May 24, 2020
Thursday, May 28, 2020 Update #3!
Greetings:
Rare is the day when we send out THREE updates, but each story seems to be more interesting than the last, as yet another former ND gets a top ten GM job.
Collura
This time it’s DEBORAH COLLURA, who’s headed to Meredith’s WGCL-TV (CBS) in Atlanta. This memo from Meredith’s Local Media Group President PATRICK McCREERY (himself a former ND) tells the story.
Deborah most recently was GM for Tegna’s WCNC-TV in Charlotte, a job she left late last year after five years. She spent much of her career with Graham Media (former Post-Newsweek Stations) as the above memo explains.
At WGCL, she replaces LYLE BANKS who spent just over two years as GM there.
Hopefully this will put a ‘lid’ on today’s news, as a press office might say. But we’ll have a busy newsletter this weekend!
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Thursday, May 28, 2020 Update #2!
Greetings:
This UPDATE involves a CURRENT news director who’s headed to the general manager’s office.
Elmore
ROB ELMORE, who’s been the VP/News for KABC-TV (ABC, obviously!) for the past five years, is returning to Raleigh-Durham as GM for sister ABC station WTVD-TV. Details here.
Before moving to KABC, Rob spent 17 years as the ND for WTVD. Rob also worked as an ND for WHEC-TV in Rochester, NY, worked for another Rochester station, as well as in Nashville and Watertown, NY, where he began his career as a reporter.
At WTVD, he replaces CAROLINE FOY WELCH who is retiring after eight years as GM.
Rob’s promotion is the SECOND ABC o-and-o news director to be moved to the GM’s office in the last two weeks, following last week’s promotion of MICHAEL CARR to GM of Fresno’s KFSN-TV after eight years as ND there.
Congratulations to Rob and a tip of the hat to the ABC owned stations division for promoting NDs to the top job, including KABC’s CHERYL FAIR whose promotion cleared the way for Rob to move to California.
Who knows what the rest of the week will bring?
regards,
gevers
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Thursday, May 28, 2020 Update:
Greetings:
A two time news director turned general manager lands a top ten general manager job today at a legendary station.
Grimes
KYLE GRIMES will be the next GM for Hearst’s WCVB-TV (ABC) in Boston. Here’s the good news from the station’s website.
Kyle been the GM for Hearst’s WGAL-TV (NBC) in Lancaster/Harrisburg, PA, since 2016 Before that, he ran WPTZ/WNNE-TV, Hearst’s NBC/CW affiliates in Plattsburgh, NY/Burlington, VT. He had earlier been the ND for those stations, and also served as ND for the company’s WPBF-TV (ABC) in West Palm Beach, FL.
He’s a Hearst lifer, having started his career at KSBW-TV (NBC) in Monterrey/Salinas, CA before moving to KCRA-TV (NBC) in Sacramento.
At WCVB, he replaces BILL FINE, who is retiring.
Congrats to Kyle.
More in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
Normally in this space on this weekend we salute the winner of the Indianapolis 500. Not today, of course. But we hope to be able to do that in August when the race has been re-scheduled. #missingthe500!
In our normal business, news of TWO new news directors with ONE new opening, that created by our favorite reason, an ND getting promoted to GM. Thus, our count of open news director jobs stands at 26.
You’ll also note our list of open news management jobs has gotten a bit shorter, which is likely due to the uncertain economy moving forward.
Once again, we have a lot of GM changes…those are below, along with a few Names in the News items.
Have a safe and healthy week and we’ll see you here next week.
Newly Named News Directors:
Nazarenus
WGAL-TV, Lancaster/Harrisburg, PA…we’re a little late in reporting that ERIC NAZARENUS has been promoted to news director for this Hearst owned NBC affiliate. He’s been at the station for 21 years, the last 17 as Assistant News Director. He’s also worked for two stations in Baltimore in assignment manager roles. At WGAL, he replaces MICHELLE CHISM who left the station in February after 2 1/2 years as ND.
KSWO-TV, Lawton, OK…another promotion finds SHARICKA BRACKENS moving from the AND job to the big office. Here’s the staff memo. She’s spent most of her career here, beginning as an intern and working up to Assistant ND, the job she’s held for the past three years. Sharicka replaces JAMES WARNER who left in November for an Assistant ND job at WOFL-TV (FOX) in Orlando. Gray Television owns KSWO and operates KAUZ-TV (CBS) under an SSA.
New News Director Opening:
Carr
KFSN-TV, Fresno, CA…congratulations to MICHAEL CARR who’s being promoted to general manager for this ABC o-and-o. He’s been the ND here since 2012, was the EP before that, and has also served as a producer and weekend assignment editor. Michael’s also worked in Sacramento and San Francisco. (Our UPDATE earlier this week inaccurately said he’d been promoted to ND, which he already was, obviously.)
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)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 5/10/20)
WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI (relisted 4/12/20)
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (relisted 4/26/20)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 4/12/20)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WWSB-TV, Sarasota, FL (relisted 3/29/20)
KING/KONG-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 5/3/10)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 4/5/20)
KGTV, San Diego, CA (relisted 4/12/20)
KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 5/10/20)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (relisted 5/17/20)
WKBW-TV, Buffalo, NY (EP of Lifestyle Content, new listing this week)
WTVR-TV, Richmond, VA (relisted 5/17/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, listing revised 3/29/20)
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL (relisted 5/3/10)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (PM EP, listing revised 3/29/20)
KCAU-TV, Sioux City, IA (relisted 5/3/10)
More News Management Openings:
Relisted 5/10/20:
E. W. Scripps, Cincinnati, OH (Director of News Content Strategy)
E.W. Scripps @ WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (News Manager Apprentice)
Listed 4/19/20:
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Digital Director)
KOLR/KOLZ-TV, Springfield, MO (Digital Director)
Names in the News (and other items):
LAURA HARTOG has been promoted to executive producer for WEWS-TV (Scripps/ABC) in Cleveland. She’s been a producer at the station. Laura has also worked in Altoona, PA, Panama City, FL, and Pensacola, FL.
Levy
GRENDEL LEVY returns to a newsroom as the new Assistant News Director for WHOI-TV in Peoria, IL. She had been working as a special projects producer in her hometown of New Orleans since leaving the ND job at WOWK-TV in Charleston, WV. Grendel has also been a news director in Boise, and has previously worked in Baton Rouge, and Biloxi.
General Manager News and Notes:
Bilte
Cox Media Group wasted little time in replacing GREG BILTE as GM for KIRO-TV (CBS) in Seattle. Greg announced his retirement this week, as of the end of June, ending a 41 year career in our business. He’s been GM of this Cox Media Group owned CBS affiliate since 2016. Before that, Greg ran Cox’s KOKI-TV in Tulsa. He’s worked for the company for 25 years, beginning in sales at KTVU-TV in Oakland/San Francisco.
Nevin
Three days later, Cox named PAT NEVIN to replace him. It’s a return to Washington state for Pat, who’s been the GM for Nexstar’s KOIN-TV (CBS) in Portland, OR for almost four years. Beyond that, he’s been a GM in Phoenix, San Diego, and Memphis and earlier worked in Spokane. You can learn more about Pat and his background by checking out his Linkedin page.
Pruitt
Nexstar named CHRIS PRUITT to be the next GM for KIAH-TV (CW) in Houston. He’s been a GM for Nexstar’s operations in Waco, TX. More here.
And Nexstar also promoted MARCI DANIELS to run its Lansing, MI, CBS affiliate, WLNS-TV. She’s been the GM at WETM-TV in Elmira, NY.
We told you above that MICHAEL CARR has been promoted to GM from ND at ABC’s KFSN-TV in Fresno. He’s been the ND there for the past eight years. Michael replaces DAN ADAMS who…after more than ten years as GM….is taking a new job as VP of finance and business planning for Disney’s television station division.
Oswald
Finally, SHAWN OSWALD is the new GM for Hearst’s KETV (ABC) in Omaha. He’s been running the company’s KHBS/KHOG-TV (CBS/CW) in Fayetteville/Ft. Smith, AR. Shawn’s no stranger to Omaha…he worked there as an account executive earlier in his career. Check out this news release to learn that he’s not the first member fo his family to run a TV station in Omaha.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, May 24, 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
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
KOAT-TV 3801 Carlisle Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87107
WPMT-TV 2005 South Queen Street York, PA 17403
KFSN-TV 1777 G Street Fresno CA 93706
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WRGB-TV 1400 Balltown Road, Schenectady, NY 12309
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
KRCR-TV 755 Auditorium Dr. Redding, CA 96001
KOMU-TV 5550 Old 63 S, Columbia, MO 65201
KFDM-TV 2955 I-10 East Beaumont, TX 77702
KPLC-TV 20 Division Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601
KHQA-TV 301 S 36th St, Quincy, IL 62301
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
KAEF-TV 540 E St Eureka, California 95501
KAVU-TV 3808 N Navarro St, Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station