November 29, 2020
December 1, 2020 UPDATE:
Greetings:
The first news director change after the November rating book has happened.
LaVelle
RHONDA LaVELLE has left Scripps’ WXYZ-TV (ABC) after about 4 1/2 years as news director. She will stay on until mid-January.
Here’s her station bio which was still on the station’s website when I sent this UPDATE.
Before WXYZ, Rhonda was the news director for KPRC-TV (Graham Media/NBC) in Houston. A Michigan native, she worked for Graham’s WDIV-TV (NBC) in Detroit for 15 years, finishing as executive producer. Rhonda also worked for WKBD-TV in Detroit and began her career as a producer at WNEM-TV in Flint/Saginaw.
I hope to have more on this story and all the week’s news in our full newsletter this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
**** ***** ****
Greetings:
I hope you had a good holiday.
Not surprisingly, not much action today on the news director hiring front: NO new openings and NO jobs were filled, leaving our list of open ND jobs at 18.
But we do have ONE new paid help wanted ad for one of those 18 jobs…check that out below, along with a Blind Box ad for an assistant ND job.
We have ONE obituary, that for a longtime Nevada newsman.
A longtime GM is elected Mayor of Honolulu. He quit his last TV job to run for that office. And we have new news managers in Orlando and Tulsa.
I’m guessing this next week will provide more news for next week’s edition.
Newly Named News Directors:
As you might expect on a holiday-shortened weekend, there are no news director hires this week. Please let me know if you’re aware of something I may have missed.
New News Director Openings:
No new openings this week. But please check out the new paid ad below for the ND job at WSLS-TV in Roanoke, VA. We told you last week that veteran ND RICK MOLL is retiring.
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
News Director, WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA:
WSLS-TV, the Graham Media Group owned – NBC station in Roanoke, VA seeks a strategic thinking and assertive News Director. Successful candidate will lead, manage/hire/ train/supervise/motivate news department personnel, prepare operating and capital budgets, and negotiate talent contracts. Must have excellent news judgment, a passion for coverage of breaking news, and have strong leadership, organizational, and visionary skills. Successful candidate will have proven track record of growing audience through content and marketing; converting audience research into actionable and measurable results and monitor all of our platforms for accurate editorial content while keeping the brand vision on track.
TOP REASONS TO JOIN WSLS:
Growth, experience, and training. At WSLS, we will work with you to help you reach your full potential through ongoing career development programs. We are also committed to ongoing training throughout your career and to hiring from within – across the GMG family of companies.
Our culture and benefits package. Our employees are our most important resource. We encourage entrepreneurship and initiative and recognize and reward achievement. Graham Media offers a generous benefits package that includes 401K and healthcare on day one!
You will live and work in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, plus you`re only a short drive to major metropolitan areas as well as beaches.
Are you ready to join the team? We encourage you to submit your resume for consideration.
Learn more about the job by clicking here.
Send cover letter, resume, and references to: VP & General Manager, Jaimie León, jleon@wsls.com
No phone calls please
Assistant News Director, market 85-100, Southern U.S.:
Aggressive news operation seeks Assistant News Director. Vacancy has not been announced to staff. Opening created as current Assistant News Director plans to fill retiring News Director’s position.
Market 85-100, southern United States. Great college town. Competitive local news market with big market coverage. Bold production. Station needs dynamic leader to take reins of owning breaking news, digital and be a mentor to young reporters.
Station is part of great, small ownership group. Local owners care about journalism and investigative reporting. Station does about 45 hours of local news each week. Candidates should have knowledge of Gulf Coast with 2-4 years’ experience in mid or senior-level news management roles.
Make connection with the hiring manager: Email resume to gulfcoastANDopening@yahoo.com.
Hiring ASAP to start in January.
Other News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 11/22/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted this week)
WATN/WLMT-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 11/15/20)
KXXV-TV, Waco, TX (listed 11/1/20)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (relisted 11/15/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (listed 10/4/20)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listing revised 11/15/20)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (listed 11/15/20)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (relisted 11/22/20)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (EP Investigations, new listing this week)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, relisted 11/8/20)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Nightside EP, listed 11/15/20)
WTTV/WXIN-TV, Indianapolis, IN (Digital EP, listed 11/1/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT (Digital Content EP, listed 10/25/20)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (Listed 9/27/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, relisted 11/15/20)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (listed 11/8/20)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (relisted 11/22/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, relisted 10/11/20)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, listed 10/4/11)
KSEE/KGPE-TV, Fresno, CA (Digital EP, listed 10/25/20)
WLUK-TV, Green Bay, WI (PM EP, listed 10/4/11)
WFXR-TV, Roanoke, VA (Digital EP, listed 11/8/20)
WNEM-TV, Flint/Saginaw, MI (listed 9/27/20)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (relisted 11/22/20)
KTSM-TV, El Paso, TX (listed 10/25/20)
WBTW-TV, Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, relisted 10/25/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 10/25/20)
KATC-TV, Lafayette, LA (listed 11/15/20)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 11/15/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 10/11/20)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (relisted 10/25/20)
More News Management Openings:
Listed 11/15/20:
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (News Content Manager)
Listed 11/1/20:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Content Manager)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Content Manager)
Listed 10/25/20:
Vice President/News, Altice USA’s News 12- New York
Relisted 10/25/20:
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 10/4/20:
WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI (Digital Content Director)
Listed 9/6/20
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Content Manager)
Obituary:
Boynton
Longtime Reno anchor and news manager BRENT BOYNTON died Tuesday of Covid-19. He was 64. Brent anchored at both KTVN-TV and KOLO-TV in Reno, where he worked twice, and was the assistant news director at KOLO during one of those stints. He also anchored in Odessa, TX. Brent held a number of non-TV jobs, as you’ll learn in this story.
Names in the News (and other items):
Blangiardi
We’re a little late in reporting some election results from Hawaii, where former general manager RICK BLANGIARDI was elected Mayor of Honolulu. He most recently was GM for Gray’s duopoly there, KGMB/KHNL-TV. His Wikipedia page has more details about his career, which included GM jobs in San Francisco and Seattle, and others.
Zac P.
WOFL-TV, the FOX o-and-o in Orlando, has hired ZAC PRUDHOMME as its next executive producer. Zac’s a former executive producer for KTNV (Scripps/ABC) in Las Vegas, a job he left in October, 2018, when he went to work for the Southern Nevada Transportation Commission. He’s also worked as a producer and senior producer for KLFY-TV in Lafayette, LA, where he began as an editor.
SHAWN KIRKPATRICK joins KOKI-TV (FOX/Cox Media Group) in Tulsa as the AM Content Manager. Shawn will start next month.
General Manager News and Notes:
See our Names in the News section for details about longtime GM RICK BLANGIARDI’s new job. Hint: you might need to call him “Your Honor.”
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, November 29, 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
WCAU-TV 1800 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
KHOU-TV 5718 Westheimer Rd. Houston TX 77057
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
WTMO-TV 1650 Sand Lake Rd. # 340 Orlando, FL 32809 **
WBFF-TV 2000 W 41st St, Baltimore, MD 21211
WTVD-TV 411 Liberty St Durham, NC 27701
KAKW-TV 2233 W. North Loop Austin,TX 78756 **
WDSU-TV 846 Howard Ave New Orleans, LA 70113
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WSLS-TV 401 3rd Street SW Roanoke, VA 24011 (see ad above!)
WFXR-TV 5305 Valleypark Dr. #1, Roanoke, VA 24019
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WCBI-TV, 201 5th Street South, Columbus, MS 39701
KOMU-TV 5550 Old 63 S, Columbia, MO 65201
WTVO/WGRF-TV P.O. Box 470. Rockford, IL 61105
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903 ***
**: Spanish language station
***: News Director and Anchor