April 26, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015 UPDATE:
Two items in this morning’s UPDATE…a new ND and the winners of regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.
First, a long vacant ND opening in the number one market has been filled by an internal promotion.
Waldman
AMY WALDMAN has been named news director of Tribune’s WPIX-TV in New York. She’s been at this CW affiliate for more than eight years and has served as Senior Executive Producer for more than a year. She’s also worked at Court TV, CNBC, and Fox News Channel, as well as in Buffalo and Erie, PA.
Here’s the memo from GM RICH GRAZIANO to the staff.
Amy replaces MARK EFFRON who left the station last fall after about 18 months as ND.
Also, we accidentally omitted the latest regional Murrow Award winners in this week’s newsletter. Here’s the news release, which includes a link to the winners broken down by region.
Have a great week…and we’ll be back this weekend with our full list of news management changes.
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
27 stations, by our unofficial count, are looking for news directors after this week’s changes. Those include TWO new openings and TWO newly named news directors.
THREE of those openings are featured in paid ads below. And there’s an ad for a new corporate news executive position for a large broadcast company…all below.
The Peabody Awards were announced this week. Just one local, commercial station was honored (along with a DC bureau for a big group broadcaster). That information is below, along with some news about news managers, including the retirement of a former ND who’s spent almost 50 years with the same station.
All that…and more…as you read on.
New News Director Openings:
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH…as we told you earlier this week, ELBERT TUCKER is leaving this Dispatch owned CBS affiliate to become ND for WISH-TV in Indianapolis. More on that below. Learn more about this opportunity in the paid ad below.
WFXR/WWCW-TV, Roanoke, VA…this Nexstar owned FOX affiliate is expanding its news department and hiring its first ND. More details in the paid ad below.
Newly Named News Directors:
Tucker
WISH-TV, Indianapolis, IN…as noted above, ELBERT TUCKER will join this CW affiliate in June as its next news director. Elbert’s spent the last 14+ years as a news director in Ohio: the last five at WBNS-TV in Columbus, and more than nine years prior to that at WKRC-TV in Cincinnati, where he worked with WISH-TV GM LES VANN. Elbert worked in management positions at WKRC for more than eight years before ascending to the ND job. He’s also worked in Birmingham and Chattanooga. WISH posted this story on its website. Elbert’s memo to his staff…and WBNS GM JOHN CARDENAS’s note to the station, are here. He replaces STEVE BRAY who spent 2 1/2 of his 20 years at the station as ND.
Fulk
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC…22 year station employee LISA FULK has been promoted to News Director for this Hearst-owned NBC affiliate. She joined WXII in 1993 as a production assistant, later moved to the news department on the assignment desk. She later became a producer. Lisa became the Digital Executive Producer before being named Assistant ND in 2012. This story on the station’s website has more details. Lisa replaces BARRY KLAUS who left in March for a family business in New York after eleven years as ND.
By the way, we heard this week from LENA SADIWSKYJ. We told you last week that she was leaving WVLT-TV in Knoxville. Lena updated us that she’ll be at the station through the end of May, and promised to let me know when she can say what her next move is.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Director of News Content and Operations, Sinclair Broadcast Group:
Sinclair Broadcast Group has a great opportunity for you! We are looking for an experienced news leader to assist the corporate Vice President of News in managing the day-to-day operations of our corporate news department and our more than 60 local newsrooms across the country. This Director will work closely with and report directly to the corporate VP, News, and will be based at our corporate headquarters in Hunt Valley, MD.
Job duties:
- Manage day-to-day operations of stations from corporate level, including serving as point of contact for content, legal, and HR issues
Reinforce corporate strategy and newsroom initiatives
Manage resources appropriately to ensure top editorial priorities are handled effectively
Approve key hires and talent development
Help coordinate, develop, and execute strategy for news dissemination via multiple screens now and in future applications
Work with existing Group News Directors, Managers and collaborate with Corporate VP’s to ensure operational excellence of team, including our local news operation and bureau
Required Experience:
- Must have a proven track record of news leadership, with demonstrable growth in ratings and revenue
Excellent editorial, legal and ethics knowledge
More than 10 years of industry experience in local or cable television news is required and experience managing multiple operations preferred
Thorough understanding of needs of large and small market operations
Prefer experience in a corporate broadcast, network or cable news environment.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace!
Apply online at www.sbgi.net
Questions? employment@sbgtv.com
News Director, WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH:
WBNS-TV, Central Ohio’s News Leader, is seeking a news director to lead this extraordinary team.
We are a dominant station, nationally recognized, award-winning, and locally owned station seeking a dynamic visionary leader. Must be able to foster a culture of enterprise reporting and produce compelling and distinctive content on all multi-media platforms. Must demonstrate a passion for the product with strong oversight and consistent communication and feedback.
Quality drives our success and we’re eager to have a leader join us and lead us on this quest. Looking for long term players who love the quality of the Midwest and who would be proud to call Ohio home. Minimum 7 years experience in news management and proven track record in enterprising content and ratings success.
Please include your news philosophy along with your resume and cover letter when applying online at www.10TV.com.
News Director, WFXR/WWCW-TV, Roanoke, VA:
WFXR-TV/WWCW-TV in beautiful Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA is seeking an experienced News Director who is an innovative leader possessing excellent news judgement, strong digital news initiative and a passion to be the best. This is a great opportunity to build your own team and hire multiple journalists as we expand our news product in a BRAND NEW state of the art facility.
Southwest Virginia is home to numerous universities and colleges, including Virginia Tech and their highly acclaimed NCAA Division I athletics program. The picturesque communities are situated in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and near several major metropolitan areas, including Washington, DC and Charlotte, NC.
WFXR is home to the region’s only 10:00 pm newscast and the only local newscast from 7:00 to 9:00 am. Now we are ready to expand and serve the viewers of Southwest Virginias like never before. This is a once in a career opportunity to re-launch an established and award winning news operation. We have a new building and new gear is on the way. Now we need an experienced local journalist to lead our operation into this exciting expansion period.
For more information and to apply, go to: http://nexstar.hirecentric.com/jobs/80663.html
WFXR-TV/WWCW-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Assistant News Director, NBC Montana, Bozeman, MT:
NBC Montana – KECI/KCFW/KTVM, the NBC stations in Missoula, Kalispell and Butte-Bozeman, MT — is seeking an Assistant News Director/Executive Producer for its Bozeman, MT station. This opportunity is unique and especially challenging because you will be a key member of a news management team that produces over 25 hours of live news each week on two stations in two DMAs across spectacular Western Montana, a coverage area larger than New England.
We are looking for an aggressive hands on newsroom leader who embraces coaching and training newsroom personnel and promotes a collaborative work environment in concert with our company’s Culture of Excellence, while adhering to the highest journalistic standards. Preference will be given to candidates who have at least three years of experience in the production of live local TV news. Qualified candidates should also be savvy with web posting and social media. Must be a self-starter with ability to work and coordinate efforts with News Director and staff of the other news stations and bureaus within the NBC Montana station group.
Bozeman is a thriving community of about forty thousand and is home to Montana State University. You can enjoy year round outdoor activity at nearby Big Sky Resort and Yellowstone National Park.
Qualified candidates please send cover letter, resume and references to News Director Julie Wendell via email to jweindel@keci.com.
No phone calls please.
Eagle Communications, Inc. dba NBC Montana is owned by Bonten Media Group. EEOC
News Director, KION-TV, Salinas/Monterey, CA:
KION News Channel 5, located in beautiful Monterey County, California, is seeking an extraordinary leader to head a growing news team. We were acquired by News-Press & Gazette Company in December 2013, and are making huge capital investments to build a strong local news organization.
Our News Director will be a visionary leader who understands how to produce compelling and distinctive content on all multi-media platforms. Must have proven skillset to maximize content and customer loyalty on digital and social media platforms. Must demonstrate a passion for the product with strong oversight and consistent communication and feedback.
The successful candidate will be called upon to provide strategic direction for daily news coverage as well as working closely with the General Manager on long-range planning, special news coverage and station projects.
Applicants should be prepared to discuss:
Previous experience
Creative approaches to building and innovating news brand
Mobile and online strategies
Effective use of social media in a broadcast environment
Previous experience managing financial, technical and people resources
If you want to be a part of our success, please send your resume and cover letter, along with your news philosophy, and indicate your referral source to:
Kristy Santiago
KION-TV
1550 Moffett Street
Salinas, CA 93905
or email to kristy.santiago@npgco.com
KION-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Position is closed when filled.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WBZ-TV, Boston, MA (relisted 3/22/15)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 4/5/15)
KGTV, San Diego, CA (listed 4/12/15)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (relisted 3/7/15)
KOAT-TV, Albuquerque, NM (listed 4/12/15)
WJCL-TV, Savannah, GA (listed 3/29/15)
KRCR-TV, Redding, CA (listed 4/19/15)
KECI/KCFW/KTVM, Bozeman, MT(new listing this week, see ad above!)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA (relisted 3/22/15)
KXAS-TV, Ft. Worth/Dallas, TX (listed 3/1/15)
WFXT-TV, Boston, MA (relisted 3/14/15)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 3/22/15)
KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA (PM EP, relisted 3/14/15)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (2 openings, relisted 3/14/15)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (PM EP, listed 4/12/15)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Special Projects EP, listed 3/29/15)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (2 openings, AM & Dayside, listed 3/29/15)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (relisted 4/19/12)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro/High Point, NC (Morning EP, relisted 3/7/15)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (relisted 4/12/15)
WJAR-TV, Providence, RI (PM EP, new listing this week)
WDTN-TV, Dayton, OH (Digital EP, listed 3/1/15)
WMTW-TV, Portland, ME (AM EP, relisted 3/22/15)
WCYB-TV, Tri-Cities, TN (relisted 3/22/15)
ASSIGNMENT MANAGER:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted this week)
Central Florida News 13, Orlando, FL (relisted 3/29/15)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (listed 4/12/15)
WFXT-TV, Boston, MA (relisted 3/14/15)
NEWS OPERATIONS MANAGER:
WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA: (relisted 3/22/15)
Obituaries:
Former WMGM-TV (New Jersey) General Manager RON SMITH died suddenly on Friday, April 17. He also worked in Hagerstown, MD, as well as in a number of radio markets. More here.
Situations Wanted:
We offer a free situations wanted ad to news managers who are out of work and looking for a new opportunity. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 150 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.
Names in the News…and other things:
Just one local, commercial TV station was honored with a Peabody Award this week. Congratulations to KVUE-TV in Austin, TX, its ND FRANK VOLPICELLA, and the staff on the win. Scripps Washington Bureau was also honored. The complete list of winners is here.
SARAH MOORE is the next Assistant ND for Scripps’ WFTS-TV in Tampa. She’s currently the morning EP for WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, and previously worked 12 years for WTVF-TV in Nashville where she rose through the ranks to EP.
One time KRGV-TV (Weslaco, TX) News Director RICK DIAZ will retire from the station at the end of May. He’s worked there for almost 50 years! He became ND in 1976 but continued to anchor even after giving up the ND job. But it won’t be a complete retirement…he’ll continue to produce a popular weekly series.
Finally, congratulations to our friends at Devlin Design Group which scored two awards last week. DDG was honored by NewscastStudio with Set of the Year for its work with WAGA-TV in Atlanta. And the company won the prestigious ACE Award for best exhibit at the NAB show.
General Manager News:
CHUCK REID has been promoted to GM of Sinclair’s KSAS-TV, the FOX affiliate in Wichita. He had been the GSM there.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, April 26, 2015.
If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com
WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
KABC-TV 500 Circle Seven Drive Glendale CA 91201
KWHY-TV 4975 W. Pico Blvd Los Angeles,CA 90019 *
KSTP-TV 3415 University Ave. St. Paul MN 55114
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St. Miami FL 33178
KCEC-TV 777 Grant St. #110 Denver CO 80203 *
Central Florida News 13, 20 N. Orange Ave. Suite 13 Orlando FL 32801
WSMV-TV 5700 Knob Rd. Nashville TN 37209
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Drive Columbus OH 43215 (see ad above!)
KUTV 299 S. Main St. #150 Salt Lake City UT 84111
WDJT-TV 809 S. 60th St. Milwaukee WI 53214
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas NV 89102
WWL-TV 1024 North Rampart St. New Orleans LA 70116
WTEN-TV 341 Northern Blvd. Albany NY 12204
KJRH-TV 3701 South Peoria Avenue Tulsa OK 74105
WOWK-TV 555 Fifth Ave. Huntington WV 25701
WFXR-TV 2618 Colonial Ave. S.W. Roanoke VA 24015
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens St. Columbia SC 29201
KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas Rd. Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WPTA/WISE-TV 3401 Butler Rd Ft. Wayne, IN 46808
KION-TV 1550 Moffett St. Salinas, CA 93905 (see ad above!)
KMIZ-TV 501 Business Loop 70 East Columbia MO 65201
KTVL-TV 1440 Rossanley Dr. Medford OR 97501
WHSV-TV 50 North Main St. Harrisonburg, VA 22802
KMVT/KSVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd. North Twin Falls, ID 83301
WBUP/WBKP-TV 1705 Ash Street Ishpeming MI 49849
* Spanish language station