June 2, 2024

Sunday Jun 2, 2024

Greetings:

A little more activity even though it was a holiday shortened week.

TWO new news directors named, with ONE new opening.

No paid help wants ads this week, but our friends at Stephen Arnold Music AND Sciline are back. Please check out their ads…they help support this newsletter.

ONE new GM at a Gray station in Georgia.

TWO longtime NDs retired at the end of May. Both their stations aired stories to which we link below.

ONE Florida news director was the target of a texting scam. We’ll show you the story her station did to warn viewers.

A new head for Boston public TV station WGBH-TV, a reward for information about the disappearance of an Iowa anchor is doubled…at least for a while…and we have a look at what’s going on in Cincinnati television.

All that and more below!

Newly Named News Director:

Koumjian

WNYT-TV, Albany, NY…this Hubbard Broadcasting owned NBC affiliate has promoted JOSH KOUMJIAN to be its next news director. Josh began his career at WNYT as an associate producer, went to WXXA-TV in Albany as a producer, and then returned to WNYT as a producer, then EP, and finally Assistant ND before being promoted to ND this week. He replaces MICHAEL RAFFAELE who left in March to become ND for WHP-TV in Harrisburg, PA.

Burton

KXXV/KRHD-TV, Waco/Bryan, TX..JUSTIN BURTON has been named station manager/news director for these Scripps owned ABC stations. Here’s the memo from regional VP KATHLEEN CHOAL. Justin’s been working at Spectrum News in Austin as managing director, overseeing several markets. It’s a return to Scripps for Justin, who earlier worked for the company in Kansas City and Bakersfield among other stops.

New News Director Opening:

Hendrix-Beach

KWES-TV, Midland, TX…this Tegna owned NBC affiliate is looking for a new news director. My records show that MELISSA HENDRIX-BEACH has held that job since September, 2018, when she was promoted from Assistant News Director.

SciLine briefing:

Social media & teen health

Thursday, June 6 (2-3 p.m. EDT) – Zoom

SciLine’s next briefing will cover how social media affects the physical and mental health of young people, including discussions about: social media usage patterns and drivers among different demographic groups; connections to mental health, including both benefits and harms; impacts on physical health via changes to sleep and eating behavior; and what parents and guardians can do to support young people’s safe and healthy social media use. SciLine Director Rick Weiss will moderate the briefing.

Panelists:

Colleen McClain, Pew Research Center
Dr. Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley College

REGISTER TODAY

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (relisted 4/14/24)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (listed 4/21/24)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (relisted 4/28/24)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (listed 6/2/24)
WDKY-TV, Lexington, KY (listed 4/14/24)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (relisted 5/19/24)
WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY (relished 4/14/24)
WCYB-TV, Tri-Cities, TN & VA (listed 4/28/24)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (listed 4/7/24)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (listed 4/7/24)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

WPIX-TV, New York, NY (listed 4/21/24)
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (relisted 4/14/24)
WFMZ-TV, Allentown, PA (Philadelphia market, listed 4/7/24)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 5/19/24)
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, AZ (relisted 5/19/24)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 5/5/24)
WTSP-TV, Tampa/St. Petersburg (AM EP, relisted 5/19/24)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (AM EP, relisted 5/19/24)
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 4/7/24)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (Digital EP, listing modified 4/21/24)
Spectrum News 1, Raleigh NC (listed 5/12/24)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (listed 4/14/24)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (AM EP, relisted 5/19/24)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 5/27/24)
KGTV, San Diego, CA (listed 5/5/24)
KSWB/KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 6/2/24)
WTNH-TV, Hartford, CT (relisted 5/5/24)
WLWT-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 4/7/24)
WSPA/WYCW-TV, Spartanburg, SC (Lifestyle EP, listed 5/12/24)
WGAL-TV, Lancaster, PA (listed 4/7/24)
WTKR-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 4/28/24)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, (relisted 6/2/24)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC (Weekend EP, listing revised 4/7/24)
WLKY-TV, Louisville, KY (PM EP, listed 4/7/24)
KRQE-TV, Albuquerque, NM (Nightside EP, listed 4/21/24)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 5/19/24)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (two openings, listing modified 6/2/24)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 5/5/24)
KVEO/KGBT-TV, Harlingen, TX (relisted 5/5/24)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 4/28/24)
WKBT-TV, LaCrosse/Eau Claire, WI (listed 4/7/24)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 4/28/24)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WJYZ-TV, Charlotte, NC (relisted 6/2/24)

More News Management Openings:

Relisted 6/2/24;

WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (Digital Director)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Director of Digital Content)

Listed 5/5/24:

WJW-TV, Cleveland, OH (News Assignments Manager)

Listed 4/28/24:

KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (Digital Director)

Names in the News (and other stuff):

DAN LOTHIAN, a former CNN and NBC correspondent, has been named Editor in Chief for Boston public TV station WGBH-TV.

The end of May brought the end to the careers of TWO long time news directors, both remembered by their stations.

RICK GALL retired as ND for Capitol’s WRAL-TV (NBC) in Raleigh after almost 20 years as news director and almost 30 at the station, where he began as a reporter.

And AUDREY PRYWITCH left Nexstar’s KTVI/KPLR-TV in St. Louis (FOX/CW) after 23 years at the station and 16 as news director.

Best wishes to both for long and happy retirements.

Like too many Americans, WKMG-TV (Orlando) news director ALLISON McGINLEY was the target of a scam that saw many of her staff receive a fraudulent text message. The station aired this story to warn viewers.

Ridge

STEVE RIDGE, a private investigator perhaps best known to you as a longtime Magid consultant and executive, has increased the reward for information about the disappearance of a former Mason City, IA anchor, JODI HUISENTRUIT. She failed to show up to work at KIMT-TV almost 29 years ago. The reward is now $100,000: the offer expires on the anniversary of her disappearance, June 27th.

Finally, long time Cincinnati media reporter JOHN KIESEWETTER has a look at May rating results in the Queen City (including actual numbers). His latest column contrasts ratings from 2015: the numbers are not pretty. John also writes about a number of personnel moves.

General Manager News and Notes:

Gray has named GREG CONNOR as GM of its Augusta, GA, operations, WRDW/WAGT-TV (CBS/ABC). He’s most recently was GM for WACH-TV in Columbia, SC, and replaces MIKE OATES who is retiring after 33 years, the last seven as GM.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, June 2, 2024:

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 Bronx/Brooklyn, 930 Soundview Ave. Bronx, NY 10473
WFLD-TV 205 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60601
WLS-TV 190 N State St. Chicago, IL, 60601
WFXT-TV 25 Fox Dr. Dedham, MA 02026
WXIA-TV One Monroe Place NE Atlanta, GA 30324
KPRC-TV 8181 Southwest Freeway Houston, TX 77074
WRC-TV 4001 Nebraska Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016
KGW-TV 1501 SW Jefferson Street Portland, OR 97201
KTVI/KPLR-TV 2250 Ball Drive St. Louis, MO 63146
WZTV 631 Mainstream Drive Nashville, TN 37228
KUTV 299 South Main Street, #150 Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Spectrum News Texas (based in Austin, TX)
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit Kansas City, MO 64108
WTIC-TV 285 Broad Street Hartford, CT 06115
WTKR-TV 720 Boush Street Norfolk VA 23510
WOLF-TV 1181 Highway 315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (News Manager)
WHAS-TV 520 W. Chestnut St. Louisville, KY 40202
KITV 801 South King Street | Honolulu, HI 96813
WZDX-TV 1309 N. Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL 35801
KWKT-TV 8803 Woodway Dr., Woodway, TX 76712
WTOC-TV 1511 Chatham Center Dr. Savannah, GA 31405
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KYTX-TV 2211 ESE Loop 323. Tyler, TX 75701
KNDU/KNDO-TV 216 W. Yakima Ave. Yakima, WA 98902
WGXA-TV 599 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Macon, GA 31201
KHSL-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
KDRV-TV 1090 Knutson Ave. Medford, OR 97504
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KXMB-TV 1811 N 15th St. Bismarck, ND 58501
KOSA-TV 4101 E. 42nd. Suite J-7. Odessa, TX. 79761
KWES-TV 11320 West County Rd. 127. Odessa, TX, 79765
KIFI-TV 1915 N. Yellowstone Hwy. Idaho Falls, ID 83401
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
WTVY-TV 285 North Foster St., Dothan, AL 36303
WGEM-TV 513 Hampshire Quincy, IL 62301
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KGNS-TV 120 W. Del Mar Blvd. Laredo TX 78041
KMVT-TV 1100 Blue Lakes Blvd. N. Twin Falls, ID 83301
KGWN-TV, 2923 E. Lincolnway. Cheyenne, WY 82001
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KQTV 4000 Faraon St. Joseph, MO 64506

**: Spanish language station

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