January 30, 2022
Thursday, February 3, 2022 UPDATE:
Greetings:
A flurry of news director moves this week. We’ll highlight TWO of the larger moves, all at Gray stations, in this UPDATE, and cover everything in our full edition this weekend.
Glover
The news director shuffle continues at KCTV (CBS) in Kansas City as KATE GLOVER is the latest. She becomes the NINTH news director in just over 12 years at this CBS affiliate. (In fairness, almost all of that churn came under Meredith ownership. Gray bought the station late last year.) Kate’s been the ND at Gray’s WNDU-TV (South Bend) since 2017 and is a former ND in Portland, OR, and Buffalo, NY.
Movesian
Here’s the memo to the staff announcing Kate’s hire. Remarkably, it makes no mention of her predecessor, KARIN (cq) MOVESIAN, who, as far as I know, was the ND there until the last day or two. She joined KCTV just last June. Karin’s also been a news director in St. Louis, Las Vegas, Flint/Saginaw, MI, and has also worked in Chicago (two stations) Detroit, Minneapolis, for a second St. Louis station, and in San Antonio.
Little
Another transfer between Gray stations sends MARK LITTLE to Memphis as ND for WMC-TV (NBC), leaving Gray’s WLBT-TV (also NBC) in Jackson, MS, where he’s been the boss since 2018. Because we’re ‘Working for You” (and value your time) here are the memoes from both his new GM and current one, all in one click. Mark’s a former ND in Columbia, SC, and Cape Girardeau, MO (both Raycom/Gray stations.) He’s also worked in St. Louis. At WMC, he replaces GREG PHILLIPS who transferred to the Gray investigative unit after four years as ND.
We’ll have a number of other changes this weekend (as long as the snow lets up and Fed Ex gets my repaired computer back in a timely fashion.)
Until then, please stay safe if you are impacted by the winter weather.
regards,
Rick Gevers
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Two big developments today.
Zucker
JEFF ZUCKER, who’s run CNN since 2013, has resigned after failing to disclose a relationship with a senior CNN executive. Details in this story from the New York Times. Zucker had a long career at NBC News before moving to CNN. His ninth anniversary there was last week. This story is getting considerable attention in mainstream media: you won’t have to look hard to find more details.
Walsh
And in San Francisco, KEVIN WALSH is out as General Manager for CBS’s KPIX-TV, where he’s been GM since 2017. That followed a long stint running CBS’s Sacramento duopoly, KOVR/KMAX-TV. We hope to have more on this story in our full newsletter this weekend.
Until then, stay safe, particularly if you are being hit by winter weather.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
For the second straight week, I ask: Hope ‘BOUT those NFL playoff games?
Perhaps not quite as compelling as last week but they were interesting and fun to watch.
In this week’s newsletter, just TWO new news directors and TWO new openings, so there are now 43 stations with news director openings. ONE of those openings is among our FOUR paid help wanted ads.
Among those ads are THREE jobs at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, TWO of which include working at the school’s KOMU-TV (NBC).
While no traditional ‘on the move’ items in Names in the News this week, we do link to TWO articles on the growing trend of non-profit news departments.
And several veteran broadcasters, both former news directors, have new upper management jobs, while THREE others (one a news director) got their first GM positions.
All that and more below.
Newly Named News Directors:
Pytlowany
WWJ/WKBD-TV, Detroit, MI…this CBS owned duopoly has promoted from within as it plans to re-start a news operation in market #14. PAUL PYTLOWANY, currently the Director of Local Production and a 24 year veteran of the station, will oversee this project with which stream live from 4:00 AM to 11:35 PM and provide 40 hours of over-the-air newscasts each week. More on the project (and Paul’s 61 Emmys) in this news release.
Thompson
WPBF-TV, West Palm Beach, FL…EMILY THOMPSON has been promoted to news director for this Hearst owned ABC affiliate. She’s here 24 years, joining in 1998 as a producer, then EP in 2000, and then promoted to assistant news director in 2019. She’s also worked in Indianapolis. Emily replaces STEPHANIE LINTON who was promoted to ND of sister Hearst station WESH-TV (NBC) in Orlando last last year.
New News Director Openings:
Newell
WMBD/WYZZ-TV, Peoria, IL…congratulations to SHAUN NEWELL who’s been promoted to General Manager for this Nexstar duopoly. He’s been the ND here for five years, earlier worked on the assignment desk for another Peoria station, and is a former radio ND in Peoria. Shaun also worked for the Center for Prevention of Abuse. More details about his promotion in this news release.
LeSavage
KBJR-TV, Duluth, MN…BRIGGS LeSAVAGE wants to concentrate on her anchoring and reporting duties and will give up the news director part of her job when her replacement is hired. She’s done double duty since last August. A Duluth native, she’s worked at KBJR since 2016. Learn more about this opportunity in the Paid Help Wanted ad just below.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, KBJR-TV, Duluth, MN:
Are you ready to lead an award-winning News Department? Are you ready to maintain our news staff’s reputation as the market leader? Are you ready to ensure that our staff of journalists remains relevant to our viewers? Do you have a vision for how local news will be shaped in the future? Are you a guide, a coach, a teacher, a mentor, a recruiter, and a trusted colleague?
If you fit that description, then the Gray Television station serving northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin has an opportunity for you!
Located on the shores of the greatest of Great Lakes, Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota, you will find KBJR Inc. situated in a state-of-the-art broadcast facility with resources generally found in larger markets.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you can consider our area paradise with the splendor of natural resources. If you are looking to grow your career professionally and personally, Gray Television excels at providing you with the resources to do so. In Duluth, the winters can be cold, but the hearts are warm, and the spring, summers and fall are a well-kept secret.
So, if you grow to call Duluth home, or merely consider it a step in your career journey, you will not regret your time spent here. If you’re ready to lead, what are you waiting for? Apply now!
Two Faculty Positions, University of Missouri School of Journalism and KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO:
This is not for the faint-of-heart.
America’s most famous and infamous tv newsroom is hiring TWO faculty members. KOMU-TV, the fully commercial NBC-affiliate teaching lab of the Missouri School of Journalism seeks a faculty managing editor and a faculty supervision producer.
The managing editor will teach in the KOMU-TV newsroom four days a week, and teach Advanced Reporting on campus once a week.
The supervising producer will serve as EP on specific newscasts during the week, guiding student producers. One day each week, the supervising producer will teach newscast producing on campus.
These positions are assistant professor, professional practice rank, on duty 11 months of the year, with limited additional time off during academic calendar breaks. We are seeking mid-career professionals with commercial television experience.
The link below leads to more details and the path to applying. (applying, of course, is not a commitment on your part; try it, you’ll like it)
Click here to apply for Supervising Producer.
And click here to apply for Managing Editor.
Director, Documentary Journalism Center, Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, MO:
Interested in using your journalism and management skills to mold the next generation of documentary storytellers? The Missouri School of Journalism is looking for a creative and effective person with a history of supervising content creation and managing resources to direct its documentary journalism center.
The position is for a faculty member to lead the Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism and the school’s hands-on teaching approach to creating documentary content. Candidates must have a track record of successful administrative experience and excel at storytelling and the tools necessary to create long-form, visual documentary content. The successful candidate must be able to manage the day-to-day operations of the center while inspiring young storytellers to create their best work. The outgoing director used his years of experience as a news director and content supervisor to shape the program into what it is today. Those with similar experience would be a great fit to take over the duties of running the center.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the world’s first and best journalism school and to live in a classic American college town with an economical cost of living and a quality of life that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Click this link to apply:
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Digital AND, relisted 1/16/22)
WDCW/WDVM-TV, Washington, DC (listed 12/26/21)
KCNC-TV, Denver, CO (listed 1/23/22)
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN (listed 12/26/21)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 1/30/22)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (listed 1/23/22)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (relisted 12/26/21)
WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI (relisted 12/12/21)
WGNO-TV, New Orleans, LA (listed 1/9/22)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (relisted 12/26/21)
KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO (relisted 1/9/22)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (relisted 1/30/22, see ad below!)
KATC-TV, Lafayette, LA (listed 1/23/22)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (2 openings, one digital, listing revised 1/30/22)
WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH (Nightside EP, listed 1/23/22)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 1/9/22)
Spectrum News, Charlotte, NC (relisted 1/30/22)
WJZY-TV, Charlotte, NC (listed 1/30/22)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 12/12/21)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 1/9/22)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Streaming EP, listed 12/19/21)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, relisted 12/5/21)
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, MO (listed 1/23/22)
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (relisted 1/30/22)
WGNO/WNOL-TV, New Orleans (listed 1/30/22)
KFSN-TV, Fresno, CA (relisted 1/9/22)
WDTN-TV, Dayton, OH (Digital EP, listed 12/19/21)
WDKY-TV, Lexington, KY (AM EP, listed 12/19/21)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (relisted 1/9/22)
WAFF-TV, Huntsville, AL (relisted 1/2/22)
KRGV-TV, Weslaco, TX (AM EP, listed 1/16/22)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (AM EP, relisted 12/26/21)
WSAV-TV, Savannah, GA (relisted 1/30/22)
WTVC-TV, Chattanooga, TN (listed 1/23/22)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 1/30/22)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (Digital EP, listing modified 12/26/21)
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL (Digital EP, relisted 12/12/21)
KADN/KLAF-TV, Lafayette, LA (relisted 12/12/21)
KATC-TV, Lafayette, LA (relisted 1/23/22)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (relisted 12/12/21)
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (listed 1/9/22)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (listed 1/9/22)
SUPERVISING PRODUCER:
KOMU-TV, Columbia, Mo (listed 1/30/22, see ad above!)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 1/23/22)
KOMU-TV, Columbia, Mo (listed 1/30/22, see ad above!)
More News Management Openings:
New listing this week:
Missouri School of Journalism, Columbia, MO: (Director, Documentary Journalism Center, see ad above!)
Relisted 1/30/22:
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY (Assistant Professor)
Relisted 1/23/22:
New York 1, New York, NY (Sr. Producer, Mornings on 1)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA: (Digital Content Director)
Listed 1/9/22:
WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, WI: (Senior Manager of Investigative and Enterprise Content)
Listed 12/26/21:
WIS-TV, Columbia, SC: Digital Content Manager
Listed 12/19/21:
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL: Director of Innovation News Center
Listed 12/12/21:
E.W. Scripps, Cincinnati, OH: National Director of News Platform Strategies and Special Projects
Relisted 12/12/21:
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 12/5/21:
News Nation, Chicago, IL: (News Director – Digital)
WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH: (Digital Content Director)
Relisted 12/5/21:
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 11/21/21:
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY: (Assistant Professor)
Names in the News:
No traditional on-the-move items this week….but…check out TWO stories that caught my eye on the rise of non-profit local news.
Check out this Washington Post profile of FRED SMITH, co-founder of the Texas Tribune, one of the early ventures in non-profit news.
And this Poynter article looks at new efforts in Chicago which the story calls a ‘rebirth’ of local news.
General Manager News and Notes:
Matthews
Former WABC-TV News Director (until he was promoted to General Manager for that ABC o-and-o) CHAD MATTHEWS moves up again. Chad’s the new President of the ABC owned stations group. He’s spent most of his career at WABC, save for a five year run as the Assistant News Director for NBC’s WTVJ-TV in Miami. More on his move here.
Collura
CBS has named veteran broadcaster DEBORAH COLLURA as its next General Manager for KOVR/KMAX-TV in Sacramento. She’s been a GM in Atlanta and Charlotte, a senior news executive with Post-Newsweek, and is a former news director in several markets, as you’ll learn when you read this CBS news release.
Cox filled its open general manager job at WHIO-TV (CBS) in Dayton by promoting DARREN MOORE. Darren’s a 26 year veteran of Cox and has worked at Cox stations in Charlotte and Pittsburgh, where he is currently the Director of Sales. More here.
We told you above about SHAUN NEWELL’s promotion to GM for Nexstar’s WMBD/WYZZ-TV in Peoria. That was one of TWO GM moves by the company this week, the other finding JOE McGUIRE promoted to the top job at the company’s WRBL-TV (CBS) in Columbus, GA. He’s been the Director of Sales for Nexstar’s WSAV-TV in Savannah.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, January 30, 2022:
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 Long Island, 1 Media Crossways Woodbury, NY 11797
KCBS/KCAL-TV 4200 Radford Ave. Studio City, CA 91604
KPIX-TV 855 Battery St. San Francisco, CA 94111
KIAH-TV 7700 Westpark Drive Houston, TX 77063
KGTV 4600 Air Way, San Diego, CA 92102
WSYX-TV 1261 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215
KXAN-TV 908 W MLK Jr. Blvd. Austin, TX 78701
WDRB-TV 624 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. Louisville, Ky. 40203
WMC-TV 1960 Union Ave., Memphis, TN 38104
WGRZ-TV 259 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY 14202
WLNE-TV 10 Orms St. Providence, RI 02904
WYMT-TV 199 Black Gold Blvd. Hazard, KY 41701
KOLD-TV 7831 N. Business Park Drive; Tucson, AZ 85743
WOI-TV 3903 Westown Parkway West Des Moines, IA 50266
KHQ-TV 1201 W. Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201
KMTV 10714 Mockingbird Drive Omaha, NE 68127
KOLR-TV 2650 E. Division Springfield, MO 65803
KVEO/KGBT-TV 9201 W. Expressway 83. Harlingen, TX 78552 **
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Dr. Carterville, IL 62918
KXXV-TV 1909 S. New Rd. Waco, TX 76711
WAND-TV 904 South Side Dr. Decatur, IL 62521
KWWL-TV 511 E 5th Street Waterloo, Iowa 50703
KWQC-TV 805 Brady St. Davenport, IA 52803
KOLO-TV 4850 Ampere Dr., Reno, NV 89502
KNDO/KNDU 216 W. Yakima Ave., Yakima, WA 98902
KAPP/KVEW-TV 601 N. Edison Kennewick, WA 99336
WMBD/WYZZ-TV 3131 N. University, Peoria, IL 61604
KERO-TV 321 21st St. Bakersfield, CA 93301
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KRCG-TV 10188 Old Highway 54 North. New Bloomfield, MO 65063
KBJR-TV 246 S Lake Ave. Duluth, MN 55802 (see ad above!)
KMIR-TV 72920 Park View Dr., Palm Desert, CA 92260
KCBD-TV 5600 Avenue A Lubbock, TX 79404
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KIMT-TV 135 E William St. Albert Lea, MN 56007
KTTC-TV 6301 Bandel Road NW Rochester, MN 55901
KOAM-TV 2950 NE Highway 69 Pittsburg, KS 66762
KALB-TV 605 Washington Street; Alexandria, LA 71301
WETM-TV 101 East Water Street Elmira, NY 14901
WTOK-TV 815 23rd Ave. Meridian, Ms. 39301
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
**: Spanish language station