December 17, 2023
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 UPDATE:
Greetings:
It’s her TENTH job at the station, and now this longtime employee will be the next news director.
Canine
JENNIFER WALLACE CANINE moves into the proverbial corner office for Graham Media’s WDIV-TV (NBC) in Detroit. As you’ll learn in this memo from GM BOB ELLIS (himself a former WDIV ND) Jennifer has produced every newscast on the schedule. For the last four years, she’s been the Assistant News Director. She replaces KIM VOET who left this summer to become GM for CBS o-and-o WFOR-TV in Miami. Kim was ND here for 12 years.
Fun fact: Jennifer is a second generation broadcaster. Her father, PAT WALLACE, had a long career at NBC including stops as GM for NBC owned stations in Chicago and Philadelphia. He also served as President of the NBC owned station group.
It’s a holiday week. Not sure how much more news we’ll have, but we will publish a full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
With just a few days before the holidays, we have what is, to me at least, a surprising amount of ND changes: THREE new openings (ONE created as an ND is off to a GM job), and TWO newly named NDs.
So our list of stations with ND openings increases to 33.
There’s ONE Paid Help Wanted ad, that for a an ND opening in Rochester, NY.
Longtime consultant BILL SEITZLER is advertising a new research tool using AI to allow stations to make more data driven decisions. Be sure to click on his ad just below to learn more.
We have ONE obituary for a longtime marketing executive who lost his battle with brain cancer.
In addition to the Denver ND who’s off to a GM job, there’s a new GM in Nashville.
And a former Atlanta ND gets a promotion at Cox Media Group.
I do anticipate publishing next week around the holiday but the exact date and time of our next edition could vary.
Best wishes to you and yours for the holidays!
Newly Named News Directors:
Saiers
KOVR/KMAX-TV, Sacramento, CA…PETE SAIERS returns to this CBS owned operation as VP/ND. Earlier in his career, he was a reporter/producer there before moving on to KPIX-TV (CBS owned) in San Francisco for 18 years. Then two ND gigs, two years each at KING-TV in Seattle and KTLA-TV in Los Angeles. He replaces MARY BAYNES who left in October after about 18 months as ND.
Carson
WTOK-TV, Meridian, MS…congratulations to 17 year station veteran LAUREN CARSON on her promotion to news director for this Gray TV owned ABC affiliate. She began as a sports intern and has held a WIDE variety of jobs during her career there. More in her station profile. Lauren replaces EMILY ERIKSON who was promoted to ND for sister Gray TV station WFIE-TV (NBC) in Evansville, IN. Emily worked here for four years and was ND for about 1 1/2 years.
New News Director Openings:
Gregory
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO…Monday’s UPDATE told you that BRIAN GREGORY is leaving this Nexstar FOX/CW duopoly to become GM for Tegna’s WVEC-TV (ABC) in Norfolk. Brian’s been the ND here for six years, earlier was ND for KWCH-TV (CBS) in Wichita, and has worked in Sacrament, Knoxville, and Erie, PA. At WVEC, he replaces another former ND, DOUG WIEDER who was promoted to GM for Tegna’s KARE-TV in Minneapolis earlier this summer.
Maestas
KOB-TV, Albuquerque, NM…TIM MAESTAS has taken a job with the New Mexico Attorney General’s office and will leave this Hubbard Broadcasting owned NBC affiliate later this month. Tim has a law degree which he got while working in Memphis. Tim was the news director at KOB for not quite five years, has also worked as a reporter for another Albuquerque station as well as in Portland, OR, and Abilene, TX.
Alexander
WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, OH…MONA ALEXANDER is retiring after working in Youngstown for more than 40 years, the last 26 as news director for this locally owned NBC affiliate. Mona worked for WKBN-TV in Youngstown, first as a reporter and then in management before moving to WFMJ. Two of her colleagues interviewed her about her career and much more.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
News Director, WHEC-TV, Hubbard Broadcasting, Rochester, NY:
Opportunity for an experienced news leader with history of success in leading broadcast and digital news operations. We emphasize in depth and investigative reporting, first to alert weather coverage, overwhelming response to breaking news, and growing digital services.
A strong leader is sought to help grow our leadership position and work with some of the most talented investigative reporters anywhere. If you join us, you will direct execution of our news strategic plan and continue to improve the plan while working with talented and supportive fellow department heads. The successful candidate must motivate and inspire high performers and be an effective teacher — this is the first TV news job for some team members.
Rochester was high-tech before the term was coined. Intellectual capital that once drove Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch and Lomb has created hundreds of new tech enterprises. Today Rochester is the optics industry capital of America. Two large research universities, smaller colleges, and superior health care are the foundation of a mid-sized city with attributes of larger cities. Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes are the core of recreational gems. Surprisingly, the cost of purchasing housing is among the lowest in the Northeast.
Yes, there is snow. We know what to do with it.
To learn more about Rochester and News10NBC, please watch this 1:20 video:
To learn more about this remarkable opportunity and to apply, please see the full job description here:
Questions? Please contact Michael Hammond, Recruiting Manager, Hubbard Broadcasting: mhammond@hbi.com
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KNBC/KVEA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 10/8/23)
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, MN (listed 10/22/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 10/22/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 11/5/23)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 11/12/23)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (listed 11/5/23)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 11/12/23)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 11/5/23)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 11/12/23)
WJHL-TV, Tri-Cities, TN (listed 10/1/23)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (listed 11/5/23)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Special Projects EP, relisted 10/29/23)
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Sports EP, listed 12/3/23)
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 10/22/23)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (listed 12/10/23)
WJLA-TV, Washington, DC (PM EP, listed 12/17/23)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, relisted 10/22/23)
WSNN-TV, Sarasota, FL (listed 10/8/23)
KMGH-TV, Denver, CO (listed 11/12/23)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (relisted 10/22/23)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC (listed 11/5/23)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (listed 11/12/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 10/22/23)
WRTV, Indianapolis IN (Digital EP, listed 11/12/23)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (AM EP, relisted 10/22/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 10/8/23)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 10/8/23)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 12/17/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted 11/5/23)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 11/5/23)
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (listed 11/5/23)
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI (Digital EP, listed 11/12/23)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (relisted 11/12/23)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, relisted 10/22/23)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (AM EP, relisted 12/10/23)
WNEP-TV, Wilkes-Barre, PA (listed 11/5/23)
WLEX-TV, Lexington, KY (listed 11/12/23)
WKEF-TV, Dayton, OH (listed 12/3/23)
WTVC-TV, Chattanooga, TN (listed 12/17/23)
WJHL-TV, Johnson City, TN (listed 10/22/23)
WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital EP, listed 12/17/23)
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA (listed 10/22/23)
KTVE/KARD-TV, W. Monroe, LA (12/17/23)
MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL, NEW MEDIA:
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 11/12/23)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 12/10/23:
WATN-TV, Memphis, TN (Director of Digital Content)
Relisted 11/5/23:
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Director of Digital Content)
Obituary:
Gaulke
PAUL GAULKE, a veteran marketing executive, died of brain cancer on November 27. He was 61 years old and had been fighting cancer for several years. During his career, he held marketing management roles at both Raycom and Media General, and spent 6 1/2 years as Creative Services Director for Hubbard’s KSTP/KSTC-TV in Minneapolis . More about Paul’s life in this obituary.
Names in the News:
Turnbull
A former news director is one of two executives that received Vice President titles at Cox Media Group. MISTI TURNBULL was named VP of News: she’s been Executive Director of News for the company and is a former ND for WSB-TV (ABC) in Atlanta. JORDAN CIPALA was also promoted to VP Strategy and Operations. More on both elevations here.
General Manager News and Notes:
Spruill
MIKE SPRUILL has been named general manager for Nexstar’s WKRN-TV (ABC) in Nashvilxle. It’s a return to WKRN for Mike, who was the general sales manager there from 2015-2020 before leaving to be GM for Nexstar’s KRBK-TV (FOX) in Springfield, MO. More about Mike’s career in the company news release.
And you learned above that BRIAN GREGORY will be the next GM for Tegna’s WVEC-TV (ABC) in Norfolk, VA. He’s been the ND for Nexstar’s KDVR/KWGN-TV in Denver for the past six years. (More above).
Our List of Open News Director jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 17, 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
News 12 Bronx/Brooklyn, 930 Soundview Ave. Bronx, NY 10473
KXTX-TV 4805 Amon Carter Boulevard, Ft. Worth, TX, 75155 **
WDIV-TV 550 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
KDVR/KWGN-TV 100 East Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80203
WCNC-TV 1001 Wood Ridge Cntr. Dr. Charlotte, NC 28217
WRAL-TV 2619 Western Boulevard Raleigh NC 27606
KSDK-TV 1000 Market Street St. Louis, MO 63101 (Director of Content)
WLOS-TV 110 Technology Drive Asheville, NC 28803
WJAX/WFOX-TV 11700 Central Pkwy 2, Jacksonville, FL, 32224
WBMA-TV 800 Concourse Pkwy Ste 200. Hoover, AL 35244
KOB-TV 4 Broadcast Plaza SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104
WRIC-TV 301 Arboretum Pl. Richmond, VA 23236
WOLF-TV 1181 Highway 315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (news manager)
WRGB-TV 1400 Balltown Rd. Schenectady, NY 12309
WHEC-TV 191 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 (see ad above!)
WZDX-TV 1309 N. Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL 35801
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WBRZ-TV 1650 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WICS-TV 2680 E. Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
KLKN-TV 3240 South 10th Street Lincoln, NE 68502 (Executive ND)
WFMJ-TV 101 W. Boardman Street Youngstown, OH 44503
KNDU/KNDO-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave. Yakima, WA 98902
KDRV-TV 1090 Knutson Avenue Medford, OR 97504
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KGNS-TV 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo TX 78041
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KGWN-TV, 2923 E. Lincolnway. Cheyenne, WY 82001
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KQTV 4000 Faraon St. Joseph, MO 64506
**: Spanish language station