May 27, 2019
Greetings:
I hope you had a great weekend, and remembered the real reason for the holiday.
SIMON PAGENAUD certainly had a good weekend. As is our custom in this space, we honor the winner of the 2019 Indianapolis 500.
Simon Pagenaud at Friday’s final practice for Indianapolis 500 – Photo by Rick Gevers
We’re late in publishing this week, in part because of the holiday weekend and in part because there a LOT of news to share.
We have FOUR new news directors and FOUR new openings. Some of that activity came as TWO NDs were promoted to station manager positions at their stations. Lots of changes but the number of stations looking for a new ND inches up to 31.
There are many items of interest in our Names in the News segment, including a new job as corporate news director for a former GM and ND. And there’s an invitation to a party…but you do need to know the guest of honor.
Newly Named News Directors:
LaPorte
KIRO-TV, Seattle, WA…we shared with you on Monday that this Cox Media owned CBS affiliate has hired JOHN LaPORTE to be its next news director. He replaces JAKE MILLSTEIN who left last July. John’s been the ND for Tribune’s WITI-TV in Milwaukee for the past eight years. He’s also been an ND for another Milwaukee station, and for stations in Eau Claire and Palm Springs.
Passon
KPTV, Portland, OR…CHRIS PASSON moves from Assistant News Director to News Director for this Meredith owned FOX affiliate. GM ADRIENNE ROARK shared the news with her staff. Chris has been the Assistant ND here for nine years, and first served the station as nightside executive producer. He’s also worked in Atlanta and Albuquerque.
Hanson
Chris replaces COREY HANSON who is being promoted to Station Manager at KPTV after ten years as news director and 14 years at the station. Corey’s promotion was one of three such moves by Meredith this week, but the only one involving a news director. More details in this news release. She’s also been an EP and the creative services director there. And…on this night that saw the start of the Stanley Cup Finals, we should tell you that Corey owns the Portland hat trick, having worked at three stations there.
Towne
KIII-TV, Corpus Christi, TX…NIA TOWNE will be the next ND for this Tegna owned ABC affiliate. She’s been the Managing Editor/Digital Media Manager for WHP-TV in Harrisburg, PA, and earlier worked in Syracuse and Medford, OR. She replaces OSCAR GARCIA who left the station in July, 2018, for a job at KRIV-TV in Houston.
MacDowell
WICU/WSEE-TV, Erie, PA…SCOTT MacDOWELL gets his first news director job at this Lilly Broadcasting owned NBC/CBS duopoly. Details in this news release. He’s been the Assistant ND at WIAT-TV in Birmingham for the last seven years. Scott began his career at WKBW-TV in Buffalo as a photographer, rose to chief photographer and then was elevated to director of news content. In Erie, he replaces TIM MELLO who resigned in April and is looking for jobs in Erie and outside of TV.
New News Director Openings:
Mungo
WFAA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX…in one of our THREE updates this week we told you that CAROLYN MUNGO was being promoted to station manager at this Tegna owned ABC affiliate. Her move…and a promotion for WFAA GM BRAD RAMSEY were explained in this story. She’s been ND here since 2012, was an Assistant ND in Houston and reported in Houston, Phoenix, and Austin, TX.
Kotsaftis
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO…another Tegna station, another news director opening as LINDA KOTSAFTIS is leaving this NBC affiliate. She’s a 20 year veteran of the station and has been News Content Director since last July. Her replacement will report to ERIC VALADEZ whose is Director of Content. Eric and Linda assumed those new roles last summer when CHRISTY MORENO left to become GM for the company’s WHAS-TV in Louisville.
Mahaney
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH…CHIP MAHANEY takes his SIXTH straight job without having to call movers or get a new driver’s license. This time it’s as Emerging Talent Leader for Scripps, for whom he has worked for almost eleven years, the last 2+ as ND for this ABC affiliate. Here’s his posting from Facebook explains this move. Chip’s done a nice job explaining all his other jobs at Scripps…and all this previous positions, in his Linkedin page.
Giesler
KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT…this Scripps’ owned CBS affiliate is looking for a new news director. My records show that veteran broadcaster JERRY GIESLER had been the ND here since July, 2015. He’s a former news manager and general manager who also consulted for Magid.
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Enterprise Executive Producer, WRAL-TV Raleigh, NC:
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News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (listed 5/5/19)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 5/12/19)
WTLV-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 5/5/19)
WIAT-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 4/21/19)
KARK-TV, Little Rock, AR (listed 4/14/19)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 5/5/19)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 4/21/19)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 5/19/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 5/12/19)
KIII-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (listed 5/5/19)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA (Dayside EP, relisted 3/31/19)
Nexstar Washington Bureau, Washington, DC (relisted 5/5/19)
WXIA-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 3/31/19)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (AM EP, new listing this week, see ad above!)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (2 openings, listed 5/5/19)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (PM EP, relisted 4/21/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 5/12/19)
WISN-TV, Milwaukee, WI (AM EP, listed 5/19/19)
KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, NV (Digital EP, relisted 5/5/19)
WJAX/WFOX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (relisted 5/5/19)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (listed 3/31/19)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, listed 5/5/19)
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, NC (AM EP, listed 5/5/19)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (AM EP, 5/5/19)
WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (listed 5/12/19)
KGUN-TV, Tucson, AZ (new listing this week)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (Dayside EP, listed 5/5/19)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 3/31/19)
KXRM-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (Digital EP, relisted 5/12/19)
WCTV, Tallahassee, FL (Digital EP, listing modified 5/5/19)
KEYT-KCOY-KKFX-TV, Santa Barbara, CA (listed 3/31/19)
WQOW-TV, Eau Claire, WI (listed 3/24/19)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KXAS-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth (relisted 3/31/19)
Other News Management Openings:
New Listings This Week:
WTTG-TV, Washington, DC (Planning Manager)
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Mgr., relisted this week)
Listed 5/19/19:
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Enterprise Executive Producer, see ad above!)
WKRN-TV, Nashville TN (Digital Content Manager)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (PM Content Manager)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (Digital Executive Producer)
Listed 4/21/19:
WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital Executive Producer)
Listed 3/31/19:
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital Content Executive Producer)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)
Names in the News (and other items):
SCOTT PELLEY is this year’s winner of the Paul White Award from RTDNA.
DENNIS MILLIGAN wrapped an 18 year run as ND for WBTV (Gray Television/CBS) in Charlotte this week and the station reported on his retirement.
Hale
Waypoint Media, which owns 18 stations and wants to expand, has named ELDEN HALE as its Corporate Director of News. You’ll learn in this news release that it’s a reunion for Elden and Waypoint co-owner BILL CHRISTIAN: they worked together at WNEP-TV in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA. Elden was GM for Meredith’s WSMV-TV in Nashville, WFSB-TV in Hartford, was COO for the New York Times Broadcasting Group, and worked in various news management roles in Miami, Dallas, Orlando, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Miami, and Grand Rapids, MI.
Weiner
Longtime newsman MARC WEINER is the new Director of Professional Development for CBS News. Marc tells me: “I will be part of a team that works closely with all CBS News platforms, primarily senior managers, broadcast producers, digital folks and production staff on professional development and recruitment for the network news division.” He’s a former ND in Las Vegas, Raleigh, and Santa Maria, CA, held management jobs in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Minneapolis and worked for Verizon FiOS1 News in New York and Al Jazeera America.
JENNIFER BROCKMAN is the new managing editor for Tribune-soon-to-be-Nexstar’s KDVR/KWGN-TV in Denver. ND BRIAN GREGORY notified the staff via email. Jen’s considerable experience includes local and network TV as detailed here. She’s been the morning executive producer there. The station is now looking for her replacement. More details on that opportunity in the paid help wanted ad above.
JESS O’NEILL has been promoted to Assistant News Director for Hearst’s WESH-TV in Orlando. He’s spent the last three years as Managing Editor for this NBC affiliate. Earlier in his career he was a producer at WESH, sandwiched around a stint at CNN in Atlanta.
Former Des Moines (WHO-TV) News Director AL SETKA has a new job.
The Indianapolis Business Journal looks at what Indianapolis stations are doing to attract younger viewers.
Utsler
Family, friends, and co-workers of MAX UTSLER are throwing a party for his retirement after 36 years teaching broadcast journalism at Kansas University. Former students and friends are welcome. The five ‘w’s can be found here (and if you don’t know what the five ‘w’s are, you weren’t a student of his!) Max earlier taught at Missouri for eleven years (full disclosure: I was in his first class at Missouri and we were best man in each other’s weddings). He also worked in newsrooms in Phoenix, St. Louis, and Kansas City.
Finally, thirteen very experienced news people gathered for the SIXTH annual reunion luncheon last Thursday in Indianapolis. I’ve been able to attend all of these and it’s a great afternoon with lots of memories and great stories. Let me know if you’d like to join us next May.
Standing: C.J. Beutein, Rick Gevers, Lucy Himstedt, Bob Brunner Seated, L-R: Bob Priddy, Brian Trauring, Tom Becherer, Lou Prato, Paul Paolicelli, Phil Bremen, Lee Giles, Ray Depa, Ken Kurtz
General Manager News and Notes:
Mason
JANET MASON’s remarkable 44 year career will end with her retirement this summer as General Manager for Tegna’s WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, MI. She’s been the GM there for 22 years and spent the previous 17 years as the company’s KARE-TV in Minneapolis, the last eight as VP/News. Janet started at KARE as a reporter. WZZM’s story on her retirement lists many of her groundbreaking achievements.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Monday, May 27, 2019:
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
Verizon Fios 1 News 800 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, NY 10573
KNBC-TV 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
WFAA-TV 606 Young St, Dallas, TX 75202
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KING-TV 1501 1st Ave. South, Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98134
KUSA-TV 500 E Speer Blvd, Denver, CO 80203
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KXTV 400 Broadway Sacramento, CA 95818
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KGW-TV 1501 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97201
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
KULX-TV 314 S Redwood Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 **
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64112
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WCPO-TV 1720 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
WITI-TV 9001 N Green Bay Rd, Brown Deer, WI 53209
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfield Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33407
KTNV-TV 3355 S. Valley View Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89102
WBRE/WYOU-TV 62 S. Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
WLEX-TV P.O. Box 1457 Lexington, KY 40588-1457
WROC-TV 201 Humboldt St. Rochester, NY 14610
KRDO-TV 399 S. 8th Street Colorado Springs, CO 80905
WCBD-TV 210 W Coleman Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KTTC-TV 6301 Bandel Rd. NW Rochester, MN 55901
WGFL-TV 1703 NW 80th Blvd Gainesville, FL 32606
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
KPAX-TV 2204 Regent St, Missoula, MT 59801
WJMN-TV 3165 Wright Street, Suite 101 Marquette, MI 49855
**: Spanish language station