movement among news managers and general managers this week.

To my knowledge, NO news directors changed jobs this week. Our count of open positions remains at 33.

I do want to correct an error in last week’s newsletter. In reporting BRIDGET FARGEN’s new job as ND for WSAW-TV in Wausau, WI, we incorrectly reported her current station. She’s been the evening anchor at KOLN-TV in Lincoln, NE. Apologies.

We do have THREE items in Names in the News, TWO paid help wanted ads, and NO obituaries or GMs on the move.

Please stay healthy and continue to do the important work of keeping your communities informed.

We’ll be back next week and let’s all hope for a quick return to what will likely be a new normal.

Newly Named News Directors:

No new news directors this week.

New News Director Openings:

No new news director openings this week.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

WowkLogo

Assistant News Director, WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV:

Nexstar Nation is looking for an ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR at WOWK in Charleston, West Virginia.

Join the largest media group in the country, and a strong news team in Market #74. It’s an amazing opportunity that puts you steps away from the News Director chair.

Here’s what you’ll do:

Assist the News Director with management of all aspects of the News Department (other than Production.)

Assist with planning, staffing, training, and performance evaluations for the News Department.

Consult on decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion and termination of employees.

Develop news coverage strategy for the station and its website.

Critique newscasts daily to correct errors, improve coverage and provide mentoring feedback to news staff.

Assign projects to staff and verifies that deadlines are being met.

Ensure achievement of viewer rating goals.

Determine programming and evaluation of equipment needs to produce quality programming.

Respond to coverage questions.

Serve as the News Director in his/her absence.

Want to learn more and/or apply? Click here:

WowkLogo

Digital Content Manager, WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV:

Lead the digital revolution inside Nexstar Nation as Digital Content Manager for WOWK in Charleston, West Virginia- Market 74. Bring your ideas and determination to the table and be met with open arms. This is a team that loves digital-and you’ll be a part of the largest media group in the country.

What do we want?

Manage content display across desktop and mobile
Be a newsroom leader
Be a fixture in the morning and afternoon editorial meetings
Contribute content to relevant events and/or stories as needed
Assist with special project/sweeps planning & execution
Work irregular/odd hours and available to work weekends and holidays
Think strategically about developing the digital audiences and online capacities of newsroom
Help develop new opportunities to expand news brand and services while utilizing new and emerging technologies
Additional responsibilities as assigned by management
Assist in managing sales content elements that have strong revenue potential and web user interest.
Live streaming knowledge

Want to take the station and #nexstarnation to the top on our digital platforms?

Click here to apply: