October 18, 2020
Greetings:
For one of the few times in the 24+ year history of this publication, I have NO new news directors or news director vacancies to report.
That leaves our count of open ND jobs at 26. One of those openings if featured in our only Paid Help Wanted ad below.
What we may lack in news director movement, we make up for (I hope) in items in Names in the News. There are FIVE items below, including the retirement of a four time ND, another retirement of a former ND who continued to anchor at his station for 22 years after giving up the ND job, and other items.
Those are all below.
Have a great week.
Newly Named News Director:
If there was a new news director named this week, I missed if. Please set me straight with an email! rick@rickgevers.com
New News Director Openings:
To the best of my knowledge, there are NO new openings this week. If you know of a vacancy that I don’t have listed below, please let me know via email: rick@rickgevers.com
Paid Help Wanted Ad:
News Director, WAAY-TV, Huntsville, AL:
WAAY-31 News is looking for a competitive, organized and motivational individual to lead the News Department of WAAY TV, Channel 31 (ABC) in one of the most beautiful cities in the country, Huntsville, Alabama (DMA Market 78).
A background check and pre-employment drug screen are required.
Lead a team of dedicated individuals who will join their leader in focusing on development of the region’s premiere newsroom, rooted in journalistic integrity, at North Alabama’s ABC network affiliate. WAAY-TV is a legacy station with a history of service to the region, one of the most recognized local television brands in need of a strong, positive leader. Huntsville is known as “Rocket City,” home to space exploration, past and future with a heavy NASA presence, the U.S. Army’s highly respected Redstone Arsenal, high-tech development and ingenuity and home to the second-largest research park in the country. U.S. News and World Report designated Huntsville as the “best affordable place to live in the U.S.”
You can learn more and apply by clicking here.
Or you can apply by emailing a cover letter, resume, and references to Jobs@waaytv.com
Or by mail to:
News Director Applicant
WAAY-TV
1000 Monte Sano Blvd.
Huntsville, AL 35801
No phone calls accepted. WAAY is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our company expects top performance and results and provides the support and culture to win. WAAY believes that local television is rewarding and fun in a market that is rocket science! Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and 401K plans!
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 8/30/20)
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 9/27/20)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 9/6/20)
WKEF/WRGT-TV, Dayton, OH (listed 8/16/20)
WGBA-TV, Green Bay, WI (relisted 8/23/20)
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (relisted 10/4/11)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (listed 9/20/20)
KFSM-TV, Ft. Smith, AR (listed 9/6/20)
WTXL, Tallahassee, FL (listed 10/4/11)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (Entertainment EP, listed 10/11/20)
WDVM-TV, Hagerstown MD (listing 9/27/20)
WGCL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KCPQ-TV, Seattle, WA (AM EP, listed 9/13/20)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (PM EP, relisted 9/13/20)
WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN (Listed 9/27/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, listed 8/30/20)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (EP of Innovation, listed 8/30/20)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (listed 9/20/20)
WATN-TV Memphis TN (listed 9/6/20)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (Digital EP, relisted 10/11/20)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (AM EP, listed 10/4/11)
WLUK-TV, Green Bay, WI (PM EP, listed 10/4/11)
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 9/27/20)
KSNW-TV, Wichita, KS (listed 8/23/20)
WNEM-TV, Flint/Saginaw, MI (listed 9/27/20)
KVEO-TV, Brownsville, TX (listed 9/20/20)
WBTW-TV, Florence/Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, listed 8/16/20)
WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC (Digital EP, listed 10/11/20)
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, AR (PM EP, relisted 8/16/20)
WSYM-TV, Lansing, MI (new listing this week)
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA (listed 9/6/20)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 8/23/20)
KDRV-TV, Medford, OR (relisted 10/11/20)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WSLS-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 8/16/20)
More News Management Openings:
Relisted 10/4/20:
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (Senior Manager of Broadcast Content)
WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI (Digital Content Director)
Listed 9/6/20
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (Content Manager)
Relisted 9/6/20
KOKI-TV, Tulsa, OK (AM Content Manager)
Listed 8/23/20:
WOWK-TV, Charleston, WV (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 8-16-20:
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Digital Director)
Names in the News (and other items):
Stanley
This week’s UDPATE told you about RANDAL STANLEY’s retirement at the end of the year. He’s been VP Operations for Altice’s News 12 Networks (serving the NY area) for the past two years, and earlier spent 12 years as VP/News for News 12 New Jersey. Here’s the note to staff from Altice’s SVP JACQUES NATZ.
Randal’s also been an ND in Washington, DC, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Lincoln, NE, and he’s also worked in Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Salt Lake City. You’ll remember he lost his wife, JENNA, when she died suddenly in June at the age of 54.
Osborne
STUART OSBORNE has a new job, and he stayed with the same company and will work in the same state. He’s the new Assistant News Director for Sinclair’s Dayton duopoly, WKEF/WRGT-TV. Stuart’s been the Digital Executive Producer for another Sinclair duopoly, WSYX/WTTE-TV just up the road in Columbus, OH, where he worked for ten years in a variety of jobs.
Parker
DAVE PARKER is the new spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Transportation. More details here. Dave most recently was ND for KTHV-TV in Little Rock, a job he left in December after seven years. He’s also been an ND in Chattanooga, and held management jobs in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Memphis, where he moved into management after beginning as a reporter in several smaller markets.
Cannon
Speaking of Arkansas, longtime Little Rock Ft. Smith anchor (and one time news director) CRAIG CANNON is retiring after 37 years at KHBS/KHOG-TV. He started there in October, 1983 and was quickly prompted to news director, a job he held until an ownership change in 1998. Craig will retire on November 25th. (A coincidence, I’m sure, but I believe that’s the last day of the November book.)
Haddix
Investigative Reporters and Editors is looking for a new executive director after the announcement this week that DOUG HADDIX is retiring after four years in the job. Here’s the IRE news release. He’ll leave in early January from his second stint at IRE, the first as an IRE training director from 2008-2011. Doug’s also worked in newsrooms in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
By the way, in our report last week about WTVR-TV‘s (Richmond) RTDNA Overall Excellence Award, we incorrectly identitied the station owner, which is Scripps. That means both the small market AND large market overall excellence awards went to Scripps’ stations, as KMGH-TV in Denver was similarly honored.
General Manager News and Notes:
No changes this week to my knowledge.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, October 18, 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
KCBS-TV 4200 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA 91604
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
WBZ-TV 1170 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02134
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
WISN-TV 759 N. 19th St. Milwaukee, WI 53233
WDSU-TV 846 Howard Ave New Orleans, LA 70113
WNYT-TV 715 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12204
WFXR-TV 5305 Valleypark Dr. #1, Roanoke, VA 24019
WAAY-TV 1000 Monte Sano Blvd SE, Huntsville, AL 35801 (see ad above!)
KXXV-TV 1909 S New Rd. Waco, TX 76711
WSYM-TV 600 W. Saint Joseph St. Suite 47, Lansing, MI 48933
KYTX-TV 2211 E SE Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701
WEEK-TV 2907 Springfield Rd, East Peoria, IL 61611
KION-TV 1550 Moffett St. Salinas, CA 93905
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
KMID-TV 1550 West I-20. Odessa, TX 79763
WETM-TV 101 East Water St. Elmira, NY 14901
KIDY/KXVA-TV 5 S. Chadbourne Street San Angelo, TX 76903
KGWN-TV 2923 E. Lincolnway, Cheyenne, WY 82001
**: Spanish language station