June 4, 2023
Greetings:
A personal note, if you will allow.
Voting beings Tuesday for the Board of Directors for Investigative Reporters and Editors. Longtime readers know how strongly I feel about IRE.
That’s why I am running for the board. You can read my candidate statement here, and those of the other candidates here. There are seven candidates for the six seats open on the board.
Many of you are members, and many more of you work with members.
Needless to say, I would appreciate your vote or a kind word to your colleagues. Results will be announced at the IRE Convention in Orlando in late June.
We return to our normal business.
For a holiday-shortened week, we have a fair amount of changes to report.
FIVE ND jobs were filled. And THREE jobs opened up, leaving 36 open positions on our list of open ND jobs.
ONE of those new openings are highlighted in Paid Help Wanted ads just below.
There are TWO obituaries: one for a former ND who also worked for ABC News, and another for a longtime ABC newsman.
There are a handful of quick hit items in Names in the News.
And TWO former ND’s are mentioned in our GM news section: one for a promotion and one who is leaving his top 20 market GM job.
Read on!
Newly Named News Directors:
Wade
WNEP-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA…JENNIFER WADE has been promoted to news director for this Tegna owned ABC affiliate. She’s a twenty year veteran of the station who spent eight years as the Nightside EP and almost 12 years as the Assistant News Director before being elevated to the top job. She’s also worked in Harrisburg and Allentown, PA. Jennifer replaces RACHEL BONILLA who left in February after 18 months as ND.
Truett
KWCH-TV, Wichita, KS…this Gray owned CBS affiliate hired MICHAEL TRUETT as its next news director. He’s currently the ND for Sinclair’s WICS-TV (ABC) in Springfield, IL. He’s also worked in Mobile, AL, Champaign, IL, for two stations in Memphis, and in the Peace Corps. Mike replaces DENISE KILLIAN who left in March after just a few months as ND.
Crowe
WOWT-TV, Omaha, NE…another Gray station with a new news director, as CASSIE CROWE has been promoted to ND for this NBC affiliate. She’s been the assistant ND here for the last seven years, and has produced for stations in Dallas and Minneapolis. At WOWT, Cassie replaces DAVE KAPLAR who was also promoted within Gray, in his case to news director for WTVG-TV (NBC) in Toledo.
Hanson
WAOW-TV, Wausau, WI…BRAD HANSON moves from the anchor desk to the ND office as he becomes the next ND for this Allen Media owned ABC affiliate. More in this story from the station’s website. Brad joined WAOW as sports director in 2018 and moved to news anchor three years later. He’s also worked in Waterloo, IA, and as broadcast journalist in the Marine Corps. He replaces COURTNEY TERLECKI who spent two years in the job.
Hodges
KNOE-TV, Monroe, LA…KRISTIN HODGES moves within Gray to become ND for this CBS/ABC affiliate. She’s currently the EP for Gray’s WDBJ-TV (CBS) in Roanoke, VA and has a long and varied career history, both in and out of television. At KNOE, Kristin succeeds JOSH HARVISON who left last month to join Nexstar’s KNWA/KFTA-TV in Fayetteville, AR as ND. He was here about 15 months.
New News Director Openings:
Manuel
KXTV, Sacramento, CA…JILL MANUEL has left this Tegna owned ABC affiliate after four years as Director of Content. GM RISA OMEGA sent this note to the staff. Jill’s spent much of her career in Chicago, inlcuding almost four years as ND for CLTV, a now shuttered cable news operation, and in management roles for WBBM-TV and WFLD-TV. She’s also been an ND for WEWS-TV in Cleveland.
WICS-TV, Springfield, IL…as you learned above, MICHAEL TRUETT is leaving this Sinclair owned ABC affiliate to become ND for Gray’s KWCH-TV in Wichita. He was here about six years.
Anna V.
KLEW-TV, Lewiston, ID…ANNA VELASQUEZ has left this Sinclair owned CBS affiliate after eight years as news director. She also did double duty as an anchor for some of her time there. Details in this story from the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. She began her career at KLEW, and worked in Seattle, Bakersfield, and Albuquerque before returning to KLEW in 2015.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Executive Producer, WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH:
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News Director, WBNG-TV, Binghamton, NY:
WBNG is looking for a dynamic newsroom leader to take our team to the next level.
WBNG-TV, the CBS affiliate in Binghamton, NY, seeks a News Director to help guide our news department to new heights of journalistic and ratings success. This is an exciting opportunity to join a great team in one of New York’s most beautiful places to live.
The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing and maintaining market leading standards for newsroom operations and content. Other duties include hiring, coaching, supervising and evaluating news personnel, as well as preparation and administration of newsroom budgets and capital requests. The News Director is expected to work closely with other department managers to achieve the company’s overall performance goals.
A minimum of 4 years television news management experience and a college degree in broadcast journalism preferred. Must be able to demonstrate strong working knowledge of community issues, as well as sound journalistic principles. Must have the ability to make fast, accurate journalistic and logistical judgments.
If you have a passion for excellence, and a burning desire to lead the best local broadcast news operation in Binghamton, NY, we want to hear from you.
WBNG offers a competitive salary and traditional benefits package.
If you think you’re qualified, want to work with a great group of people and live in a great community, apply online at:
Please apply by clicking here.
WBNG-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KCBS/KCAL-TV, Los Angeles, LA (listed 4/30/23)
WATN-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 6/4/23)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 4/30/23)
WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA (listed 4/16/23)
WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC (listed 5/21/23)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 5/29/23)
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (AM/Special Projects EP, relisted 4/23/23)
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 4/23/23)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WCNC-TV, Charlotte, ND (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (listed 5/21/23)
WXIN/WTTV, Indianapolis, IN (relisted 5/29/23)
WKRN-TV, Nashville, TN (listed 5/14/23)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Special Projects EP, listed 6/4/23)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (AM EP, listed 5/14/23)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 5/21/23)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 4/30/23)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (AM EP, listed 6/4/23)
WCIA-TV, Champaign, IL (Digital EP, listed 5/29/23)
WKBT-TV, La Crosse, WI (relisted 4/23/23)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 4/16/23)
KCTV, Kansas City, MO (listed 5/13/23)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 5/14/23:
Voice of America, Washington, DC (Standards Editor)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (Assignment Manager)
WWTI-TV, Watertown, NY (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 5/7/23:
U. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Multimedia News Manager)
U. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (Technical News Producer)
Listed 4/30/23:
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (Director of Digital Content)
Obituaries:
Longtime ABC News Washington Bureau Chief GEORGE WATSON has died at the age of 89. He also served as the White House Correspondent for ABC and worked briefly for CNN. Details in this obituary from The Hollywood Reporter.
Alpert
We’ve just learned of the death of ARTHUR ALPERT who served as a news director in Providence, RI, and Albuquerque, NM. He also worked for ABC News. Arthur died in February at the age of 89. This obituary was written by someone who apparently was with him when he passed, and this article has many more details about his very interesting career and background.
Names in the News:
Quick hits:
JOHN ROUSE, EVP of Affiliate Relations for ABC, is retiring after 33 years with the company.
RACHEL IBANEZ has been promoted to Nightside EP for KTVU-TV (FOX owned) in Oakland-San Francisco. She’s been the 10:00 PM producer there.
DEDRICK RUSSELL is returning to Gray’s WBTV in Charlotte as EP of Community Content. He left the station last year to work on the Gray recruiting team.
Veteran investigative reporter MARK GREENBLATT is joining the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School as executive editor. He’s been working for Scripps News.
General Manager News and Notes:
Vea
Congratulations to news director turned general manager turned corporate executive TANYA YEA. She’s been named President and COO of Bonneville, where she most recently has been GM of the company’s KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, where earlier in her career she was the ND. She’s also been ND for another Salt Lake City station. In her new role, she replaces DARRELL BROWN who is retiring.
Dallman
And former news director turned general manager BILL DALLMAN has resigned as VP/GM for Tegna’s KARE-TV (NBC) in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Bill sent this note to his staff. He’s a former ND for several stations, including KMSP-TV in the Twin Cities, as well as for stations in Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, and Grand Rapids, MI. Bill was the first ND for Fox Sports 1. He’s also worked in Sacramento, Austin, MN, and for a third station in Minneapolis.
Our List of Open News Director jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, June 4, 2023:
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
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, Georgia 30324
WZDC-TV 4001 Nebraska Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 **
WCCO-TV 90 S. 11th Street Minneapolis, MN 55403
WLTV 9405 NW 41st St, Doral, FL 33178 **
KXTV 400 Broadway Sacramento, CA 95818
KGTV 4600 Air Way. San Diego, CA 92102
WTIC-TV 285 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06115
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas, NV 89101
WWMT-TV 590 West Maple St. Kalamazoo, MI 49008
WLNE-TV 10 Orms St. Providence, RI 02904
KFTV 3239 W Ashlan Av. Fresno, CA 93722 **
WIVB-TV 2077 Elmwood Ave Buffalo, NY 14207
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74129
WHIO-TV 1611 S Main St. Dayton, OH 45409
KITV 801 So. King St. Honolulu, HI 96813
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, Idaho 83501
WISC-TV 7025 Raymond Rd. Madison, WI 53719
WICS-TV 2680 E. Cook St. Springfield, IL 62703
WQAD-TV 3003 Park 16th Street Moline, Illinois 61265
KHGI-TV 1078 25 Road Axtell, NE 68924
WTAJ-TV 5000 Sixth Avenue Altoona, PA 16602
KIMA-TV 2801 Terrace Heights Dr. Yakima, WA 98901
KMIZ-TV 501 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia MO 65201
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790 (see ad above!)
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa TX 79763
WBUP/WKBP-TV 1705 Ash Street Suite 5 Ishpeming, MI 49849
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
WBKO-TV 2727 Russellville Road. Bowling Green, KY 42101
KGNS-TV 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo TX 78041
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd North, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Delta News 837 Washington Ave Greenville, MS 38701
KAEF-TV 540 E Street Eureka, CA 95501
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KNOP-TV 402. S. Dewey. North Platte NE 69101
**: Spanish language station