December 24, 2023
Greetings:
Happy Holidays.
More activity than I expected during a holiday week, much of it positive, but we start with a tragic story from Pennsylvania.
Our sympathy to News Director TOM DAVIS and the staff of Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV (ABC owned) on the crash Tuesday of the station’s helicopter. Photographer CHRIS DOUGHERTY and pilot MONROE SMITH died in the accident. It’s been widely covered, but here’s a story posted yesterday on the investigation into the accident. Many other stories, of course, can be found on the station’s website.
On to our normal business.
TWO newly named news directors this week, ONE filling an opening that’s been on our list for months, while the other opening lasted less than a week.
And…to my knowledge…NO new openings, though we do have an item with more details on the next step for a longtime Texas ND.
Our list of stations with ND openings drops and is now at 31.
Our ONE obituary is that of a former Miami and Phoenix ND and longtime Wichita GM.
He may have retired from Poynter, but AL TOMPKINS is back at it, now as a visiting professor, teaching a class with longtime STEVE HARTMAN photographer LES ROSE. We’ll tell you where in Names in the News. (It’s called a tease. I used to be a producer. Would you expect any less?)
While our work here normally sticks to managers, I really enjoyed a profile of WTVF-TV (Nashville, TN) investigative reporter PHIL WILLIAMS. Check it out below.
And we have TWO new GM’s to report.
We’ll see you next week.
Newly Named News Directors:
Canine
WDIV-TV, Detroit, MI…JENNIFER WALLACE CANINE ascends to the ND job at this Graham Media owned NBC affiliate. She’s a 26 year veteran there and the ND role is her tenth job. GM BOB ELLIS told the staff via this memo (which doesn’t even mention her law degree!) Jennifer (whose dad is longtime NBC exec PAT WALLACE) replaces KIM VOET who left in July to be GM for WFOR-TV (CBS owned) in Miami.
Miller
WFMJ-TV, Youngstown, OH…if you thought Jennifer’s 26 years at WDIV was impressive, how about 35 year station vet SHEILA MILLER, who’s the new ND for this locally owned NBC affiliate. She’s been a longtime EP and more recently the Assistant ND. The station posted this story, which also includes TWO other newsroom promotions. Sheila replaces MONA ALEXANDER. We told you last week that Mona was retiring after 26 years as ND and 40 at WFMJ.
New News Director Openings:
Garza
No new openings this week, but an update on a departure we told you about three weeks ago. JERRY GARZA, ND at Gray’s KGNS-TV in Laredo, TX is leaving for a job outside of television. The station aired this story this week on his last day at the station, where he’s been ND since 2016.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
News Director, WHEC-TV, Hubbard Broadcasting, Rochester, NY:
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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)
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)
Nexstar DC Bureau, Washinton, DC (listed 12/24/23)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, relisted 10/22/23)
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 12/24/23)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (relisted 12/24/23)
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:
Buch
AL BUCH, a former news director in Miami and Phoenix and longtime general manager for KSNW-TV in Wichita, died Thursday. He was 83. KSNW remembered him in this detailed story. Al also worked in Fresno, Boise, and Des Moines, IA. Since leaving KSNW in 2009, Al worked in the financial services industry.
Names in the News:
Tompkins
AL TOMPKINS, who retired in March from Poynter after 25 years, will join the Newhouse School at Syracuse as a visiting professor. Many of you know Al or have benefited from his tutelage, either in your newsroom or at an industry conference. Here’s the story from Syracuse about his appointment, the item Poynter ran when he retired, and a link where you can buy his popular book, Aim for the Heart:Write, Shoot, Report and Produce for TV and Multimedia. (No, I do not get a cut!)
Williams
Speaking of Nashville (if you’re clairvoyant, as Al Tompkins was once an ND there), another terrific journalist, investigative reporter PHIL WILLIAMS of WTVF-TV is profiled in this lengthy and interesting story from The Tennessean. If you’re not familiar with Phil, who’s won most of the top awards for investigative reporting, the name may ring a bell as his work covering a suburban mayoral race has been highlighted recently on HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
General Manager News and Notes:
TWO broadcasters have a lot to celebrate this holiday season with new general manager jobs.
BYRON WILKINSON becomes GM for Tegna’s KVUE-TV (ABC) in Austin, TX. He’s been the interim GM there and was director of sales for seven years.
And BRUCE AUSTIN moves within Gray and will be the next GM for WVLT-TV (CBS) in Knoxville. He’s been running WALB-TV in Albany, GA.
Our List of Open News Director jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 24, 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 **
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)
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