December 13, 2020
December 15, 2020 UPDATE:
Greetings:
In today’s UPDATE, a network owned station gets a new news director, and a longtime St. Louis anchor moves into management.
Carree
BERVETTE CARREE returns to North Carolina as the next ND for ABC’s WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham. She is currently the Nightside EP for Tegna’s WXIA-TV in Atlanta, a job she’s held for the last 18 months. More here.
Bervette earlier worked at another Raleigh station and in Charlotte and Greensboro/High Point. She’a also worked in Philadelphia and for CNN. At WTVD, she replaces MICHELLE GERMANO who left the station in July after almost five years as ND.
Holliday
ART HOLLIDAY, who’s worked for Tegna’s KSDK-TV (NBC) in St. Louis for more than 40 years, has been named interim news director. He will report to CAROL FOWLER, whose title is Director of Content. More from the station’s website.
Art started at the station as a sports reporter/anchor, moved to morning news anchor, and held some management responsibilities on that program for part of the time he also anchored it. He’s anchored a number of different newscasts and is currently anchoring the 4:00 news.
Congrats to Art, with whom (full disclosure) I worked both at KOMU-TV at the University of Missouri, and at KSDK (which was KSD-TV when we worked there.)
I anticipate at least one more ND hire to be announced this week, and we will bring that to you in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
gevers
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Greetings:
Our list of open news director jobs drops to just 16 which is the lowest it has been in quite a while. And THREE of the FOUR new ND’s are in top 30 markets, TWO in top ten. And there’s just ONE new opening.
ONE of those 16 openings is featured in one of our TWO Paid Help Wanted ads.
Lots of important stories in Names in the News, including a new President of MSNBC, a new VP/News for Altice News 12, a new Assistant ND in Atlanta, and a three time ND turned corporate ND is hit by Covid.
And we have a new GM in an Illinois market to tell you about.
All that and more as you read on.
Newly Named News Directors:
Flores
WCAU/WWSI-TV, Philadelphia, PA…it’s a return to the NBC owned stations group for ELIZABETH FLORES who’s the new VP/News here. She’s currently the assistant ND for WABC-TV in New York but earlier worked for NBC’s Miami station, WTVJ-TV for 17 years. Elizabeth replaces ANZIO WILLIAMS who left in August to become Senior VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the NBC owned stations.
Roldan
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX…LIZ ROLDAN returns to her native Houston as the next ND for this Tegna owned CBS affiliate. It’s part of a new three person leadership team here, which includes STUART BOSLOW (now Director of Content at Tegna’s KARE-TV (Minneapolis/NBC) as Director of Innovation and RANDY KLEIN who’s being promoted to Digital Director. It’s all explained here. Liz replaces SALLY RAMIREZ who left this summer and is now an EP of The News with SHEPARD SMITH on CNBC.
Fahey
WBFF-TV, Baltimore, MD…the long vacant news director’s job here has been filled by MATT FAHEY, who comes from independent station WHDH-TV in Boston. He was an EP for that former NBC affiliate. Mike’s also worked for NBC’s cable operation, NECN in Boston, as well as in Providence and Baton Rouge. He replaces MIKE TOMKO who left almost a year ago.
McConico
WTVO/WQRF-TV, Rockford, IL…MATT McCONICO is the new ND for this ABC/FOX duopoly. Matt tells me he’s excited to be within driving distance of his parents for the first time in 20 years. He most recently spent four years as the ND for WPMT-TV in Harrisburg. Matt’s a former ND in Reno, and has worked in Ft. Myers, Green Bay, and Eau Claire, WI. At WTVO, he replaces ALEX DeLEON who left in October after three years as ND. WQRF is owned by Nexstar, which operates Mission Broadcasting-owned WTVO under a shared services agreement.
New News Director Opening:
WFOR-TV. Miami FL…as we told you above, LIZ ROLDAN is leaving this CBS o-and-o after nine years as ND to become ND for Tegna’s Houston CBS affiliate, KHOU-TV.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Assistant News Director, WRBZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA:
WBRZ, the only truly local TV station serving Louisiana’s capital city, seeks a bold leader to join the team as Assistant News Director.
Top leadership roles at this family-owned station are not available often. With the original local owners, this legacy station is positioning itself to own the future of not just news, but local broadcasting.
The Assistant News Director will manage day-to-day newsroom operations, mentor and coach budding journalists along with helping to create and implement big ideas.
This evolving newsroom doesn’t lose sight of the job: News. We do the news – period. Our investigative reporting prowess leaves a mark in the community. Local owners demand quality, hard-hitting journalism. It’s delivered 8 hours a day on TV or on online, where it’s usually reported first.
WBRZ, in Baton Rouge, is in the shadows of LSU’s Tiger Stadium football cathedral; The city is home to a rowdy, satirical Mardi Gras parade, an unmatched St. Patrick’s Day parade, renowned Southern University’s Human Jukebox and features lush city parks for outdoor enthusiasts.
Knowledge of Louisiana helpful; TV newsroom management experience required.
Email resume and a brief explanation of your news philosophy to Trey Schmaltz: trey@wbrz.com
Pre-employment drug screening required. EOE.
News Director, KADN/KLAF-TV, Lafayette, LA:
NEWS15, the local FOX and NBC affiliate in Lafayette, LA is looking for a News Director to lead our news department. We are looking for someone with outstanding leadership skills who thrives on teaching, coaching and developing a strong and positive newsroom environment. In addition, the News Director leads and supervises all aspects of news, weather, and sports programming production.
The News Director will oversee a department that generates 40.5 hours of on-air content on the Lafayette market’s NBC and FOX stations. Lafayette is a great place to live and work with a culture all its own, and we are looking for a someone to oversee a department that produces professional and engaging content that reflects that culture in a way that appeals to our own families and communities.
Specific Job Duties:
Institutes training systems for new employees.
Makes decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion and termination of employees.
Develops news coverage strategy for the station and its website.
Critiques newscasts daily to correct errors, improve coverage and provide mentoring feedback to news staff.
Prepare the department’s budget and manages expenses to meet established financial goals.
Skills & Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience preferred.
Minimum five years’ experience in news programming production, with at least two years’ experience in a leadership role.
To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please visit the below link to apply for the position.
https://www.kadn.com/about-us/jobs
Equal Opportunity Employer.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 11/22/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 11/29/20)
WATN/WLMT-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 11/15/20)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 11/1/20)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (new listing this week, see ad above!)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (relisted 11/15/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (relisted this week)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listing revised 11/15/20)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (listed 11/15/20)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 11/22/20)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (EP Investigations, listed 11/29/20)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, relisted 11/8/20)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Digital EP, listed 11/1/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (new listing this week)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital Content EP, listed 10/25/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (listed 11/8/20)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (relisted 11/22/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, relisted this week)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, relisted 12/6/20)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (Digital EP, listed 10/25/20)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital EP, listed 11/8/20)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (relisted 11/22/20)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 10/25/20)
WBTW-TV, Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, relisted 10/25/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 10/25/20)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 11/15/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted this week)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 10/25/20)
More News Management Openings:
Relisted this week:
WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI (Digital Content Director)
Listed 11/15/20:
KTXV, Sacramento, CA (News Content Manager)
Listed 11/1/20:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Content Manager)
Relisted 10/25/20:
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital Content Manager)
Names in the News:
Jones
Perhaps the most significant story of the week, which received a lot of attention in mainstream media, was the appointment of RASHIDA JONES as President of MSNBC. That release says Rashida will become the most prominent Black woman in the cable news industry. She’s a Senior VP there now, and has also worked at the Weather Channel. Rashida’s also a former local ND (WIS-TV) in Columbia, SC, and began her career as a producer for WTKR-TV in Norfolk.
Gruber
Another network move finds AUDREY GRUBER leaving ABC News to become VP/News for ALTICE NEWS 12. Details in this staff email from Altice’s Senior VP and General Manager, JACQUES NATZ. Audrey’s been the EP for News and Branded Content at ABC. She has extensive experience at other New York area network operations as outlined on her Linkedin page.
Kanziger
WGCL-TV in Atlanta has hired BRIAN KANZIGER as its next Assistant News Director. He joins this Meredith owned CBS affiliate from Seattle, where he was an executive producer for Cox Media Groups’s CBS affiliate, KIRO-TV, for the last eight years.. He also worked at WSVN-TV (FOX/Sunbeam) in Miami for nine years.
Ginther
Add Sinclair’s MARK GINTHER to the list of those battling Covid-19. Mark, who’s Director of News and Operations for the company, was diagnosed a few weeks ago but is slowing getting better, according to a Facebook post. His wife, SARAH GARZA, also is suffering from Covid. Many of you know Mark, a former ND in Dallas, Seattle and Des Moines who also spent many years in both TV and radio in Minneapolis.
General Manager News and Notes:
Van Ness
Some management changes at Quincy’s WGEM-TV (NBC). CARLOS FERNANDEZ is stepping down as general manager after 13 years, and Sales Manager BEN VAN NESS will replace him. Carlos will stay on as an advisor for a few months. Details here.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 13, 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
WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WXYZ-TV 20777 W. Ten Mile Rd. Southfield, Michigan 48075
WFOR-TV 8900 NW 18th Terrace Doral FL 33172
WTMO-TV 1650 Sand Lake Rd. # 340 Orlando, FL 32809 **
WTVD-TV 411 Liberty St Durham, NC 27701
KAKW-TV 2233 W. North Loop Austin,TX 78756 **
WDSU-TV 846 Howard Ave New Orleans, LA 70113
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WSLS-TV 401 3rd Street SW Roanoke, VA 24011
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
KADN/KLAF-TV 1500 Eraste Landry, Lafayette, LA 70506 (see ad above!)
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WCBI-TV, 201 5th Street South, Columbus, MS 39701
KOMU-TV 5550 Old 63 S, Columbia, MO 65201
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903 ***
**: Spanish language station
***: News Director and Anchor