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April 16, 2023

Sunday Apr 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.

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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:

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, listed 2/19/23)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 1/29/23)
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA (Nightside EP, listed 3/26/23)
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (listed 2/5/22)
WTVD-TV, Durham, NC (listed 1/29/23)
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)
WNYT-TV, Albany, NY (listed 2/12/23)
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)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, relisted 3/26/23)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (relisted 2/19/23)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (listed 1/29/23)
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:

Van Ness

We told you earlier this week about the passing of Gray TV recruiter LESLEY VAN NESS. She died in Florida after becoming ill with strep A pneumonia complicated with sepsis. She was 42. Lesley began her career with WGEM-TV in Quincy, transitioned to a recruiting role with parent Quincy Media, and remained when Gray bought Quincy. New today: an updated Caring Bridge page with information about both memorial donations and funeral arrangments. WGEM remembered her with this tribute.

Campbell

BOB CAMPBELL, a former ND at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis and for two stations in Eugene, OR, (IIRC) died March 9th at the age of 75. Bob left WTHR in 1993 and moved with wife MARLENE to Eugene, OR, where they began a career in real estate. He briefly returned to TV in Eugene, and later moved to Bellingham, WA, and resumed their real estate careers until she died in 2021. Full disclosure: Bob and I were classmates at Missouri.

Peterson

GARY PETERSON, who served as ND for KAAL-TV in Austin, MN, in the early 2000s, and co-founded the website FindJodi.com, died Wednesday. He was 81. FindJodi.com was established to solve the disappearance of Mason City, IA, anchor JODI HUISENTRUIT who vanished in 1995. You’ll learn in this obituary that Gary and his wife served as Medicolegal Death Scene investigators for the Medical Examiner’s office and he served as a county commissioner.

Wes A.

A former ND for WVVA-TV in Bluefield, WV, WES ARMSTEAD, died Tuesday. He was 68. Wes began his career as a custodian at WCHS-TV in Charleston, WV, became a photographer, and transitioned to the assignment desk before moving to the ND job at WVVA. The station paid tribute to him here, while this obituary has many more details about a very interesting life.

Names in the News:

Eyewitness News is dead. Well, at least at Philadelphia’s KYW-TV. This CBS o-and-o unveiled new branding this week, featuring a slogan “Finding Heart in Every Beat”. Here’s a link to a promo about the new branding. KYW is believed to be the first station to use Eyewitness News in the 60’s.

Esparros

WWL-TV (Tegna/CBS) in New Orleans profiled longtime news director KEITH ESPARROS on the occasion of his retirement. We told you earlier this month that he was retiring after eight years as news director here. Keith earlier had been the ND at WVUE-TV in New Orleans, and also worked for several stations in California.

Awards time!

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) announced its 2022 winners this week. You can find all the winners in all the categories by clicking here.

And two local stations were among the nominees in the news and documentary categories for The Peabody Awards. Congratulations to Tegna’s KARE-TV in Minneapolis and KXTV in Sacramento. Check out all the nominees here. Winners will be announced next month.

Shelley

RTDNA President and DAN SHELLEY wants DONALD TRUMP court proceedings to be televised.

Three stations promoted employees to new jobs this week.

At Fox’s WTTG-TV in Washington, CHRISTIE BARBOUR moves up to EP as you’ll read in this staff memo.

At Scripps’ KNXV-TV (ABC) in Phoenix, 12 year station veteran DESTANEY SPERRY was promoted to AM EP. She had been the senior producer there.

Scripps also promoted MONICA CHAVARRIA to managing editor for KSTU-TV (FOX) in Salt Lake City. She was running the Real-Time desk at KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi.

General Manager News and Notes:

Smith

Friday’s UPDATE told you that Gray Television Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer BOB SMITH‘s last day was Friday. Here’s the memo from Gray’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer HILTON HOWELL. Bob began in sales and moved into management, serving as the general manager for WMTV in Madison, WI, when Gray bought WMTV from Benedek.

Green

DARRYL GREEN is retiring after just two years as GM for CBS’s WFOR-TV in Miami. He’ll leave at the end of the month. He’s a former GM in Washington (WUSA-TV) from 2003-2007 and at WFTX-TV (Scripps/FOX) for four years.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, April 16, 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, Bldg 2120 Universal City, CA 91608
KTLA-TV 5800 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
KTTV 1999 S. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles CA 90025
WMAQ/WSNS-TV 454 N. Columbus Dr. Chicago, IL 60611
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
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
WGEM-TV 513 Hampshire. Quincy, IL 62301
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

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