May 16, 2021
Thursday, May 20, 2021 UPDATE:
Greetings:
A flurry of moves prompts this almost-at-the-end-of-the-week UPDATE. Most will be very brief, and I promise more on each in our weekend newsletter.
Vrees
But we’ll give you the most detail on a person that it is probably best known among our readers. ANDREW VREES returns to his native New Hampshire as GM of Hearst’s WMUR-TV (ABC) in Manchester. Andrew is a long time Hearst employee, who since 2016 has been VP/News for the company. He’s also been a news director for two of the company’s stations, including WMUR. More details about his background in this news release.
Oliver
One other major market GM shuffle finds SHEILA OLIVER moving from Fox’s KMSP-TV in Minneapolis to the company’s Seattle stations, KCPQ/KZJO-TV. Sheila’s worked for KMSP for 18 years, the last six as GM. More about her background in her already updated Linkedin page. Sheila replaces PAM PEARSON who was the GM at KCPQ for (according to her Linkedin page) from 1999 until, apparently, this morning and announced her retirement on Thursday.
On to the lightning round…
MICHAEL CORN, most recently the EP for Good Morning America, has been named President of Nexstar’s News Nation.
RICHARD WASHINGTON III moves from Assistant ND at Tegna’s WCNC-TV (NBC) in Charlotte to ND for the company’s WTIC-TV (FOX) in Hartford, CT.
And veteran broadcaster GENE KIRKCONNELL is the new ND for Nexstar’s WKRG-TV (CBS) in Mobile, leaving Nexstar’s WRBL-TV (CBS) in Columbus, GA. Interesting twist: earlier in his career, while GM of (then) Media General’s WVTM-TV in Birmingham, Gene had a supervisory role over WKRG.
I promise more details on each of these stories in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Once again, a news director lands a new job via an inter-company promotion.
Wolfe
Today it’s JULIE WOLFE, who’s headed to Seattle to become the next ND for Tegna’s KING/KONG-TV (NBC/independent). Here’s the news release.
For the past three years, Julie’s been the ND for Tegna’s WHAS-TV (ABC) in Louisville. She’s been with Tegna since 2006, when she joined the company as a multimedia journalist at WGRZ-TV in Buffalo before moving to WXIA-TV in Atlanta.
Julie began her career as a reporter in Cheyenne, WY.
Her profile on the WHAS website provides a lot more information about her background and an interesting anecdote about what sparked her interest in TV.
She replaces PETE SAIERS who left earlier this year to become the ND for Nexstar’s KTLA-TV in Los Angeles.
We’ll see you next weekend with our full report.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
THREE new news directors, TWO new ND openings, and THREE very interesting obituaries in this week’s report.
The ND changes result in 36 ND openings on our list: TWO of those 36 are among our FOUR paid help wanted ads.
We also have news of TWO new GMs, ONE a news manager getting her first GM job.
And we have more awards news and other stories in our Names in the News section.
Details on all those items and much more below.
Newly Named News Directors:
Movesian
KCTV, Kansas City, MO…our Monday UPDATE told you that KARIN (cq) MOVESIAN is moving from one Meredith CBS affiliate to another. She’ll be the next ND for KCTV, as detailed in this note from GM CHARLIE HEINRICH. She’s spent the last three years as ND for Meredith’s WNEM-TV in Flint-Saginaw. Karin is a native of the St. Louis area, previously was ND at KSDK-TV there, and has worked at many other stations as her Linkedin page shows.
Davis
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT…the other item in Monday’s Update was the appointment of TRACY DAVIS as Vice President of News for NBC owned WVIT-TV. Here’s the news release. She’s a former news director at WDJT-TV (CBS) in Milwaukee and WFFF/WVNY-TV in Burlington, VT. At WVIT, she replaces JANET HUNDLEY who left in April after 2 1/2 years as ND.
Boone
KARD/KTVE-TV, W. Monroe, LA…we’re a little tardy in reporting that RICK BOONE is now the news director for this operation. (Nexstar owns KARD and operates KTVE for…let’s say it all together…Mission Broadcasting.) Rick first joined the station last August as the executive producer. He was briefly an ND in Bowling Green, KY, and has worked on air in a number of markets both small and large.
Thompson
He replaces MICHAEL THOMPSON who is now the Senior Public Affairs/News Producer for Arkansas PBS. Michael left earlier this year after less than a year as ND.
New News Director Openings:
WNEM-TV, Flint/Saginaw, MI…as we told you above, KARIN MOVESIAN is moving from this Meredith CBS affiliate to another Meredith CBS affiliate, KCTV in Kansas City, as ND. She spent three years as ND here.
Baldwin
WDTV, Clarksburg, WV…MICHAEL BALDWIN is leaving this Gray TV owned CBS affiliate after about a year on the job for a new position to be announced soon. Before WDTV, Michael was 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.
And while it’s not a new opening. check out the display ad below for the ND opening at KUTV, the Sinclair owned CBS affiliate in Salt Lake City.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Investigative Exec. Prod., WHDH-TV, Boston, MA:
KEY JOBS OPEN IN WHDH/7NEWS INVESTIGATIVE UNIT:
Seeking an Executive Producer who can generate creative story ideas and lead our award-winning 12-person team to get those stories on-air in the most compelling way. Strong story-telling and management skills are a must.
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience running a special projects department in a major market is preferred.
Also seeking an Investigative Reporter who is a memorable storyteller with a proven investigative track record. Must be a solid journalist, aggressive reporter and excellent writer who can create a clear, concise and highly-visual story from complex material.
Please submit resume to Human Resources at human_resources@whdh.com .
WHDH-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
General Manager, WCAV-TV, Charlottesville, VA:
Lockwood Broadcast group is seeking General Manager candidates for WCAV and WVAW in Charlottesville, VA. The successful candidate will oversee three of the market’s “big four” networks (CBS, ABC, FOX) in the picturesque home to the University of Virginia.
The General Manager is responsible for the development and implementation of the strategic and operating plans for the station along with being responsible for the human, financial and physical assets of the station while maintaining company policies and federal and state regulations.
We are looking for someone with a strong record of success in broadcasting including developing and managing budgets who can also provide leadership while holding station teams accountable for the attainment of station goals.
Candidates should possess superb communication skills and be self-motivated and be able to manage and control station revenue across multiple platforms and have the ability to build relationships with advertisers and the community.
Candidates aspiring to grow their career with a solid broadcast group and work in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in a newly built studio facility, should send their resume to awanveer@lockwoodbroadcast.com.
Lockwood Broadcast Group is an equal opportunity employer and a drug free workplace. Pre-employment drug test and general background check in accordance with local, state, and federal laws are required.
News Director, KMIZ-TV, Columbia, MO:
KMIZ-TV in Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo., has an immediate opening for a news director. This is your chance to work for a small private company committed to doing news the right way and live in one of the nicest cities in the Midwest.
The ABC 17 News team is a well-oiled machine driven by an aggressive, focused brand. We invest in top tier consulting, research and talent development. The company provides the staff, resources and support to succeed in this competitive market. We need a hands on news director who is crazy about coaching young staff members.
Columbia offers a tremendous quality of life. It’s located two hours away from both Kansas City and St. Louis. There’s a terrific trail system here and tons of options for the active lifestyle. We have the draw of big time college athletics, the popular culture of world renowned film and music festivals plus the cultural opportunities a major university provides. It goes without saying, dining and nightlife are top notch for a city this size.
The News-Press Gazette Company (NPG) is family owned with a steep tradition in serving its community through various newspaper and broadcast holdings. It is a diverse company with an eye to the future that includes maintaining its portfolio of 10 television markets. It is large enough to provide its stations the latest industry services to keep them competitive but small enough to offer a great degree of autonomy at its individual stations.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 4/4/21)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (new listing this week)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (listed 4/25/21)
HOI-ABC, Peoria, IL (listing modified this week)
KIII-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 3/28/21)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (new listing this week)
KTTC-TV, Rochester, MN (listed 4/25/21)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (listed 4/18/21)
News National, Chicago, IL (new listing this week)
WHDH-TV, Boston, MA (EP/Investigations, new this week, see ad above!)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 5/9/12)
KDVR-TV, Denver, CO (AM EP, new listing this week)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (listing revised 5/2/21)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 3/28/21)
KFMB-TV, San Diego, CA (PM EP, listed 3/28/21)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (Lifestyle show, relisted 5/9/21)
KTNV-TV, Las Vegas, NV (listed 4/18/21)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (Digital EP, listed 3/28/21)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (listing revised 5/9/21)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (relisted 3/28/21)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (listed 5/2/21)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 5/2/21)
KTAL-TV, Shreveport, LA (relisted 3/21/21)
WSAV-TV, Savannah, GA (listed 4/18/21)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (relisted 4/25/21)
WJTV, Jackson, MS (listed 5/2/21)
WJHL-TV, Johnson City, TN (Digital EP, listing revised 3/28/21)
KLKN-TV, Lincoln, NE (AM EP, relisted this week)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (listed 4/11/21)
KAAL-TV, Rochester, MN (listed 4/18/21)
More News Management Openings:
New Listing this Week:
News Nation, Chicago, IL (Social Media Manager)
Listed 4/25/21:
Spectrum Networks NY1 Senior Manager, News and Content
Listed 4/18/21:
WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (Digital Content Director)
Listed 3/28/21:
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL. (Digital Content Manager)
Obituaries:
Kay
DICK KAY, perhaps best known as a longtime political reporter for WMAQ-TV (NBC/Chicago), but a former ND for WFRV-TV in Green Bay, WI, died Thursday of a fatal brain hemhorrage. He was 84. His real name was RICHARD SNODGRASS but changed it to Kay when he started dating his future wife, whose name was Kay. He led an interesting life, detailed in an interesting obituary.
Greenwald
ARTHUR GREENWALD, a former executive producer at KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, died April 30th of end stage renal failure. He was 68. After leaving KDKA, he worked as a media consultant and columnist for TV News Check. He had an impish sense of humor, once setting up a spoof Facebook page to raise money for the Trump Presidential Library…at the Federal Prison in Leavenworth, KS. Other examples in this obituary.
McCreary
BILL McCREARY, a pioneering Black journalist who rose to VP of WNYW-TV in New York, died April 4th at the age of 87. He suffered from a neurological disease for many years. Bill joined WNYW (then WNEW-TV) as a reporter in 1967, when there were few minorities on TV. The New York Times printed this lengthy obituary.
Names in the News:
Award season continues with the release of the National Headliner Awards. Awarded by the Press Club of Atlantic City, it’s one of the oldest award conceptions. The complete list of winners…including a number of local TV stations…can be found here.
Speaking of awards, old friend BILL LORD reached out this week hoping we would share information about the National Press Club awards. Many of you know Bill, who was a GM, ND, and network correspondent (and now author) before he retired. Bill tells me he’s trying to get more local TV stations involved in this prestigious award. Click here to learn more.
A former news director was one of eight people arrested in Portland, OR, on charges of commercial sex solicitation. MATTHEW ZELKIND is a former ND in Nashville, Las Vegas, and Wichita and has worked in Los Angeles, Denver, San Luis Obispo, Medford, OR and Colorado Springs. The former speaker of the Oregon House was also arrested in the sting. More here.
Atkinson
ROBB ATKINSON, a former ND and CNN NewsSource sales executive, has a new job. He returns to Portland, ME, where he had once been the ND for WGME-TV (Sinclair/CBS) in a PR role for an insurance company that specializes in worker’s compensation cases. More here. Robb was also an ND in Knoxville and Wilmington, NC.
General Manager News and Notes:
Rose
JIM ROSE has been named GM for Nexstar’s KRON-TV in San Francisco. We told you a few weeks ago that Jim was leaving his GM post at Tegna’s KING/KONG-TV (NBC/My Network) in Seattle for a new opportunity. He had been the GM in Seattle for about five years and had worked in Salt Lake City and for Blair in New York. More about his new job in this news release from Nexstar.
Eisenman
Another news manager becomes a GM as JULIE EISENMAN has been promoted to GM for Tegna’s WNEP-TV (ABC) in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA. It’s a return to Pennsylvania for Julie, who started on the assignment desk in Pittsburgh and later worked as an ND in Erie. She’s currently Director of Content for Tegna’s WLTX-TV in Columbia, SC and earlier was an ND in Savannah, GA. That does NOT create a news management opening at WLTX. SHARRANDA NEAL remains the ND there
Dant
STEVE DANT is retiring after 18 years as general manager for Nexstar’s KXRM/KXTU-TV in Colorado Springs, CO. KXRM is the FOX affiliate, while KXTU is a CW station. Steve previously was the GM of a station in Oregon.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, May 16, 2021:
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
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
WCBS-TV 530 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019
WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10017
News Nation 2501 West Bradley Place Chicago, IL 60618
KTRK-TV 3310 Bissonnet, Houston TX 77005
KNXV-TV 515 North 44th St., Phoenix, AZ 85008
KING/KONG-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KOMO-TV 140 4th Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109
WBFF/WNUV-TV 2000 W 41st St., Baltimore, MD 21211
KUTV 299 South Main St. # 150, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (see ad above!)
WTIC-TV 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115
WXMI-TV 3117 Plaza Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
WNEP-TV 16 Montage Mountain Rd, Moosic, PA 18507
WKRG-TV 555 Broadcast Dr., Mobile, AL 36606
WDKY-TV 836 Euclid Ave. #201, Lexington, KY 40502
WCHS-TV 1301 Piedmont Rd.. Charleston, WV 25301
WACH-TV 1400 Pickens Street, Suite 600 Columbia, SC 29201
WNEM-TV 107 N. Franklin St. Saginaw, MI 48607
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
WHBF-TV 231 18th St., Rock Island, IL 61201
WFXG-TV 3933 Washington Rd., Augusta, GA 30907
KETK-TV 4300 Richmond Rd, Tyler, TX 75703
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
WGXA-TV 599 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Macon, GA, 31201
WWTV/WWUP-TV P.O. Box 627, Cadillac Michigan 49601
WKBT-TV 141 South 6th St., La Crosse, WI 54601
KMIZ-TV 501 Business Loop 70 E., Columbia MO 65201 (see ad above!)
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd.. Columbus, GA 31907
KBJR-TV 246 South Lake Ave., Duluth MN 55802
WDIO-TV 10 Observation Rd., Duluth, MN 55811
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KOSA-TV 4101 E 42nd St. Ste 107, Odessa, TX 79762
KTXS-TV 4420 N. Clack, Abilene, TX 79602
KTVQ-TV 3203 3rd Avenue North, Billings, MT 59101
WDTV 5 Television Drive. Bridgeport, WV 26330
WBKO-TV 2727 Russellville Rd., Bowling Green, KY 42101
KSAN/KSLT-TV 2800 Armstrong St., San Angelo, TX 76903
**: Spanish language station