December 6, 2020
December 8, 2020 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Another day brings news of a number of news management changes in a top ten market station.
Roldan
Today it’s Tegna’s KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston which has named LIZ ROLDAN as its next news director. She’s a longtime Miami newsperson, having spent the last nine years as ND for CBS o-and-o WFOR-TV.
Liz replaces SALLY RAMIREZ who departed earlier this year after four years as ND. She is now an EP of The News with SHEPARD SMITH on CNBC.
Boslow
In addition, KHOU named STUART BOSLOW as its Innovation Director. He’s currently Director of Content for sister Tegna station KARE-TV (NBC) in Minneapolis. And RANDY KLEIN was promoted to Digital Director for the station. Both are longtime Tegna employees
Learn more about all these changes in this news release from KHOU.
It’s only Tuesday and it’s been a very busy week. Stay tuned!
regards,
Rick Gevers
December 7, 2020 UPDATE:
Greetings:
TWO large market news director jobs have been filled.
Flores
ELIZABETH FLORES is the new VP/News for NBC’s WCAU-WWSI-TV in Philadelphia. More here. It’s a return to the NBC stations group for Elizabeth, who spent 17 years at WTVJ-TV in Miami. She’s currently, she’s been the Assistant ND at WABC-TV in New York.
She replaces ANZIO WILLIAMS who was promoted to Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the NBC owned stations in August.
Fahey
Meanwhile, the long vacant ND job at Sinclair’s Baltimore FOX affiliate, WBFF-TV, has finally been filled with MIKE FAHEY, currently an executive producer for Boston independent station WHDH-TV. WBFF posted this on its website.
Mike’s also worked for NECN in Boston, Providence and Baton Rouge, LA. He replaces MIKE TOMKO who left back in January.
More on these stories and all the week’s news in our full newsletter next weekend.
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
We have a busy week with lots of stories for you.
First, ONE new news director to tell you about, and TWO new openings, including one in a top 15 market. That brings our list of open ND jobs to 19.
TWO of those open ND jobs are featured in our Paid Help Wanted ads.
Sorry to report the passing of a former west coast assignment editor who became a highly regarded PR person in Las Vegas. That’s our only obituary.
But we have LOTS of items in our Names in the News section, including items about TWO former Michigan news directors who’ve found success in other careers after the newsroom.
All that and more as you read on…
Newly Named News Directors:
Good
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA…this Nexstar owned FOX affiliate has hired JOSH GOOD as its next news director. Josh is currently ND for KADN/KLAF-TV(FOX/NBC) in Lafayette, LA. He’s also worked in Ft. Wayne and Knoxville. At WFXR, he replaces KAY NORRED who left in September after two years as news director.
New News Director Openings:
LaVelle
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI…our UPDATE earlier this week brought news that RHONDA LaVELLE is leaving this Scripps owned ABC affiliate after about four years as ND. She’s a Michigan native and has spent most of her career there, including a long run at WDIV-TV (NBC) in Detroit. Rhonda also worked at WKBD-TV in Detroit and WNEM-TV in Flint/Saginaw. Her lone job outside of Michigan was ND at KPRC-TV in Houston.
KADN/KLAF-TV, Lafayette, LA…you learned above that JOSH GOOD is leaving this Allen Media Broadcast owned FOX/NBC duopoly after about two years as ND. He’s off to Roanoke to be ND for WFXR-TV, the Nexstar owned FOX affiliate there. Learn more about this opening in the Paid Help Wanted Ad just below.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
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.
News Director, WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA:
WSLS-TV, the Graham Media Group owned – NBC station in Roanoke, VA seeks a strategic thinking and assertive News Director. Successful candidate will lead, manage/hire/ train/supervise/motivate news department personnel, prepare operating and capital budgets, and negotiate talent contracts. Must have excellent news judgment, a passion for coverage of breaking news, and have strong leadership, organizational, and visionary skills. Successful candidate will have proven track record of growing audience through content and marketing; converting audience research into actionable and measurable results and monitor all of our platforms for accurate editorial content while keeping the brand vision on track.
TOP REASONS TO JOIN WSLS:
Growth, experience, and training. At WSLS, we will work with you to help you reach your full potential through ongoing career development programs. We are also committed to ongoing training throughout your career and to hiring from within – across the GMG family of companies.
Our culture and benefits package. Our employees are our most important resource. We encourage entrepreneurship and initiative and recognize and reward achievement. Graham Media offers a generous benefits package that includes 401K and healthcare on day one!
You will live and work in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, plus you`re only a short drive to major metropolitan areas as well as beaches.
Are you ready to join the team? We encourage you to submit your resume for consideration.
Learn more about the job by clicking here.
Send cover letter, resume, and references to: VP & General Manager, Jaimie León, jleon@wsls.com
No phone calls please
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)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (relisted 11/15/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (listed 10/4/20)
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)
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 10/11/20)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, relisted this week)
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 10/11/20)
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:
KXTV, 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)
Obituary:
Anderson
ALYSSA ANDERSON, a former assignment editor for KNBC-TV in Los Angeles and KVBC-TV (now KSNV-TV) in Las Vegas, lost a short fight against cancer last Saturday, November 28th. Alyssa was 43 and is survived by her husband and their eight year old daughter. She left TV in 2005 and turned to public relations. She was the PR person for The Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas when she passed. Her passing brought this profile in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Names in the News:
Campbell
JEREMY CAMPBELL has joined NY1 (New York, obviously) as Managing Director of Editorial. In a post on Linkedin, Jeremy said he’ll lead a newly created storytelling and planning unit. We told you a few weeks ago that he had left WBIR-TV in Knoxville as ND after a 14 month run there. Jeremy has also worked in Tampa, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Lafayette, LA.
Horn
MATT HORN stays within Meredith as he becomes the new nightside executive producer for WSMV-TV (NBC) in Nashville. He’s been working for Meredith’s KPHO-TV (CBS) in Phoenix as a special projects producer and fill-in EP. Matt’s also worked in Boston, Norfolk, Youngstown and Pocatello, ID, where he began his career as an anchor/reporter.
Miller
WSYM-TV, the Scripps owned FOX affiliate in Lansing, MI, has hired MATT MILLER as its EP as it starts its own news department. No, not the former news director turned Scripps recruiter of the same name, but a different individual with an interesting background. Here’s his Linkedin page with the details.
KRISTEN HODGES heads north to become the EP for WDBJ-TV (Gray/CBS) in Roanoke. She’s spent the last two years as a morning producer for WFTS-TV in Tampa/St. Petersburg. Kristen’s also worked in Chattanooga.
JENNIFER HEDRICH has been promoted to Content Manager for Scripps’ WFTX-TV, the FOX affiliate in Ft. Myers.
Dye
Congratulations to TIM DYE who’s launched his new company, Dye Communications. Learn more about it here in a pretty slick website. Tim’s a former ND in Detroit (WXYZ-TV) and Grand Rapids, MI (WXMI-TV). He’s also worked in Saginaw and for WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, where (full disclosure) I hired him as EP when I was the ND there.
Conway
Former news director turned educator MIKE CONWAY shared some good news. His latest book, Contested Ground, about TV news in the Cold War Era, has picked up some honors. More in this email from Mike. He’s now teaching at his alma mater, Indiana University. Mike’s a former ND in Traverse City and Erie, PA, and holds the distinction of being one of the first two recipients of this newsletter.
General Manager News and Notes:
To our knowledge, no GM changes this week.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, December 6, 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
WCAU-TV 1800 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
KHOU-TV 5718 Westheimer Rd. Houston TX 77057
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WXYZ-TV 20777 W. Ten Mile Rd. Southfield, Michigan 48075
WTMO-TV 1650 Sand Lake Rd. # 340 Orlando, FL 32809 **
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St, Baltimore, MD 21211
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 (see ad above!)
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
WTVO/WGRF-TV P.O. Box 470. Rockford, IL 61105
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San An`gelo, TX 76903 ***
**: Spanish language station
***: News Director and Anchor