December 16, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018 UPDATE:
Two longtime newswomen are making news.
Gin
JANICE GIN is headed to the islands as she takes her first news director’s job at KITV (ABC) in Honolulu. Here’s the story from the station’s website.
She’s spent the last 20+ years in the San Francisco market, most recently as the Assistant ND for KRON-TV for the past five years. Janice spent 13 years at KTVU-TV as the associate news director and also worked at KGO-TV. She’s worked in Phoenix, Sacramento, and Greensboro. Janice is active in RTDNA and AAJA.
She’s replacing MIKE DARRAH who’s leaving for a job on the mainland after 2+ years as ND.
Patti M.
And news director PATTI McGETTIGAN is leaving Cox’s WHBQ-TV in Memphis on a medical retirement. She’s battled breast cancer for years and survived a heart attack this fall. Cox’s VP/News MIKE DREADEN shared the news in this email.
Patti’s been the news director for this FOX affiliate for four years. She’s a former news director in Indianapolis (WISH-TV) and Grand Rapids (WOOD-TV), where she worked twice (before and after my time as ND there.) She also worked in Pittsburgh and Columbus, OH.
Your kind note would reach her at: patti.mcgettigan@gmail.com
Congrats to Janice, best wishes to Patti for a full recovery, and we’ll be back this weekend with a full newsletter…lots of other changes to share with you.
regards,
Rick Gevers
Tuesday, December 18, 2018 UPDATE:
A longtime news executive makes the move into the general manager’s chair.
Schuler
SUSANA SCHULER stays in Alabama but moves 90 miles north to become general manager for Hearst’s WVTM-TV in Birmingham. That’s the NBC affiliate there. All the details in this news release.
She’ll replace veteran broadcaster HANK PRICE who is retiring.
Many of you know Susana, who spent the last 12 years at Raycom before leaving the company last month prior to its merger with Gray TV. Her last job at Raycom was as executive vice president of content & operations.
She’s a former VP/News for Nexstar, was a news director in Terre Haute, and also worked in Dallas and Harrisburg, PA.
Congrats to Susana, best holidays wishes to all, and we’ll see you this weekend with a full report.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
Another busy week!
We have SIX new news directors to introduce you to. Of note, FOUR of the six were promoted either within a station o5 within their parent company. And we have TWO new ND openings…one in a top 20 market.
That drops our count of open ND jobs to 28.
We have lots of interesting items in Names in the News for your perusal, one GM change, and TWO obituaries, including one for a longtime Texas newsman.
Take a break from filling out holiday cards or shopping and read on!
Newly Named News Directors:
Waggoner
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN…we told you in one of two updates on Thursday that MATT WAGGONER would be the next ND for this Tribune owned (for now) CBS/FOX duopoly. More in this memo from GM JAIME AITKEN and in this news release. Matt’s currently the Assistant ND for Tribune’s KCPQ-TV in Seattle: he joined the station as a producer in 2012 after working in Portland, OR, and Phoenix. He’ll replace KERRI CAVANAUGH who resigned in October to become a consultant for Magid.
KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, UT…TODD REED has been promoted to ND for this Nexstar owned ABC/CW duopoly. GM RICHARD DOUTRE’ JONES issued this statement. Todd replaces GEORGE SEVERSON who became Director of Local Programming & Creative Services after almost six years as ND.
WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI…another Nexstar station filled its opening with an internal promotion. KELLY PETERSON replaces KEVIN OSGOOD who left in September to become the executive director of the Door County (WI) Maritime Museum. Kelly’s been an EP for this CBS affiliate. She’s also worked in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Grand Forks, ND.
Vogel
KHSL/KNVN-TV, Chico, CA…AARON VOGEL started in September as the new ND for this Heartland Media owned CBS/NBC operation. He earlier had been an ND in Decatur, IL, and has worked in Jackson, MS, Knoxville and Savannah. He replaces SCOTT HOWARD who left in January after seven years as news director in his second run at the staton.
Barber
WTWO-TV, Terre Haute, IN…REX BARBER gets the nod as ND for this Nexstar owned NBC affiliate. He’s been the Assistant ND for Nexstar’s WJHL-TV in Johnson City, TN, where he began as an assignment editor in 2013. He had previously worked as a newspaper journalist. In Terre Haute, he replaces the late DEANA REECE who died suddenly last August.
Atwood
KMVT-TV, Twin Falls, ID…we’re tardy in reporting that KADE ATWOOD is the new ND for this Gray Television owned CBS affiliate. He’s actually been on the job since August. This news release tells you about his background and an unusual hobby he enjoys.
New News Director Openings:
Anne W.
KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN…ANNE WITTENBORG announced her resignation this week after more than three years as ND for this Hubbard Broadcasting owned ABC affiliate. Anne told me she’s looking for a new challenge though she’s unsure what it will be, but she’s excited about the future. She’ll be there a few more months to help the transition. Anne’s worked there for the last ten years in her second stint at the station.
Carter
WLEX-TV, Lexington, KY…BRUCE CARTER retired Friday from this Cordillera owned NBC affiliate after 20 years as its news director…and 40 years in our business. All you need to know about Bruce and his career are in this item from the station’s website. He began as a photographer in Bowling Green, KY, moved to Louisville where he eventually became Assistant ND at WAVE-TV, then to Roanoke as ND at WSLS-TV before landing in Lexington.
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WSNS-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 10/21/18)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 11/18/18)
WBTS-TV, Boston, IL (listed 10/28/18)
New England Cable News (listed 10/28/18)
KGW-TV, Portland, OR (listed 10/14/18)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted 11/11/18)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (listed 10/21/18)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (listed 10/28/18)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (AM EP, relisted this week)
WFAA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (listed 10/14/18)
WUSA-TV, Washington, DC (Dayside EP, relisted 11/25/18)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, listed 11/4/18)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, listed 11/11/18)
KOMO-TV, Seattle, WA (PM EP, relisted 11/18/18)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (listed 10/14/18)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (PM EP, listed 12/9/18)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 12/9/18)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, relisted 12/2/18)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, listing revised 12/2/18)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, listing modified 10/21/18)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (TWO EP openings, relisted 11/25/18)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 10/14/18)
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 12/9/18)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (relisted 10/14/18)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (AM EP, listed 10/28/18)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 10/14/18)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 10/21/18)
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (listed 11/18/18)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 10/21/18)
OTHER NEWS MANAGEMENT OPENINGS:
Listed 12/9/18:
WTOC-TV, Savannah, GA (Digital Content Manager)
Re-listed 11/11/18:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Editorial Content)
Listed 10/21/18:
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (AM Content Manager)
Listed 10/14/18:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Content Manager)
Obituaries:
Sorry to report that CARLOS ROSALES, who held a number of jobs including Assistant News Director and Assignment editor during a long career at KVIA-TV in El Paso, TX, died Saturday of a heart attack. In addition to his time in El Paso, this story from the station’s website says he worked in Dallas and Albuquerque. There’s a GoFund me page to help the family cover his funeral expenses.
Our sympathy to SARAH GARZA, Manager, Consumer Investigative Center for NBC in Dallas, on the death of her mother, BEATRICE GARZA. Mrs. Garza was 90 years old and lived in San Antonio. Funeral services were held Friday. In addition to her daughter, she’s survived by Sarah’s husband, MARK GINTHER.
Names in the News (and other items):
Congratulations to a number of local stations which were among 16 winners of Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. All the details are here.
Salazar
KMEX-TV in Los Angeles has a new assistant news director. SANDRA SALAZAR joins this Univision station after holding the same job as Telemundo’s KVEA-TV.
Old friend LANI BASSETT has retired from WJXT-TV in Jacksonville after 44 years at the Graham Media independent. As you would imagine, she held a number of jobs during that time, including as a producer/director. Lani follows her husband, former ‘JXT Assistant ND MAL REDDINGTON into retirement. Together, they spent 84 years at the station, and it was my great fortune to work with both of them for about two of those years.
Mokhtari
Best wishes to KNBC-TV (Los Angeles) news director TODD MOKHTARI who’s on the mend after partial knee replacement surgery on one knee. Todd tells me his recovery is going well but he’ll be off the job for a few weeks. That time off will go more quickly for him if you send him a get well note, giving him something to read while he recovers: tdmokhtari@yahoo.com.
Schulze
The second former Chicago news director in a week has left The Chicago Sun-Times. This time it’s JENNIFER SCHULZE, a former news director for WGN-TV, who served as executive producer-new media. As ROBERT FEDER tells us (second item), the reason for her departure was different than that of CAROL FOWLER’s which we told you about last week.
Von Essen
The first winner of a new scholarship in international journalism at the University of Missouri in the name of longtime newswoman JEANEE VON ESSEN has been announced. The winner of the award is junior CLAIRE HASSLER. Jeanee’s husband, longtime NBC NewsChannel executive BOB HORNER endowed the award in his late wife’s memory. Learn more about the scholarship…and how you can help it grow…by clicking here.
Bloomberg News looks into age discrimination lawsuits against TV stations, pegged to the recent suit filed against WSMV-TV in Nashville by longtime anchor DEMITRIA KALODIMOS.
In this time of station ownership consolidations, there are a still a few small companies owning stations. The Indianapolis Business Journal looks at one such operation, WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, part of a two-station group.
General Manager News and Notes:
TAMMY BLUMHAGEN has been promoted to GM for Nexstar’s North Dakota operations. She has been Director of Sales.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 16, 2018:
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
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
WJLA-TV 1100 Wilson Blvd. , 6th Fl. Arlington, VA 22209
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KIRO-TV 2807 Third Ave., Seattle WA 98121
KSTP-TV 3415 University Ave W Saint Paul, MN 55114
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
WTHR-TV 1000 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
WPBF-TV 3970 RCA Boulevard, # 7007, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
WTLV/WJXX-TV 1070 E Adams St, Jacksonville, FL 32202
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
KMTV 10714 Mockingbird Dr, Omaha, NE 68127
KOLR-TV 2650 E Division St, Springfield, MO 65803
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
WHEC-TV 191 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604
WCSH/WLBZ-TV One Congress Square Portland, ME 04101
KKTV 520 E. Colorado Colorado Springs, CO 80903
WAPT-TV 7616 Channel 16 Way Jackson, MS 39209
WVLA/WGMB-TV 10000 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, LA 70810
WJTV 1820 TV Road Jackson MS 39204
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323 Tyler, TX 75701
WFFT-TV 3707 Hillegas RD Ft. Wayne IN 46807
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Dr. New Bern, NC 28560
KRNV-TV 1790 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89502
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KIII-TV 5002 South Padre Island Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78411
WTVA-TV P.O. Box 320 Tupelo, MS 38802
KRCG-TV, 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
**: Spanish language station