February 17, 2012

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 UPDATE:

A veteran news director moves cross country and returns to Florida.

Geraghty

TIM GERAGHTY, the ND for Gannett’s KXTV in Sacramento, has been named Senior Director of News/Station Manager for Central Florida News 13 in Orlando. Tim’s been ND for this ABC affiliate since May, 2009, but earlier in his career he was ND for WTVJ-TV in Miami. He’s also been an ND in Grand Rapids, MI, and has also worked in Kansas City, Kalamazoo, MI, Decatur, IL, and Columbia, MO. He replaces STEVE CHAVARIE who retired last November.

There’s a family benefit to this move, as well. Tim’s daughter will be starting school in Orlando this fall.

More on this…and all the week’s developments…in our regular report later this week.

**** ***** ****

Greetings:

Another busy week, with THREE new NDs (one in a top ten market) and just ONE new opening (and that in a top 20 market).

Those changes leave our count of open ND jobs at 23.

We have FIVE paid help wanted ads, including THREE ads for news directors and TWO for Assistant ND positions. And SocialNews Desk is back, offering their services to help you with your social media strategy. Click on their ad to learn more about their services.

Lots of changes to our Other News Management Openings section, and lots of items in Names in the News as we identify a possible trend involving corporate news directors. And we have lots of other news managers on the move.

All that and more after this week’s changes.

New News Director Opening:

Michaelsen

WTVJ-TV, Miami, FL…we first told you yesterday in an UPDATE that today is LANE MICHAELSEN‘s final day as ND for this NBC o-and-o. Lane told me he’s decided to see ‘what else is out there’, after more than two years here. (His announcement came just two days after MANUEL MARTINEZ was promoted to GM from a similar role at co-owned WSCV-TV, the Telemundo station there). Lane’s also been an ND in Washington, DC, Tampa, and Little Rock, served as VP/News for Ganettt, and spent some time at Poynter. He began his career as a photographer and spent eight years as Director of Photography at KARE-TV in Minneapolis.

Newly Named News Directors:

Hobson

NEW ENGLAND CABLE NEWS, Boston, MA…NANNETTE HOBSON is the new ND for this Comcast-owned cable news channel. Nannette (then known as NANNETTE WILSON) was ND for eight years at WNCN-TV in Raleigh, NC. She also worked for almost 20 years (in two different periods) for WRC-TV in Washington, and previously worked in Norfolk and for two different stations in Baltimore. She replaces DEBRA JUAREZ who left last September to become ND for WMAQ-TV in Chicago.

KAUZ-TV, Wichita Falls, TX…PRISCILLA FORD has been promoted to ND for this Drewry Communications owned CBS affiliate. Priscilla began her career at KAUZ, left to work in Oklahoma City, then returned to KAUZ, first as EP and later Assistant ND. She replaces TALIA NAQUIN who left the station last October after two years as ND.

Todd

WSIU-TV, Carbondale, IL…GREG TODD joined this PBS station operated by Southern Illinois University as ND in December. It’s a return for Greg, who was graduated from SIU before embarking on a varied career as a reporter, anchor, and also meteorologist and news manager. He worked in Dubuque, IA, Youngstown, Indianapolis, Seattle and San Diego, where he spent eight years as Managing Editor for XETV.

Help Wanted Ads:

News Director, WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL:

ABC 27 HD, WTXL the local high definition station in Tallahassee, has an immediate opening for a News Director. We’re a small market station in a state-of-the-art facility with an aggressive and exciting news staff. Must have a passion for news, great leadership and communication skills.

The successful candidate must be a hands-on leader who participates in news planning and content, hiring, budgeting, newsroom administration and a working knowledge of online News gathering. Candidate must have a successful track record of leadership and ratings success and a proven ability to work with Sales and Marketing on special projects. Prefer a college degree in journalism and 5 years experience in television newsroom management in a large market. Prefer News Director experience, but will consider an Assistant News Director or Executive Producer.

Send resume to:
ABC 27
Attn: Gary Wordlaw
1620 Commerce Blvd
Midway, FL, 32343

or via e-mail to: gwordlaw@wtxl.tv

WTXL TV is EOE. No phone calls please.

**** ***** ****

News Director, KWQC-TV, Davenport, IA:

KWQC HD6 News the Quad Cites number one news station is seeking an experienced television news manager to keep KWQC HD6, KWQC.com, and other digital platforms winning and growing.

JOB DUTIES: The News Director will be responsible for supervising and coordinating
news staff and all news activities in a manner that will produce quality newscasts using all
available resources in an efficient and cost effective manner. The ideal candidate must have a proven record of success, strong leadership skills, excellent news judgment, passion for production, unwavering commitment to community, and vision. Candidate needs to have the ability to teach and lead by example, using the latest in technology. Experience working with a departmental budget a plus.

QUALIFICATIONS: Qualified applicants should have a Broadcast Journalism or Communications degree from an accredited four-year College or University or equivalent experience. A minimum of five years in news management experience and a deep understanding of news in the digital world.

TO APPLY:

Send your news philosophy, resume, and a newscast from the past week to:

EEO/News Director Search
KWQC-TV6
805 Brady Street
Davenport, IA 52803

We Conduct Pre-Employment Background Screening, Drug Screening, and Driving History Verification

Young Broadcasting of Davenport, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in the hiring, training, or promotion of employees by reasons of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, physical or mental handicap, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, or age.

Please indicate in your correspondence exactly where you heard of this opening.

**** ***** ****

News Director, KTAB/KRBC-TV, Abilene, TX:

Nexstar Broadcasting group is looking for a dynamic news manager to lead the news operations for KTAB (CBS) , KRBC (NBC), and BigCountryHomepage.com in Abilene, TX. The successful candidate will be a hands on news manager who enjoys coaching and developing talent, has solid journalism skills, a passion for on-line journalism and social media and an own the big news story and weather philosophy.

Job Responsibilities:

  • Day to day editorial supervision of the news operation.
  • Provide regular feedback to direct reports.
  • Developing dynamic and relevant news content and special programs.
  • Work with the creative services team to recruit viewers though on-air, on-line, social media and other methods.
  • Work with General Manager and other department heads on station projects and initiatives.
  • Administrative duties including staff scheduling, time sheets, performance reviews and budgets.
  • Supervise and enhance content available on the station’s website, social media sites, mobile applications and other methods.
  • Grow viewership of on-air and on-line platforms.
  • Work with news directors in the region on sharing content and taking advantage of regional opportunities.
  • Develop partnerships within the local community. This includes regular communication with local organizations.

Experience Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work related experience.
  • Minimum five years’ experience in news programming production

Please send cover letter, resume, news philosophy and links/DVD to:

Jerry Walsh
Director of Local Content Development
Nexstar Broadcasting Group
5215 North O’Connor Boulevard, Suite 1400
Irving, TX 75039

e-mail: jwalsh@nexstar.tv

KTAB/KRBC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

**** ***** ****

Assistant News Director, KRIV-TV, Houston, TX:

Fox O & O in Houston has opening for a “hands-on” Assistant News Director. Position will be responsible for managing the day to day newsroom operation including but not limited to: running editorial meetings, assigning reporter stories, story placement, etc.

Will directly oversee the scheduling of anchors and reporters and approve other schedules as needed. Stay involved with all news operations including Investigations, Special Projects, Weather, Sports, etc. Prevent on-air mistakes, work with reporters to make their stories better, work with desk to improve quality and quality of coverage, take a lead role in breaking news and have a firm grip on local news. Must lead specialized coverage including web streamed events, election & political coverage, and specialty reporting. Must provide consistent feedback to staff and insure newsroom policies for fair/accurate newsgathering are followed.

Requires degree in journalism or related field. 5 years broadcast television experience as asst. news director or executive producer in major market preferred. Knowledge of production, copy editing, live story coverage, journalism ethics, journalism law, news photography, news tape editing, news equipment, and operations required. Knowledge of multi-platform journalism and social networks is also required. Must have proven track record of success with strong leadership skills. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal are essential. Must be computer literate with above average proficiency. Ability to lead, coach, and manage is critical.

Please send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to: roberta.hudson@foxtv.com

EOE M/F/D/V

**** ***** ****

Assistant News Director, KTIV-TV, Sioux City, IA

Emmy award winning; dominant NBC affiliate KTIV-TV, Sioux City, Iowa is seeking a take charge leader to help guide us as we grow beyond traditional broadcast news.

This position, functioning as the literal hub of our news organization, will serve as an editorial decision maker for our TV, Web, Mobile and Social Networking platforms.

KTIV News Four is a continuous local news source with an immediate deadline mentality. The Assistant News Director is the second ranking position in the department and directly oversees all involved in our news gathering and distribution processes. This manager directs the development of our content, weighs the full editorial possibility of every story, and makes immediate decisions on how it will be disseminated on the appropriate platforms. This senior leader will work very closely with the News Director and Internet Director to ensure that our customers are being served on all platforms. KTIV News Four delivers news as it happens on air, online and on the go all the time.

Our company is part of Quincy Newspapers, Inc. a family owned media company operating 12 television stations and 2 newspapers in 7 states and a variety of market sizes. This means immediate internal opportunities for professional growth.

Please send your resume, reel and references to:

Bridget Breen
Director of News & Operations
KTIV Television
3135 Floyd Blvd.
Sioux City, IA 51108

or via email to: bbreen@ktiv.com

KTIV Television, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
No phone calls please.
Posted Date: January 11, 2012

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KRIV-TV, Houston, TX (listed 2/10/12, see ad above!)
WTSP-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL (listed 1/6/12)
WOIO/WUAB-TV, Cleveland, OH (relisted 1/20/12)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted 12/16/11)
WITI-TV, Milwaukee, WI (new listing this week)
WMC-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 1/13/12)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 2/10/12)
WDTN-TV, Dayton, OH (listed 1/27/12)
KTIV-TV, Sioux City, IA (listed 2/10/12, see ad above!)
KTXS-TV, Abilene, TX (listed 12/9/11)
KTVM-TV, Bozeman, MT (listed 12/16/11)

EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:

KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX (Morning EP, listed 1/20/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth. TX (dayside EP, listed 2/10/12)
The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (relisted 12/16/11)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (listing revised 1/20/12)
KTVI/KPLR-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted 12/16/11)
WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA (Dayside EP, relisted 2/10/12)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 2/10/12)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Dayside EP, listed 1/27/12)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (AM EP, relisted 2/10/12)
WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH (AM EP, new listing this week)
WPMT-TV, Harrisburg, PA (AM EP, relisted this week)

WHBQ-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 12/31/11)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (AM EP, listed 1/13/12)
WINK-TV, Fort Myers, FL (Dayside EP, relisted 12/9/11)
WHIO-TV, Dayton, OH (listed 1/27/12)
KMTV, Omaha, NE (listed 2/10/12)
WCYB-TV, Bristol, TN (new listing this week)
WLNS-TV, Lansing, MI (listed 12/9/11)
KHBS/KHOG-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (Digital Media Mgr., new listing this week)

MANAGING EDITOR:

The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (ME of Video, listed 12/23/11)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (new listing this week)

***** ****

Names in the News:

There seems to be a trend towards naming new corporate NDs. We told you last week of BRIAN TRAURING’s promotion to that role for SJL Broadcasting. This week, we have two more to share with you.

Livingston

SCOTT LIVINGSTON has been named VP/News for the Sinclair Television Group, owner of (among many others) WBFF-TV in Baltimore, where he has been the news director for the last ten years. He joined the station when it began news in 1991, first as Chief Photographer and was promoted to Assistant ND in 1997. Scott’s also worked in Louisville, Salisbury, MD, at another Baltimore station, and for Group W in Washington. Your note of congratulations would reach him at: slivingston@sbgnet.com

Turpin

Longtime ND JIM TURPIN, now at KMPH-TV in Fresno, is assuming additional duties as VP/News for parent company Titan Broadcasting. Jim’s been ND at KMPH for the last two years, and has previously been an ND in Memphis, Norfolk, Wichita, Quad Cities, IL, and Ft. Smith, AR. During part of his time in Memphis as ND for WPTY/WLMT, he held a corporate position for owner Clear Channel TV. You can reconnect with Jim and congratulate him on both his promotion AND the strong showing of his beloved Indiana University basketball team: jturpin@kmph.com

ADAM WOHLMAN has been promoted to EP at KYW-TV, the CBS o-and-o in Philadelphia. He’s been the 6:00 PM producer there. Adam’s previously worked in Boston, Miami, Minneapolis, Albany, Lynchburg/Roanoke, and Jefferson City, MO.

Callaway

Longtime Atlanta newsman CAL CALLAWAY is on the move. He’s the new Managing Editor for that city’s Fox o-and-o, WAGA-TV. The move reunites him with WAGA’s ND, MIKE McCLAIN…they worked together in Birmingham years ago. Cal’s been the Nightside EP at WGCL-TV the past two years. Before that, he spent 16 years at WXIA-TV, including almost six as ND. In addition to Birmingham, he’s also worked in Montgomery.

Turchetta

GREG TURCHETTA stays within Florida as he heads north to become Assistant News Director for WOFL-TV, the FOX o-and-o in Orlando. It’s his second time in Orlando, having previously worked for WKMG-TV there. Greg’s been the Assistant ND for WBBH-TV in Ft. Myers for the last six years. He previously was an EP in Seattle and Atlanta, and has also worked in Jacksonville.

KPTV in Portland (OR) has named IAN COSTELLO executive producer of its morning newscasts. It’s a return to Meredith Broadcating for Ian, who used to work for the company’s Phoenix station, KPHO-TV. He’s also worked in Spokane, WA.

SAM EATON joins WRDW-TV in Augusta, GA, as Assistant News Director/Executive Producer. He currently works for WBTV in Charlotte, and has also worked in Columbia, SC, Lynchburg, CA, and Midland, TX.

And congratulations to old friend (and supporter of this newsletter) DAN DEVLIN and DEVLIN DESIGN GROUP. The company was honored by NewscastStudio.com with an award for Best Local News Set of the Year for a set for WSYR-TV in Syracuse, NY.

**** ***** ****

The Full List:

To the best of my knowledge, here is the list of stations with open news director jobs, as of Friday, February 17, 2012.

If you know of any additions/deletions/changes/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com

NY 1 News                                             75 Ninth Ave. New York NY 10011
KGO-TV                                             900 Front Street San Francisco, CA 94111
WTVJ-TV                                        15000 SW 27th Ave. Miramar, FL 33027
Central Florida News 13                20 N. Orange #13, Orlando, FL 32801 (see ad above!)
WCPO-TV                                          1730 Gilbert Ave. Cincinnati OH 45202
WBRE-TV                                          62 S. Franklin Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
KSNW-TV                                       833 N. Main Wichita, KS 67203
KMTV                                                  10714 Mockingbird Dr. Omaha NE 68127
WACH-TV                                            1400 Pickens St. Columbia SC 29201
KWQC-TV                                        805 Brady Street Davenport, IA 52803 (see ad above!)
KHGI-TV                                              13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
WTXL-TV                                        1620 Commerce Blvd. Midway, FL 32343
KVII-TV                                                One Broadcast Center Amarillo TX 79101
KNOE-TV                                         1400 Oliver Rd. Monroe, LA 71211
KTUU-TV                                          701 E. Tudor Rd. #220 Anchorage AK 99503
KTAB/KRBC-TV                        4510 S. 14th St. Abiliene, TX (see ad above!)
WTVY-TV                                           PO Box 1089 Dothan AL 36302
WCAV-TV                                        999 2nd St. SE Charlottesville, VA 22902
KKCO-TV                                          2325 Interstate Ave. Grand Junction CO 81505
KGNS-TV                                             120 W. Delmar Blvd. Laredo TX 78045
KGWN-TV                                           2923 E. Lincolnway Cheyenne WY 82001
KSAX-TV                                             PO Box 189 Alexandria, MN 56308
WYIN-TV                                            8625 Indiana Place Merrilville IN 46410

** Spanish language station

Return to Blog