February 19, 2017
Greetings:
For the middle of a rating period, it’s been pretty busy.
There are THREE new news director openings (including one in a top ten market) and THREE newly named news directors, each getting their first ND position.
Our list of open news director jobs remains at 27.
But there’s more! A well known former ND is on the mend after a mild stroke. That’s in Names in the News, along with several articles I found interesting this week…I hope you do, too. There’s a look at a station shutting its news operation, while, in a nearby market, another station beefs up its news presence. There’s also a look at a failed experiment in Seattle, and a profile of a former ND and GM now running a PBS station.
It’s all below.
New News Director Openings:
McDaniel
KTVU-TV, Oakland/San Francisco, CA…we reported to you earlier this week that DANA McDANIEL (HAHN) has resigned her job as ND for this FOX o-and-o for personal reasons. She’s been the news director here since October, 2014, shortly after FOX acquired the station in a trade with Cox.. Dana been the ND for the company’s Washington station, WTTG-TV, and earlier spent almost 12 years as ND for WJBK-TV in Detroit.
Beutein
WNDU-TV, South Bend, IN…congratulations to longtime news director C.J. BEUTEIN who’s retiring at the end of March. Take a good look at the picture accompanying this item before you read the note he sent to the staff. C. J.’s been th ND for the Gray TV owned NBC affiliate for more than 10 years. He’s also been an ND in Evansville, the Quad Cities, and Toledo, where he replaced me as ND in 1993. C. J. also worked in Chattanooga, if memory serves, as a reporter and anchor. Friends can wish him well via email to: c.j.beutien@wndu.com
Tegels
WVNS-TV, Beckley, WV…another longtime newsman LON TEGELS has left this recently acquired by Nexstar Media CBS/FOX operation. He’d been the ND there since November, 2015. He’s previously been a news director in Gulfport, MS, Lima, OH, Rockford, IL, and Des Moines. Lon’s also worked in Baton Rouge, San Diego, and Hartford.
Two updates from last week’s report. We told you that WICS-TV in Springfield, IL, is looking for a replacement for KENT HARRELL. Kent reached out to let us know he’ll be at the station until the end of March. And we told you that PEDRO CALDERON MITCHEL is leaving KDEN-TV in Denver. We now know he’s headed to San Diego to start a Telemundo news operation on a digital channel of NBC’s KNSD-TV.
Newly Named News Directors:
Newell
WMBD/WYZZ-TV, Peoria, IL…SHAUN NEWELL will be the new ND for this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate. He’s a former radio news director in Peoria and spent more than three years on the assignment desk for another Peoria station. He’s been working for the Center for Prevention of abuse for the past 18 months. Shaun replaces JEFF MULLIGAN who left last month after more than three years as ND. Jeff took a job as an EP in Kansas City.
Welty
KLAF/KDAN-TV, Lafayette, LA…CHRIS WELTY has been promoted to news director for this Bayou City Broadcasting NBC/FOX operation. He’s been the weekend anchor there as you’ll learn in his not-yet-updated station bio. Chris replaces DOUG BARDEN who left in November to return to California for a new business venture.
Streeter
KX News Network, Bismarck/Minot ND…TIA STREETER has been promoted to News Director for this Nexstar owned operation service parts of North Dakota. She’s been the EP there, and replaces JIM OLSON who was promoted to Station Manager last September.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
News Director, KTEN-TV, Denison, TX:
KTEN-TV is seeking a highly motivated news director to lead our talented staff.
The ideal candidate will possess excellent news judgment, motivational skills and the ability to find and develop talent. Must be able to execute strategically across broadcast and digital platforms. If you are an innovative leader with a passion for local news we want to hear from you.
Send resume to:
Dave Tillery
General Manager
KTEN-TV
10 Highpoint Circle
Denison, TX 75020
or email me at dtillery@kten.com
KTEN is an equal opportunity employer. Pre-employment drug screen required.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WMAQ-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 1/8/17)
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (listed 1/22/17)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 2/5/17)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (relisted 2/5/17)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (relisted 2/5/17)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (relisted 12/24/16)
KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK (relisted this week)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX (AM EP, listed 12/24/16)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (AM & PM EPs, listing revised 1/22/17)
KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (PM EP, new listing this week)
KMOV-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted 12/24/16)
KPTV, Portland, OR (relisted 1/22/17)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (Dayside EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Dayside EP, listing revised 1/22/17)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (AM EP, listing modified 2/5/17)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (AM EP, relisted 1/8/17)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (PM EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WJAX/WFOX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (PM EP, relisted this week)
KOAT-TV, Albuquerque, NM (PM EP, relisted 1/22/17)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (relisted 1/22/17)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (AM EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (AM EP, relisted 2/5/17)
WOI-TV, Des Moines, IA (relisted 12/24/16)
KGUN-TV, Tucson, AZ (AM EP, listed 2/12/17)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 1/8/17)
WCTI-TV, New Bern, NC (relisted 1/22/17)
WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (relisted 2/5/17)
Names in the News:
Another news operation shut down this week when New Hampshire’s WBIN-TV sold its frequency in the spectrum auction. News staff were told in a meeting Friday morning that the station’s last newscast had aired Thursday night. More in this story.
Not far away, Boston’s WHDH-TV added news when it lost its NBC affiliation at the start of the year. How’s it going? The Nieman Lab takes a look.
Twenty four years ago this month, KIRO-TV in Seattle began ‘news out of the box’. It didn’t work. Here’s one look why.
Stokes
One time commercial news director (WAVY-TV, Norfolk) and general manager (WVTM-TV, Birmingham) GARY STOKES is now running the PBS station in Spokane, KSPS-TV, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. The local newspaper talked with Gary about his career and the challenges facing his station.
Becherer
Old friend TOM BECHERER is back home and on the mend after suffering a very mild stroke (it’s easy to call it mild when it’s not yours) a few days ago. He spent six days in the hospital but tells me life is getting back to normal. Remarkably his wife was hospitalized for one night during this ordeal, but she’s doing better, too. Tom’s the longtime general manager of Conus and was a local news director in Detroit, Baltimore, and Louisville.
Of note…Tom was in the shower preparing to go visit his old mentor AL MANN when the stroke hit. Sadly, Al died before Tom could make the trip. Despite Tom’s ailments, he went to great efforts to provide me information about Al, which you’ll find in the Obituary section below. Appreciate the help, Tom. You can thank him…and wish him well…via a kind email to: tom@becherer.org
Obituary:
Mann
As noted above, AL MANN died February 9th. He was 90. He had a wide and varied career in our business, ranging from anchor of the ABC Evening Report to news director at stations in Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and other markets. His son, JOHN, is now GM for KWQC-TV in the Quad Cities. More about his life and career in this obituary, written by his good friend TOM BECHERER.
General Manager News and Notes:
Grandy
We told you Monday that former ND and GM BYRON GRANDY is returning to TV as GM for Nexstar’s WNCN-TV (CBS) in Raleigh. Byron spent more than 13 years at KMGH-TV in Denver, the first seven as ND and the last six as GM. He’s a former ND in San Antonio and Augusta, GA, consulted briefly, and began his career as reporter in Bryan and Amarillo, TX and Milwaukee before moving into management as an EP in Jackson, MS. Here’s the release from Nexstar.
GRAY SOAPES returns to his hometown as general manager for WCBD-TV in Charleston, SC. That’s Nexstar’s NBC/CW affiliate. More here.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Sunday, February 19, 2017. If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com
KTVU-TV 2 Jack London Square NW Oakland, CA 94607
WUSA-TV 4100 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington DC 20016
KDEN-TV 2851 S. Parker Road Suite 1130 Aurora, CO 80014
WNCN-TV 1205 Front St. Raleigh, N.C., 27609
KOIN-TV 222 SW Columbia St. Portland OR 97201
WSMV-TV 5700 Knob Rd, Nashville, TN 37209
KUTV 299 South Main Street, Suite 150. Salt Lake City, UT 84111
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Dr, Cranston, RI 02920
WIVB-TV, 2077 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14207
KOTV 303 N. Boston Ave Tulsa, OK 74103
KSNW-TV 833 N Main St. Wichita, KS 67203
WOWK-TV 555 5th Ave, Huntington, WV 25701
KOLD-TV 7831 N Business Park Dr, Tucson, AZ 85743
WICS-TV 2680 East Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WCBD-TV 210 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
WNDU-TV 54516 IN-933, South Bend, IN 46637
WCTI-TV 225 Glenburnie Drive New Bern, NC 28560
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Road, Ghent, WV 25841
WNCT-TV 3221 Evans St, Greenville, NC 27834
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323. Tyler, TX 75701
KVAL/KMTR-TV 4575 Blanton Rd, Eugene, OR 97405
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KARD/KTVE-TV 200 Pavilion Road W. Monroe, LA 71292
KBJR-TV 246 South Lake Ave. Duluth MN 55802
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606
KTEN-TV 10 Highpoint Circle Denison, TX 75020 (see ad above!)
WTOK-TV 815 23rd Ave. Meridian MS 39301