November 17, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 UPDATE:
Connors
Today’s surprise comes from Indianapolis, where WTHR-TV News Director KEITH CONNORS announced a few minutes ago that he’ll leave the station when his contract expires in a few weeks. He’s going to pursue some other options for both family and professional reasons. Keith’s been the ND here since January, 2011. He’s previously been an ND for stations in Houston, Charlotte, Norfolk, and Rochester, NY. He’s also worked in Nashville and Toledo, where (full disclosure) he worked for me when I was the ND for WTOL-TV.
Keith’s announcement means there are now THREE ND openings in Indianapolis, with vacancies at WISH-TV (PATTI McGETTIGAN left in August) and WRTV (where KEVIN FINCH left last week). This allows WXIN-TV ND LEE ROSENTHAL to convene a meeting of Indianapolis news directors wherever and wherever he wants, since he’d be the lone attendee.
Monday, November 19, 2012 UPDATE:
Costello
A shocker from Phoenix today, where longtime Seattle broadcaster PAT COSTELLO has been named Director of News for Scripps’ KNXV-TV. Pat’s currently the Station Manager for Belo’s KING-TV. He was promoted to that job in 2007 after seven years as ND for the NBC affiliate. He’s also been an ND in Chicago and Salt Lake City, and an assistant ND in Baltimore. Pat began his career as a photographer and worked in Indianapolis and Columbia, MO.
We’ll have more in our full newsletter later this week.
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Greetings:
Our recent trend of a declining number of open ND jobs reverses itself this week, as we have THREE new ND openings and NO newly named NDs to report.
That brings our count of open news director jobs to 24. SIX of those open jobs are concentrated in three relatively large markets: Phoenix, Indianapolis, and Kansas City.
We have one returning ad for an opportunity at the Weather Channel. And we’ve freshened our list of Other News Management Openings.
In Names in the News, a change at the top of the Today Show, a Washington, DC, producer returns to his former market as an EP, a flurry of GM changes (including three at FOX o-and-o’s) and we’re repeating one item for which we provided a faulty link last week.
All that follows this week’s changes:
New News Director Openings:
Finch
WRTV, Indianapolis, IN…as we detailed in a mid-week UPDATE, KEVIN FINCH has left this Scripps owned ABC affiliate after 18 months as news director. Kevin’s also been the ND for WISH-TV in Indianapolis, and worked as a Special Projects EP and producer for WTHR-TV there. He began his career as a reporter in Champaign, IL. Kevin’s replacement will be the sixth news director in about ten years here. (His departure means two ND openings in Indianapolis…WISH-TV is the other….and three ND openings within Scripps, KNXV-TV in Phoenix and KSHB-TV in Kansas City are the others.)
Jacobus
WPTY/WLMT-TV, Memphis, TN…veteran newsman PETER JACOBUS has resigned as ND for this now-owned-by-Newport-but-about-to-be-sold-to-Nextstar ABC/CW duopoly. Pete tells me he’s going to ‘see what else’ is out there. He joined the station in June, 2009. During his career, Pete’s been as ND in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit and San Diego, and also served as a VP for ABC News. He also worked for many years for Magid.
WCSH-TV, Portland, ME…MAUREEN O’BRIEN has left this Gannett owned NBC affiliate after four years as ND. She’d been the managing editor at the station for the previous five years, and also worked for another Portland station and in Burlington, VT. Her departure comes shortly after the station’s meteorologist went on the air to deny rumors that he’d been involved in a prostitution ring.
Newly Named News Directors:
None that I know of, but I should correct one item from last week. In reporting CHRIS WEIMER’s promotion to ND in Presque Isle, ME, I screwed up the call letters: it’s WAGM-TV, not WAQM as some early readers of this site might have seen. Apologies.
Help Wanted Ad:
Director, Content Development, The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA:
The Weather Channel is looking for an experienced Director, Content Development. This position will oversee daily content development for Live Programming, as well as oversee the execution of that content throughout all shows within Live Programming. The ideal candidate will ensure overall execution of content mission and will work with other managers to create the overall content strategy. Will oversee tactical editorial operations while ensuring the highest levels of journalistic, legal, TV production and standards are maintained. The Director, Content Development will be responsible for supervising Executive Producers and editorial teams.
The successful candidate will have a proven track record for compelling television journalism, enterprise reporting, contemporary presentation and proficiency in multi-platform news delivery is required. Strong work ethic, positive attitude and leadership qualities with the ability to handle multiple tasks and set priorities are a must.
Candidates must have a minimum of ten years electronic news media experience with at least five years in television news as Asst. News Director, Managing Editor or Executive Producer. A B.S. Journalism, or equivalent knowledge, is required.
If you meet the above requirements, please send resume to bgoodfellow@weather.com
No Phone Calls. EOE M/F/D/V
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KING-TV, Seattle, WA (relisted 10/28/12)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 9/22/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (listed 9/14/12)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (relisted this week)
WLNE-TV, Providence, RI (listed 9/14/12)
WCTI-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (relisted 9/14/12)
WNCT-TV, Greenville/New Bern, NC (new listing this week)
KEZI-TV, Eugene, OR (listed 9/22/12)
EXECUTIVE NEWS PRODUCER:
The Weather Channel, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/22/12)
KTTV/KCOP-TV, Los Angeles, CA (PM EP, listed 9/14/12)
KDFW-TV, Dallas, TX (Morning EP, relisted 9/14/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (EP of Special Projects/Investigations, listed 9/14/12)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (Nightside EP, listing modified 11/3/12)
WTVT-TV, Tampa, FL (AM EP, listed 10/5/12)
WKMG-TV, Orlando, FL (AM EP, listing modified 11/10/12)
KATU-TV, Portland, OR (Senior EP, listed 10/5/12)
KPTV/KPDX-TV, Portland, OR (Nightside EP, relisted 9/30/12)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (AM EP, relisted this week)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (AM EP, listed 9/22/12)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/14/12)
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (TV Content Mgr., listed 10/19/12)
KWTV, Oklahoma City, OK (PM EP, listed 9/30/12)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (listing modified this week)
WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Evening EP, relisted this week)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (2 openings, listed 11/3/12)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (PM EP, listing revised 9/14/12)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 9/1/12)
WCYB-TV, Bristol, TN (relisted 9/14/12)
KOLO-TV, Reno, NV (Morning EP, relisted 10/19/12)
KIFI/KIDK-TV, Idaho Falls, ID (new opening this week)
MANAGING EDITOR:
KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 9/14/12)
KTVT-TV, Dallas, TX (listed 9/14/12)
KCRA-TV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 10/28/12)
Situations Wanted:
No takers this week on our free Situations Wanted listings. If you’d like to state your case to a well targeted audience, email me an item (max. 100 words). You may include a link to a website, an email address, and a photo. You must include your name. I’ll run it for one week. I don’t represent or endorse those listed, but merely trying to help.
Names in the News:
DON NASH has been named EP of NBC’s Today Show. He’s been there for 23 years and is currently the Senior Broadcast Producer. He’ll report to ALEXANDRA WALLACE who newly been moved to a position overseeing the program. JIM BELL, who’s been the EP, is moving to be a full time EP of NBC’s Olympic coverage.
BOB BENNETT is leaving WJLA-TV in Washington (where he’s a producer) to become an EP for WAVY-TV in Norfolk. It’s a return to Norfolk for Bob, who produced for WVEC-TV there from 2004-2011.
Several GM notes this week, including changes at three FOX owned stations. MIKE RENDA is moving from WFLD-TV in Chicago to WJBK-TV in Detroit. That will be the fourth FOX o-and-o where Renda’s served as the GM. He’ll be replaced in Chicago by DENNIS WELSH, now the GM for the company’s WOFL-TV in Orlando.
JULIE BRINKS has left as GM of Journal’s KGUN-TV in Tucson. She also oversaw the company’s radio operations there. And JUDY KENNEY retired last month as seven years as GM of Journal’s WFTX-TV in Ft. Myers, FL. She’d previously spent 12 years as a GM in Lansing, MI.
Gray TV has named JAY BARON GM of its Charlottesville, VA, operations. He’ll a native of Charlottesville and will oversee WCAV/WVAW/WAHU. He’s been the local sales manager for WBNG-TV in Binghamton, NY.
Our Full List of ND Openings:
Here is my list of stations with open ND jobs, as of Saturday, November 17, 2012.
If you know of any additions/deletions/updates, please email me at: rick@rickgevers.com
WPIX-TV 220 E. 42nd Street New York NY 10017
WTXF-TV 330 Market St. Philadelphia PA 19106
KNXV-TV 515 N. 44th St. Phoenix AZ 85008
KTVK-TV 5555 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix AX 85013
WKYC-TV 1333 Lakeside Ave. Cleveland OH 44114
WPXI-TV 4145 Evergreen Road Pittsburgh PA 15214
WISH-TV 1950 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
WRTV 1330 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis IN 46202
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak Street Kansas City MO 64112
WDAF-TV 3030 Summit St. Kansas City MO 64108
KSNV-TV 1500 Foremaster Lane Las Vegas NV 89101
WVEC-TV 613 Woodis Ave. Norfolk, VA 23510
WPTV/WLMT 2701 Union Ave. Ext. Memphis TN 38112
KTHV-TV 720 Izard St. Little Rock 72201
KOTV 302 S. Frankfort St. Tulsa OK 74120
KSNW-TV 833 N. Main Wichita, KS 67203
WCSH-TV One Congress Square Portland ME 04101
WMTV 615 Forward Dr. Madison WI 53711
KHGI-TV 13 S. Highway 44 Kearney NE 66848
KBOI-TV 140 N. 16th St. Boise ID 83702
KION/KCOY 1550 Moffett St. Salinas CA 93905
WVNS-TV 141 Old Cline Rd. Ghent WV 25843
KSWT-TV 1301 Third Ave Yuma AZ 85364
KFBB-TV P.O. Box 1139 Great Falls, MT 59403