August 22, 2021
Thursday, August 26, 2021 UPDATE:
CBS has filled another general manager opening at one of its owned stations, and for the THIRD consecutive time, they’ve tabbed a news person.
Wieland
Today it’s TIM WIELAND, who’s been promoted to general manager of KCNC-TV in Denver. He’s been the news director there since 2004.
More in this news release.
Tim’s a 27 year veteran of KCNC, having first worked there from 1992-1999, beginning as a writer and progressing to executive producer. He left for a short stint at CNN, and returned in 2001 as the assistant ND.
Tim replaces WALT DeHAVEN who is retiring.
As I mentioned above, Tim’s the third consecutive newsperson to fill a CBS owned station GM job.
First was JOHNNY GREEN, Jr. at WCBS-TV in New York, followed last week by JENNIFER LYONS, who was named to the top job at WBBM-TV in Chicago.
Still open: KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and KTVT-TV in Dallas/Ft. Worth.
Let the wagering begin!
Rogers
We”ll have a lot of interesting stories in this week’s newsletter which would take to long to include here, but I do want to tell you about the passing of legendary KENS-TV (San Antonio) news director BOB ROGERS who died earlier this week at the age of 87. The station remembered him here while the local newspaper did a nice job of looking back at his 27 year career at the station.
Finally, a correction from last week’s full newsletter. WISC-TV in Madison, WI, won the National Edward R. Murrow for Overall Excellence for small market TV. I accidentally listed another Madison station.
We’ll see you this weekend with a busy newsletter.
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
Lots of movement and lots of news in this week’s report.
FOUR new news directors appointed, with just ONE new opening. Our list of open ND jobs drops to 34.
Sadly (and least for me and my bank account) NONE of those new jobs are featured in a paid help wanted ad.
But we do have an ad from RTDNA reminding all that the registration deadline for next month’s annual convention. “The Year of the Team” is coming up soon. Check out the ad just below for details. I hope to see many of you there.
Speaking of conferences, NAB’s will require proof of covid-19 vaccinations for attendees at its October gathering in Las Vegas.
We first alerted you to a rash of top 50 market GM appointments earlier this week, THREE of which involved people with news director experience. We’ll revisit those hires below.
In Names in the News, we’ll tell you of the pending retirement of a longtime NBC NewsChannel executive. We also have details of how being a Star Wars fan played a role in a life-saving organ donation for a longtime Pennsylvania news director. We’ll recap the National Edward R. Murrow Award winners, tell you who RTDNA will honor with the Paul White Award, and share news of a retirement of a longtime major market anchor who also spent a year as a news director in California.
And we’ll tell you about a unusual purchase by Nexstar.
New News Director Hires:
Palestina
WVUE-TV, New Orleans, LA…KRISTEN PALENTINA has been promoted to news director for this Gray owned FOX affiliate. She’s been the assistant news director here for 12 years and earlier in her career worked for WWL-TV (CBS) in New Orleans for two years. She’s replacing MIKEL SCHAEFER who’s being promoted to general manager (more on that in our GM section below).
Breazeale
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX…JIM BOB BREAZEALE has been named Director of Content for this Scripps owned NBC affiliate. Details from GM RAMON PINEDA. Jim Bob is currently the Assistant ND for KGBT/KVEO-TV in Harlingen and Brownsville. He’s also worked in Austin. At KRIS, he replaces MARK SILBERSTEIN who left in May after nine months as news director.
McLain
WTVM-TV, Columbus, GA…an inter-Gray TV transfer sends WILLIAM McLAIN to this ABC affiliate for his first ND job. GM HOLLY STEUART told the staff in this memo. William is currently the Assistant ND for Gray’s WAFF-TV in Huntsville, AL, where he began as a producer, advanced to digital content manager, and eventually AND. He’s also worked in Montgomery and replaces MARK ROSEN who moved closer to family and be ND for WFXG-TV in Augusta, GA.
LeSavage
KBJR-TV, Duluth, MN…another Gray station filled its open ND job by promoting interim ND BRIGGS LeSAVAGE. She’s a Duluth native who first joined this dual NBC/CBS operation as a producer, co-anchor and reporter five years ago. She’s replacing veteran newsman KEVIN JACOBSEN who left to operate a business with his wife.
New News Director Opening:
Gaylord
KPAX-TV, Billings, MT…ERIC GAYLORD is leaving this Scripps owned CBS affiliate after two years as ND to take a job at Scripps’ Newsy. He’s also been a ND in Great Falls, MT. Eric began as a photographer, working in Kansas City, St. Louis, Denver, and as a chief photographer in San Diego before moving into management.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
No paid ads this week. If you want to advertise your management openings, it’s just $300 for two weeks, $550 for four to reach the most targeted audience. Email me: rick@rickgevers.com for details.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA (listed 8/8/21)
WAFF-TV, Huntsville, AL (new opening this week)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (new opening this week)
WSIL-TV, Harrisburg, IL (listed 7/4/21)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (relisted 7/4/21)
HOI-ABC, Peoria, IL (relisted 7/25/21)
KTTC-TV, Rochester, MN (relisted 7/11/21)
KAIT-TV, Jonesboro, AR (listed 8/8/21)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WHDH-TV, Boston, MA (EP/Investigations, relisted 7/25/21)
Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC (2 openings, listed 8/8/21)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 8/1/21)
KGTV, San Diego, CA (listed 6/27/21)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 8/15/21)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 7/25/21)
WGHP-TV, Greensboro-High Point, NC (AM EP, relisted 8/1/21)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 7/4/21)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 8/8/21)
WOWK-TV, Charlestown, WV (new listing this week)
WSAV-TV, Savannah, GA (relisted 7/4/21)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 7/4/21)
WJHL-TV, Johnson City, TN (Digital EP, relisted 6/13/21)
KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE (AM EP, relisted 7/18/21)
KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN (relisted 7/11/21)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (listed 6/27/21)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 8/15/22:
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 8/1/21:
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (Digital Content Manager)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 6/27/21:
Spectrum Networks NY1 Senior Manager, News and Content
Listed 6/20/21:
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (Digital Content Director)
Names in the News:
SHARON HOUSTON is retiring as President of NBC’s NewsChannel, where she has worked since 1991. Before moving to Charlotte and NewsChannel, she worked at the CBS Bureau in Atlanta. CORRIE HARDING gets a new title of (take a deep breath) VP of News Partnerships and Executive In Charge of NBC News Channel. Congrats to Sharon, who I have missed working with since my days as an NBC affiliate ND and when she was the deputy bureau chief for CBS in Atlanta and I was the AND at the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville.
Platzer
A mutual passion for Star Wars played a role in helping WJAC-TV (Johnstown, PA) news director JIM PLATZER receive a life-saving liver transplant. Details from the WJAC website. You may remember last year the station sponsored a blood drive on Jim’s behalf after he collapsed in the newsroom. Jim began his career at WJAC, and returned as ND in 2011 after ND stints in Greensboro, NC, Decatur, IL, and Clarksburg, WV. He’s also worked in Orlando, Tampa, Mobile and Altoona, PA.
Nolte
STEPHANIE NOLTE moves within Nebraska to become the next Assistant News Director for Standard Media’s KLKN-TV (ABC) in Lincoln. She’s been the chief photographer for KMTV in Omaha (Scripps/CBS) for the past four years. She has also worked in Des Moines, LaCrosse, WI, and Florence, SC, where she worked as a multimedia journalist for a newspaper.
In case you missed our emailed UPDATE earlier this week, RTDNA announced the winners of the National Edward R. Murrow Awards. Congratulations to Chicago’s WBBM-TV (CBS owned) and WKOW-TV WISC-TV in Madison, WI (ABC/Morgan Murphy Media) for taking the Overall Excellence Awards. The complete list is here.
In that UPDATE, I congratulated my friend and former WTOL-TV (Toledo, OH) employee STEVE HARTMAN of CBS News for another win for Excellence in Writing but failed to note that my friend and Missouri classmate JOHN FERRUGIA and his team at Rocky Mountain PBS took top honors in large market TV for documentary. Congrats to both and to all the winners.
Zirinsky
Another RTDNA note: The organization announced that longtime CBS newswoman and past CBS News President SUSAN ZIRINKSY will be honored with the Paul White Award at the upcoming conference in Denver. Paul White was the first news director for CBS news. The award honors people for their lifetime contributions to broadcast news.
Becker
One time Palm Springs (KMIR-TV) News Director ROSS BECKER (who is MUCH better known for his many large market anchor jobs) has announced he’s stepping off the anchor desk after 49 years. But he’s not calling it a retirement, saying he’s working on a project. Ross most recently worked for KAAL-TV in Rochester, MN. Details on his background and future plans in this story.
Finally, Nexstar has purchased the online political site The Hill for $130 million dollars. More here.
General Manager News and Notes:
Our Friday UPDATE brought news of FOUR top 50 market GMs, three with news backgrounds.
Lyons
In Chicago, former longtime WGN-TV ND (and short time News Nation executive) JENNIFER LYONS was named general manager for CBS owned WBBM-TV. Veteran Chicago media writer ROBERT FEDER has more. She replaces DEREK DALTON who was released a few weeks ago, along with KCBS-TV (Los Angeles) GM JAY HOWELL. Earlier in her career, Jennifer worked in Des Moines and Davenport, IA.
Ellis
BOB ELLIS returns to Detroit’s WDIV-TV (Graham Media/NBC) as GM. Earlier in his career, Bob was the ND there for 18 months at the end of a 15 year run. He’s spent the last 12 years running Graham Media’s successful independent station, WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, FL. Bob’s replacing longtime Detroit media executive MARLA DRUTZ, who retired.
Corrente
Gray Television promoted TWO employees to new general manager jobs. RONNA CORRENTE moves to WAVE-TV (NBC) in Louisville as GM, replacing KEN SELVAGGI who left the station earlier this month. She’s been the GM for Gray’s WVUE-TV (FOX) in New Orleans. Ronna is a Kentucky native who began her career in sales at WDKY-TV (FOX) in Lexington.
Schaefer
Gray immediately replaced her at WVUE by promoting news director MIKEL SCHAEFER. He’s been the news director here since 2008 and earlier worked for cross-town CBS affiliate WWL-TV. And he was immediately replaced as ND by the Assistant ND there, KRISTEN PALESTINA, as you learned above.
The promotions of Ronna, Mikel, and Kristen are covered in this Gray news release.
Nexstar has named MICHAEL SILECCHIA GM of its Rockford, IL, station, WQRF-TV (FOX). He’ll also be in charge of Mission Broadcasting’s WTVO-TV (ABC). Michael comes from the sales side of our business, having worked most recently in Oklahoma City and Fresno.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 22, 2021:
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
WCBS-TV 530 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019
KRON-TV 900 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
KCPQ-TV 1813 Westlake Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109
KMSP/WTTC-TV 11358 Viking Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
KGTV 4600 Air Way, San Diego, CA 92102
KUAN-TV 9680 Granite Ridge Drive San Diego, CA 92123
WSMV-TV 5700 Knob Road, Nashville, TN, 37209
KUTV 299 South Main St. # 150, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
WHNS-TV 21 Interstate Court Greenville, SC 29615
WAVY-TV 300 WAVY Street Portsmouth, VA 23704
WOOD-TV 120 College Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
WNEP-TV 16 Montage Mountain Rd, Moosic, PA 18507
WBRE/WYOU-TV 62 S Franklin, Wilkes-Barre, PA, 18701
WKBW-TV 7 Broadcast Plaza. Buffalo, NY 14202
KJRH-TV 3701 S. Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74105
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main Street , Dayton , OH 45409
WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701
WOWK-TV 350 Quarrier St Charleston, WV 25301
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WCIA-TV 509 S. Neil St., Champaign, IL 61820
WFFF/WVNV-TV 298 Mountain View Dr, Colchester, VT 05446
KFSM-TV 5101 S. 48th Street Springdale, AR 72762
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
WWTV/WWUP-TV P.O. Box 627, Cadillac, MI 49601
KATC-TV 1808 Eraste Landry Road. Lafayette, LA 70506
KION-TV 1550 Moffett Street Salinas, CA 93905
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd.. Columbus, GA 31907
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
WREX-TV 10322 Auburn Road Rockford, IL 61103
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
WJET-TV 8455 Peach St, Erie, PA 16509
KULR-TV 2045 Overland Ave. Billings, MT 59102
KPAX-TV 1049 West Central Avenue Missoula MT 59801
KREX-TV 345 Hillcrest Drive Grand Junction, CO 81501
**: Spanish language station