September 8, 2024

Sunday Sep 8, 2024

Greetings:

We’re later than I had hoped to be tonight, but you can blame it on my double header this afternoon, first taking in the Colts-Texans football game and then the Indiana Fever-Atlanta Dream WNBA game. (Full disclosure: we missed the first eight minutes of the basketball game).

But we have lots of news to share…another reason why we’re late.

THREE new NDs, TWO in top 15 markets. And FOUR new openings, all created by the departures of very experienced newswomen.

These changes take our list of open ND jobs to 37.

Please heck out the ads for Stephen Arnold Music and a new series of opportunities from Sciline.

There’s ONE obituary, that of a former Florida GM.

And there are GM changes at FOUR stations, including TWO at Spanish language stations in top 15 markets.

Finally, just ONE item in Names in the News, but it’s one that was significant for me and should give all some encouragement about the future for some young journalists.

All that and more below.

Newly Named News Directors:

Dacy

WFLD-TV, Chicago, IL…this FOX owned station has named GLEN DACY as VP of News Content and Streaming. Our Wednesday UPDATE told you that it’s a return to WFLD for Glen, who worked there for ten months as part of the launch team for Good Day Chicago. This FOX news release has the rest of his background. He replaces MATT PIACENTE who left in the spring after eight years as ND.

Veloz

WRMD-TV, Tampa, FL…MEREDITH VELOZ will be the next news director for this Telemundo owned station. She’s been the EP for both WCAU-TV (NBC owned) and its Telemundo sister station in Philadelphia. More here.

Aaro

WKEF/WRGT-TV, Dayton, OH…ADAM AARO moves from the anchor desk to the news director’s office at this Sinclair owned ABC/FOX duopoly. He’s been the evening anchor there for almost nine years, and reported his promotion tonight on his Linkedin page. Adam replaces BECKY GULDEN who left in July after four years to take a job out of television.

September SciLine events

Zoom – All events are free

On September 18^th (2-3 p.m. ET), SciLine is offering a Zoom-based science “crash course”—designed specifically for editors. This free course will teach basic principles about how science works, how to integrate it skillfully into your outlet’s journalism, and strategies for making sure the science is right during the editing process.

Former longtime Washington Post science reporter Rick Weiss and Ph.D. neuroscientist Dr. Tori Espensen will together lay out key do’s, don’ts, and pitfalls to watch for when editing a news story that includes scientific information or sources. Their insights are based on decades of experience working with reporters, editors, and scientists.

Forty-five minutes of interactive teaching will be followed by a 15-min open Q&A.

New News Director Openings:

Burger

KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA…in the first of FOUR departures of veteran female news managers, LISA BURGER is leaving after not quite two years as ND for this Nexstar owned FOX affiliate. She came to Sacramento from sister Nexstar operation KSEE/KGPE-TV in Fresno where she spent 3+ years as ND. Lisa also worked for another Fresno station as well as in Denver and San Diego.

Bonfield

WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, FL…after more than 13 years as news director of this Graham Media owned independent station, KATHRYN BONFIELD has left the station. She did not respond to a message I sent her via Linkedin. Kathryn also spent three years as a news director for WCBD-TV in Charleston, SC, and held a variety of news management jobs over 16 years (in two stints) at WFLA-TV in Tampa.

Hobbs

WCIV-TV, Charleston, SC…CATHY HOBBS is taking a new job with owner Sinclair but will still be based here. She’s taking over Gray’s True Crime team. In her words: “It’s called Criminally Obsessed and it’s on FB, Twitter, Tik Tok and IG. I will be heading up the team producing “Current and trending content”. Here are the notes to staff from Cathy and her GM. She’s been ND for this ABC station for 13 years.

Danehart

WTRF-TV, Wheeling, WV…BRENDA DANEHART makes (I believe) her first appearance in these pages on the occasion of her upcoming retirement. She’s not been mentioned before because she’s been the news director here for more than 20 years, and has worked at this Nexstar owned operation for more than 40 years. More on her background from this 2022 profile when the AP Broadcasters of West Virginia honored her with a lifetime achievement award.

Paid Help Wanted Ads:

No ads again this week. If you have a news management opening you need to fill, there’s no more targeted audience than ours. Email me for details: rick@rickgevers.com

Other News Management Openings:

ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:

WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (listed 8/18/24)
KUSA-TV, Denver, CO (relisted 7/21/24)
WDAF-TV, Kansas City, MO (relisted 9/8/24)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 7/21/24)
WHAS-TV, Louisville, KY (listed 8/11/24)
WBRE/WYOU-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (listed 7/28/24)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (listed 7/21/24)
KHQ-TV, Spokane, WA (listed 7/7/24)
WFRV-TV, Green Bay, WI (listed 7/14/24)
WROC-TV, Rochester, NY (listed 9/8/24)
KFSM-TV, Fayetteville, AR (listed 7/21/24)
KIVI-TV, Boise, ID (listed 7/21/24)
WCYB-TV, Tri-Cities, TN & VA (relisted 8/11/24)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (relisted 7/21/24)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:

KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, CA (listed 7/28/24)
WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA (AM EP, listed 7/28/24)
KIAH-TV, Houston, TX (AM EP/Special Projects, relisted 8/11/24)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Morning Broadcast EP, listed 7/28/24)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Evening Broadcast EP, listed 7/28/24)
KNXV-TV, Phoenix, AZ (listed 9/2/24)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 7/28/24)
WEWS-TV, Cleveland, OH (listed 8/11/24)
Spectrum News 1, Raleigh NC (relisted 7/21/24)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (relisted 8/18/24)
WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, IN (AM EP, relisted 7/21/24)
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 8/11/24)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (relisted 8/11/24)
KUTV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 7/1/24)
WCMH-TV, Columbus, OH (listed 7/1/24)
WPBF-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 8/11/24)
WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (listed 7/21/24)
WGAL-TV, Lancaster, PA (listed 8/11/24)
WXII-TV, Winston-Salem NC, (Weekend EP, listed 8/11/24)
WIVB-TV, Buffalo, NY (AM EP, listed 7/28/24)
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY (listed 7/21/24)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (two openings, listing modified 6/2/24)
WFTX-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 9/2/24)
WRIC-TV, Richmond, VA (relisted 8/11/24)
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN (listed 7/21/24)
KJRH-TV, Tulsa, OK (listed 9/2/24)
KOLR/KRBK-TV, Springfield, MO (listed 9/8/24)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 7/21/24)
KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs, CO (AM EP, listing modified 7/1/24)
WMTM-TV, Portland, ME (listed 8/11/24)
KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT (relisted 9/2/24)

MANAGING EDITOR:

WTXL-TV, Tallahassee, FL (listed 9/2/24)

More News Management Openings:

Listed 7/21/24:

WTLV/WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, FL (Digital Director)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (Digital Director)

Obituary:

Cuismano

CHARLIE CUSIMANO, who retired in 2020 after almost two years as GM for Sarasota’s SNN-TV, died in late August at the age of 75. He’d been the GSM there before his promotion. Charlie’s son, TOM CUSIMANO, passed along this note about his father’s life and career. More on Charlies’ career can be found on his Linkedin page.

Names in the News (and other stuff):

I spent Thursday and Friday in Atlanta at an IRE/Ida B. Wells Society workshop on investigative reporting for students at HBCU schools in the southeast. About 40 students took part, and I was quite impressed AND encouraged that many of them drove long distances…some as long as six hours…to take part. A very brief description of the workshop is here (which explains why I was involved).

And my thanks to some industry professionals who shared their insight and answered questions from the students. First, JAMES FINCH, VP of News Services for Gray. In the middle picture, WANF-TV (Atlanta/CBS/Gray) News Director KIM SAXON, and finally WANF reporter ANDY PIERROTTI. (And I regret not getting a picture of CNN’s WILLIAM MITCHELL, though you can see him in the background of the second picture).

General Manager News and Notes:

JESUS CHAVEZ rejoins Univision as GM for KMEX-TV in Los Angeles. Details in this report from Media Moves.

Carr

We told you in our Tuesday UPDATE that news director turned general manager MICHAEL CARR is moving up the ABC o-and-o ladder. He’s been promoted to GM for Houston’s KTRK-TV, leaving ABC’s KFSN-TV in Fresno where he’s been GM for more than four years. In Houston, he replaces another ND turned GM, WENDY GRANATO, who was promoted to GM for KABC-TV in Los Angeles earlier this year.

Franklin

The new general manager for Scripps’ WLEX-TV (NBC) in Lexington, KY, comes from an engineering background. It’s SEAN FRANKLIN who has been director of engineering for the station since 2019. More details about his background and promotion in this news release.

CINDI DIAS has been promoted to GM for Sinclair’s KBAK/KBFX-TV (CBS/FOX) in Bakersfield, CA. She’s been the sales manager there and replaces TERESA BURGESS who retired and posted this on LinkedIn.

Our List of Open News Director jobs:

Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, September 9, 2024:

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

WXTV 500 Frank W Burr Blvd Ste 6. Teaneck, NJ 07666 **
KPRC-TV 8181 Southwest Freeway Houston, TX 77074
KOMO-TV 140 4th Ave. N.Seattle, WA 98109
KTXL-TV 4655 Fruitridge Rd, Sacramento, CA 95820
KATU-TV 2153 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232
WOAI-TV 4335 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX, 78229
Spectrum News Texas (based in Austin, TX)
WJXT-TV 4 Broadcast Pl, Jacksonville, FL 32207
WXMI-TV 3117 Plaza Drive NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525
WOLF-TV 1181 Highway 315 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (News Manager)
WJAR-TV 23 Kenney Drive Cranston, RI 02920
WATN-TV 1725 Shelby Oaks Dr N. Memphis, TN 38134
KATV 10 Turtle Creek Lane Little Rock, AR 72202
WDTN-TV 4595 S Dixie Dr. Dayton, OH 45439
WGBA-TV 1391 North Rd Green Bay, WI 54313
WZDX-TV 1309 N. Memorial Parkway Huntsville, AL 35801
WCIV-TV 88 Allbritton Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
KTBS-TV 312 E. Kings Highway. Shreveport, LA 71104
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
WFFF/WVNY-TV, 298 Mountain View Drive, Colchester, VT, 05446
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
WGXA-TV 599 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Macon, GA 31201
KHSL-TV 3460 Silverbell Rd. Chico, CA 95973
KDRV-TV 1090 Knutson Ave. Medford, OR 97504
KQDS-TV 2001 London Road Duluth, MN 55812
KOSA-TV 4101 E. 42nd. Suite J-7. Odessa, TX. 79761
KMID/KPEJ-TV 1550 West I-20 Odessa, TX 79763
KWES-TV 11320 West County Rd. 127. Odessa, TX, 79765
WTWO-TV 10849 N US Highway 41, Farmersburg, IN 47850
WTRF-TV 96 16th St, Ste 2, Wheeling, WV 26003
WDTV 5 Television Dr. Bridgeport, WV 26330
KTVQ-TV 3203 3rd Ave N., Billings, MT 59101
WWNY-TV 120 Arcade St. Watertown, NY 13601
KREX-TV 345 Hillcrest Drive Grand Junction, CO 81501
KYOU-TV 820 West 2nd Street; Ottumwa, IA 52501
KQTV 4000 Faraon St. Joseph, MO 64506

**: Spanish language station

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