June 7, 2020
Monday, June 8th, 2020 UPDATE:
As teased in last night’s newsletter, we have a new news director in a top 20 market today and some news from the world of journalism education.
Heisner
JODIE HEISNER moves within Scripps to become the next news director for WEWS-TV, the company’s ABC affiliate in Cleveland.
She’s been the Assistant ND for Scripps’ WXYZ-TV (also ABC) in Detroit since September 2018. Jodie first joined WXYZ in 2017 as EP of Special Projects.
Before that, she worked at another Scripps station, KNXV-TV (another ABC affiliate) in a variety of roles. She began her career as a producer in Lansing, MI.
At WEWS, she replaces SEAN McGARVY who was promoted to one of several Director of Content Strategy jobs for the company.
Duhe
One another note. We told you a few weeks ago that SONYA DUHE had been named the next Dean of the Cronkite School at Arizona State University. That job offer has now been withdrawn as you’ll learn in this story.
We’ll have our full weekly newsletter later this week with any updates as warranted along the way.
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
Just ONE news director change to share this week. And that involves a promotion at a station which has had ONE news director in the last 22 years, and he’s retiring.
That leaves our list of open ND jobs at 22. However, we anticipate that one of the larger openings on the list will be filled early this week. Stay tuned.
THREE obituaries, one of a well respected Twin Cities news manager, one for a legendary African American broadcaster, and the third the widow of a former Kentucky news director whose death this week bore a sad similarity to her late husband’s.
And once again, there is a lot of movement in the GM ranks. TWO of the THREE new GMs we’ll tell you about are former news directors.
Newly Named News Directors:
Nelson
WWNY-TV, Watertown, NY…JEFF NELSON is being promoted to news director for this Gray Television owned CBS affiliate, effective August 5th. He’s currently an anchor AND the Assistant News Director there. Jeff reported for WWNY for ten years before moving to the anchor desk. He’ll give that spot up… this news release details all the shuffling that entails.
Atkinson
That same release also details the pending retirement of Jeff’s former boss, SCOTT ATKINSON, after 22 years as news director. Scott began his career as a reporter for newspapers and radio stations in Northern New York, then reported for one year at WWNY before moving to Syracuse, where he spent 17 years as a reporter for WTVH-TV. Scott then returned to Watertown as ND. He’ll stay on to assist with the transition and election coverage this fall. Scott told me via email today: Here’s the thing: I liked every job I’ve had.
Here’s to a long and happy retirement, though Scott did indicate he may not be done with journalism.
New News Director Openings:
To my knowledge, there are no new openings this week. If you know of one I’ve missed, please let me know via email: rick@rickgevers.com
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
There are no paid help wanted ads this week.
If you need to advertise a news management job, email me for details: rick@rickgevers.com
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WGN-TV, Chicago, IL (relisted 5/17/20)
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:
WWSB-TV, Sarasota, FL (relisted this week)
KING/KONG-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 5/3/10)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 4/5/20)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 5/10/20)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (EP of Lifestyle Content, listed 5/24/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, new listing this week)
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:
McEnroe
PAUL McENROE, who was the executive producer of the investigative unit for Hubbard’s KSTP-TV (ABC) in Minneapolis-St. Paul, lost a long battle with cancer this week. He was 69. Paul spent 35 years at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune before moving to KSTP in 2015. Check out these obituaries from The Star-Tribune and from KSTP to learn more about a true newsman.
Lothery
EUGENE LOTHERY, a trailblazing African American broadcaster, died Sunday, May 31 at the age of 78 of complications from partial paralysis. He’d been in a wheelchair for seven years. In 1990, when there were few minority general managers (not like there are a lot today) he was named GM for WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, then owned by CBS. He left that job in 1995 when NBC bought the station, and returned to CBS headquarters in New York. More in this obituary from The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Turner
A sad irony in this story. GERALDINE TURNER, widow of TONY TURNER, the former news director and station manager of WYMT-TV in Hazard, KY, died Friday, June 5th. She was 57 and the victim of a head-on collision in Greensburg, KY. More here.
Tony Turner also died in a head-on collision.
His accident was 18 years ago this week.
Names in the News (and other items):
I have no items this week. We always like your tips via email to: rick@rickgevers.com
General Manager News and Notes:
Once again, we have a surfeit of GM moves.
Antoniotti
We told you Monday that one-time ND JUSTIN ANTONIOTTI continues his move up the Hearst corporate ladder with a promotion to GM for WGAL-TV (NBC) in Lancaster-Harrisburg, PA. He’s been GM for Hearst’s WPTZ/WNNE-TV, the NBC/CW affiliates in Plattsburgh, NY/Burlington, VT. Justin was the ND for Hearst stations in Greenville, SC and Pittsburgh. He’s also worked in Milwaukee, Houston, Memphis, Biloxi, and Columbia, MO. His father STEVE ANTONIOTTI was a news director in Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Oklahoma City, and a GM for several stations in Detroit.
Romines
Nexstar has named veteran broadcaster RON ROMINES as general manager of its Charlotte duopoly, WJYZ-WMYT (FOX/My Network). He’s spent the last year as a senior VP and regional manager for Nexstar. This news release has more.
STEVE DANILOFF has left Nexstar’s WBRE/WYOU-TV in Wilkes-Barre, PA, after more than three years as GM.
White
And in one more instance of a news director being promoted to GM. Scripps has named TREGG WHITE as GM for KGUN/KWBA-TV (ABC/CW) in Tucson, AZ. He’s been the GM for KGWN-TV in Cheyenne, WY, where he had earlier been the news director. KGWN is owned by Gray Television.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, June 7, 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 **
WEWS-TV 3001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115
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
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