June 14, 2020
Greetings:
We’re a little late this evening due to travel, and while we have just TWO new news directors to report with ONE new opening, our Names in the News segment is chock full of interesting items.
That leaves our list of open ND jobs at 22.
The aforementioned Names in the News segment has stories about TWO people being investigated for inappropriate comments, one an ABC executive. We also have a health update on a former ND (and NINE time GM), a new job for a FOUR time ND (who will join FOUR other former news directors at the same employer), some news managers on the move at Nexstar, and a big award for the a longtime educator.
And TWO obituaries this week, one of an Assistant ND for a Missouri station, and the other for a longtime Syracuse newsman.
Newly Named News Directors:
Heisner
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH…JODIE HEISNER will be the next ND for this Scripps’ owned ABC affiliate. It’s an internal move for Jodie, who’s been the Assistant ND for the company’s ABC station in Detroit, WXYZ-TV for not quite two years. She joined WXYZ in 2017 as EP of Special Projects. Jodie also worked for Scripps in Phoenix and started in Lansing, MI. She replaces SEAN McGARVY who was promoted to one of several Director of Content Strategy jobs for the company.
Baldwin
WDTV, Clarksburg/Bridgeport, WV…MICHAEL BALDWIN has been named ND for this Gray Television owned CBS affiliate. He’s been the Saturday evening anchor and nightside reporter for sister Gray station WXIX-TV (FOX) in Cincinnati. He’s also worked in Cleveland and several other markets as you’ll read here. He replaces KEITH “KC” CONNER who was named ND in March. And he replaced JOHN EHRHART who retired in November.
New News Director Openings:
Pederson
WCAV-TV, Charlottesville, VA…this Lockwood Broadcasting owned CBS/FOX affiliate is looking for a news director again. We told you in March that ANDY PEDERSON had joined the station as ND, coming from KTVE/KARD-TV in Monroe, LA. Andy replaced VAL THOMPSON who was the ND there for five years. You can learn more about this opportunity in the paid help wanted ad just below.
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
News Director WCAV-TV, Charlottesville, VA:
WCAV in Charlottesville, VA is seeking a highly motivated News Director to lead our talented staff.
Duties:
Plan, staff and train news department
Develop news coverage for station and digital platforms
Quality control news stories to correct errors and improve content
Develop strategy for news content to meet station goals while collaborating with Creative Services and Sales departments to ensure those goals are met.
Skills:
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
Able to use Microsoft Office
Ability to meet deadlines and priorities (prioritize) assignments
Ability to work as a team leader for news staff
Excellent problem-solving skills
Be able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
Requirements:
5 years working in a newsroom
2 years working as a news director or assistant news director
Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism or related field or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.
The ideal candidate will possess excellent news judgment, motivational skills, and the ability to find and develop talent.
Send resume to: John Cochrane at jcochrane@lockwoodbroadcast.com
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (listed 5/31/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 5/10/20)
WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI (relisted 4/12/20)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 4/12/20)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (Digital EP, news listing this week)
WWSB-TV, Sarasota, FL (relisted 6/7/20)
KING/KONG-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 5/3/10)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 4/5/20)
KVVU-TV, Las Vegas, NV (relisted this week)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (EP of Lifestyle Content, listed 5/24/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, listed 6/7/20)
WTVR-TV, Richmond, VA (relisted 5/17/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 5/31/20)
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL (relisted 5/3/10)
KCAU-TV, Sioux City, IA (relisted 5/3/10)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 4/19/20:
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Digital Director)
Obituaries:
Grove
Visitation will be held tomorrow for ANDY GROVE, the assistant news director for Sinclair’s KTVO-TV (ABC/CBS) in Kirksville, MO. He died Wednesday, June 10th and was only 51 years old. Andy was a 16 year veteran of the station. He began his journalism career as a writer for the Ottumwa Courier, he job he took after the school at which he taught closed down. Details in this obituary.
Peterson
Longtime Syracuse newsman ART PETERSON died this week at the age of 91. He first worked for (then) WHEN-TV in Syracuse, moved to radio, and then back to television in 1976 as the Assistant News Director for WSYR-TV. While there, he broke a story that resulted in the removal of a pain killer, Zomax, from the market. WSYR aired this story.
Names in the News (and other items):
Fedida
BARBARA FEDIDA, ABC News Senior Vice President for Talent, Editorial Strategy and Business Affairs. has been placed on administrative leave during a network investigation. The probe will look at claims that Fedida used inappropriate language to staff. The story was first reported by the HuffPost, and you can read it here. She worked at ABC for 17 years, went to CBS News in a similar position for almost five years before returning to ABC in 2011.
Duhe
Loyola University in New Orleans says it will not rehire SONYA DUHE who left the school to become Dean of the Cronkite School at Arizona State University. Duhe had been the director of the School of Communication in Design at Loyola but resigned to take the ASU job. But ASU withdrew the offer after allegations of racism and mistreatment of students surfaced.
Two management moves at Chicago’s WGN-TV. Managing Editor RICK STRASSER, who’s been at WGN for 23 years has been promoted to Assistant ND and EP DANA BALLARD was named Content and Special Projects Director.
That wasn’t the only Nexstar station making management moves. KSWB-TV in San Diego promoted DOUG DOWNING to executive producer.
D’Ambrosi
FRED D’AMBROSI, who’s been a news director in Washington, Cleveland, San Diego and Milwaukee will (eventually) return to Washington where he’s been hired as a performance review analyst at the Voice of America. This note from VOA’s JOHN LIPPMAN has more details, and you’ll learn that Fred will be the FIFTH former news director working at VOA.
Vann
Former ND and GM LES VANN has had a tougher-than-most 2020, and that’s saying something. As you know from earlier reports here, Les is battling Parkinson’s Disease. After a March vacation in Florida, Les began having health problems and lost more than 50 pounds. After tests, doctors diagnosed Guillain-Barre Syndrome. On-going blood transfusions have helped, but he fell this week and suffered four broken ribs and a damaged sternum. Les told me his prognosis is good, and that he might be able to return to the golf course this year. Your email to Les here would cheer him up. Les has been a GM at nine stations and spent 17 years as an anchor and ND in Springfield, IL.
Utsler
Longtime Kansas and Missouri broadcast professor MAX UTSLER has won one of education’s top honors, the Edward L. Bliss Award for Distinguished Broadcast Journalism Education. More here. Max retired last year after 36 years at Kansas. He earlier taught at Missouri, where I was in one of his first classes and we were later best man in each other’s weddings. Max also worked in newsrooms in Phoenix, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Peoria, IL.
General Manager News and Notes:
Heston
After 21 years, JOE HESTON will retire later this year as President and General Manager of Hearst’s KSBW-TV in Salinas-Monterey, CA. Before KSBW, he worked for Hearst stations in Boston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. More details in this story from the KSBW website.
Gray Television has named new general managers for two of its stations. SCOTT SANDERS joins WMBF-TV in Myrtle Beach-Florence, SC while LORI BRUFFETT to General Manager of KBTX-TV in Waco-Temple-and Bryan, TX,
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, June 14, 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
KABC-TV 500 Circle Seven Dr. Glendale, CA 91201
WFMZ-TV 300 E Rock Rd, Allentown, PA 18103
KXTX-TV 4805 Amon Carter Blvd. Ft. Worth, TX 76155
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St, Baltimore, MD 21211
KCTV 4500 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. Fairway, KS 66205
WPMT-TV 2005 South Queen Street York, PA 17403
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WRGB-TV 1400 Balltown Road, Schenectady, NY 12309
WKEF/WRGT-TV 2245 Corporate Place Miamisburg, OH 45342
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
KVAL/KMTR-TV 4575 Blanton Rd., Eugene, OR 97405
KRIS-TV 301 Artesian Street Corpus Christi, TX 78401
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KOMU-TV 5550 Old 63 S, Columbia, MO 65201
KPLC-TV 20 Division Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601
WCAV-TV 999 2nd Street, S.E. Charlottesville Virginia 22902 (see ad above!)
WLFI-TV 2605 Yeager Rd. West Lafayette, IN 47906
Delta News 837 Washington Av. Greenville, MS 38701
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903
KGWN-TV 2923 E. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001
KAVU-TV 3808 N Navarro St, Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station