July 26, 2026
Greetings:
You may need a second cup of coffee (or whatever your favorite beverage is) to complete today’s lengthy newsletter.
It features TWO new NDs, and TWO new openings, leaving our count of open ND jobs at 25.
There’s ONE paid help wanted ad for a Florida station looking for EPs.
Nash
But before we explain why the newsletter will take some time to finish, we want to let you know about a tragedy involving old friend and longtime newsletter supporter BARRY NASH.
Barry’s home was heavily damaged in a house fire last week, resulting in the loss of most of their personal property. Barry passed along this note:
I’d just want to be sure we note that Sandra and I were both traveling and everyone-including the family dog-is ok. While we lost treasured family possessions and are grieving that, we still have all of our treasured family. And we are inexpressibly grateful for that. I just need a little time to find a place to live and buy some clothes that don’t smell like a pack of unfiltered Camels.
Please join me in wishing Barry and his family well.
As to the length of the newsletter, LOTS of news. some of which we covered in TWO UPDATES during the week.
- Lots of affiliation changes, as ABC moves to a new home in St. Louis and Nexstar loses CBS affiliations in SIX markets.
- Paramount delays the Warner Bros. deal.
- NABJ moves its 2027 convention to the same week as NAHJ’s.
- The CEO of a company that owns TWO stations in Indianapolis gets a restraining order against a former employee.
- Why network morning shows are trying to sell you stuff inside the ‘newscasts’.
- Duh! A Boston newspaper discovers that lots of people are leaving TV news.
- A new job for a former NYC News Director.
- Former GM HANK PRICE has identified the real losers in the Nexstar-Tegna deal.
- The latest developments in a lawsuit against Nexstar as (surprise!) the plaintiffs expert witness defends his actions.
- And after more than 20 years, a former ND’s documentary on a rock and roll legend may be nearing completion.
- A new role for a top Scripps executive.
- And a former ABC and CNN executive will run New York’s PBS station.
Those stories…and lots of updates to our list of other news management jobs…are below.
Newly Named News Directors:
Thomas
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO…DENISHA THOMAS moves within Tegna to become the next ND for this NBC affiliate. She’s been the director of news content for Tegna’s WXIA-TV (NBC) in Atlanta where she reported to TODD SPESSARD. She’s a former ND at WATN-TV in Memphis and was an interim ND for WWL-TV in New Orleans. She replaces TIM GERAGHTY who transferred within Tegna to KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston last March.
Jaster
WHBF-TV, Rock Island, IL…we are tardy in reporting that RYAN JASTER was promoted to news director here earlier this year. Ryan had been the Assistant News Director for this Nexstar owned CBS affiliate. Ryan fills the opening created when ERIC OLSEN transferred to Nexstar’s WCIA-TV in Champaign, IL earlier this summer to be closer to family. Eric had been ND here for about five years.
New News Director Openings:
Firnbach
WWUP/WWTV, Cadillac, MI…DANIEL FIRNBACH is leaving this Heritage Broadcasting CBS affiliate to join the sales team at Octopus Newsroom Computer systems. He first joined the stations as a producer in 2014, was promoted to executive producer in 2015, assistant news director in 2017, and elevated to the top job in 2021.
Jones
WMAZ-TV, Macon, GA…LORRA LYNCH JONES is stepping down as news director after ten years in that job and 21 years at this Tegna (Nexstar?) owned CBS affilaite. She began as a reporter, moved to weekend anchor, then evening anchor before becoming news director in 2016. More details in her station bio and we also have the memo to staff from Tegna’s regional VP of Content MICHAEL VALENTINE.
Help Wanted Ad:
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL: Executive Producers (click on ad)
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
WXIA/WATL-TV, Atlanta, GA (listed 7/26/26)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (listed 6/7/26)
KFSM-TV, Fayetteville, AR (listed 7/12/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (relisted 7/26/26)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
WPIX-TV, New York, NY (Digital EP, relisted 7/12/26)
KHOU-TV, Houston, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
WMUR-TV, Manchester, NH (Boston market) (listed 5/17/26)
KRON-TV, San Francisco, CA (relisted 6/21/26)
WFLA-TV, Tampa, FL (listed 6/7/26)
WFTS-TV, Tampa, FL (relisted 7/5/26)
KTXL-TV, Sacramento, CA (Digital EP, listed 7/26/26)
KXTV, Sacramento, CA (relisted 7/26/26)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Digital EP, listed 7/26/26)
WNCN-TV, Raleigh, NC (Lifestyle Show EP, listed 6/7/26)
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Multiplatform EP, listing revised 7/19/26)
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, MO (relisted 5/17/26)
KTVX/KUCW-TV, Salt Lake City, UT (listed 7/12/26)
WBAL-TV, Baltimore, MD (listed 5/17/26)
WTIC-TV, Hartford, CT (listed 6/21/26)
KVUE-TV, Austin, TX (listed 7/26/26)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (AM EP, listed 7/26/26)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (relisted 7/5/26)
WXIX-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 6/21/26)
WPBF-TV, W. Palm Beach, FL (listed 5/17/26)
WVEC-TV, Norfolk, VA (relisted 7/26/26)
KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, OK (listed 5/17/26)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (relisted 7/26/26)
WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 7/19/26, see ad above!)
WREG-TV, Memphis, TN (listed 6/7/26)
WBBH-TV, Ft. Myers, FL (listed 5/17/26)
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, AR (relisted 7/26/26)
KARK/KLRT-TV, Little Rock, AR (Morning EP, relisted 6/21/26)
KREM-TV, Spokane, WA (PM EP, listed 7/26/26)
KCCI-TV, Des Moines, IA (listed 5/17/26)
WLTX-TV, Columbia, SC (listed 7/26/26)
WBTW-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC (Digital EP, listed 5/25/26)
KYTX-TV, Tyler, TX (listed 6/21/26)
WMBD-TV, Peoria, IL (listed 7/26/26)
KRIS-TV, Corpus Christi, TX (relisted 5/17/26)
KBMT-TV, Beaumont, TX (relisted 7/26/26)
KWES-TV, Midland, TX (listed 6/14/26)
MANAGING EDITOR:
WDBJ-TV, Roanoke, VA (listed 7/5/26)
WCBD-TV, Charleston, SC (listed 6/7/26)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 7/26/26:
E. W. Scripps, remote in any state where Scripps operates (SVP of News)
Listed 7/12/26:
KSAT-TV, San Antonio, TX (Manager of Coverage and Content)
WAYV-TV, Norfolk, VA (Assistant Digital Manager)
Listed 6/28/26:
WXMI-TV, Grand Rapids, MI (Executive Reporter)
Listed 5/31/26:
Hubbard DC, Washington, DC (Market President)
Listed 5/25/26:
KOMU-TV, Columbia, MO (General Manager)
Arizona PBS, Phoenix, AZ (Dir. of News & Public Affairs)
WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL (Executive Reporter)
Obituary:
Wandover
RICH WANDOVER, the operations manager at WOLO-TV (ABC/Bahakel) in Columbia, SC, died suddenly July 15th. He started at the station in 2004 as a photographer and was promoted to operations manager three years ago. Details in his obituary and in this brief remembrance on the station’s website.
Names in the News (and other stuff):
Lots of news this week, some of which we covered in a busy Friday UPDATE.
We told you about the affiliation switches in many markets, the biggest of which is St. Louis.
Gray Media (which already owns CBS affiliate KMOV-TV) will add ABC programing to its over-the-air channel 32.1. That station, branded as Matrix Midwest, currently carries a lot of sports, including Cardinals and Blues games.
Sinclair’s KDNL-TV is losing the ABC affiliation. KDNL does NOT currently air local news. In this article, KMOV GM JD SOSNOFF says Channel 32 will begin by simulcasting KMOV’s newscast but will eventually have its own news department. The change takes place in less than five weeks.
Meanwhile, Nexstar is losing CBS affiliates in SIX markets. In FOUR of those markets, the CBS affiliation will move to digital channels of Hearst owned network affiliates. In the other two markets, Forum Communications’ stations will assume the CBS affiliation. Deadline has more.
Nexstar is adding newscasts in mid-August to its CW stations in Dallas and Phoenix. The news release doesn’t say who will produce them. I reached out to a Nexstar executive who referred me to corporate communications who did not respond. (In his defense, it was Saturday morning.)
Our Friday UPDATE also shared these surprising news that Paramount has agree to delay its proposed acquistion of Warner Bros. Here’s the NY Times article that we brought you Friday.
In one of the more unfortunate (some might have harsher words) moves in recent memory, NABJ changed the date of its 2027 convention. The organization moved to the same week of the previously scheduled NAHJ convention, making it difficult if not impossible for recruiting companies to attend both since NAHJ is scheduled for Minneapolis while NABJ is planned for Houston. More details in this story.
McCoy
DuJUAN McCOY, CEO of Circle City Broadcasting which owns WRTV (ABC) and WISH-TV (CW) here in Indianapolis, has obtained a restraining order against a former employee. The court order says DYLAN LEE HODGES represents a credible threat to McCoy’s safety. More details in this story from the WISH website. Hodge’s Linkedin page says he was a digital media editor at WISH until December, 2024.
Here are some articles I found interesting:
Why are more and more network morning newscasts trying to sell you things (and not just during commercials.)
The Boston Globe wonders why more and more journalists are leaving TV news. (Breaking news. It’s not just in Boston.)
HANK PRICE says the real losers in the Nexstar-Tegna deal are current Tegna employees, many of whom will lose their jobs if/when the deal is completed.
Morris
In New York, former WNBC/WNJU-TV (NBC/Telemundo) Senior VP/News AMY MORRIS has landed a new job as CNN’s VP/News for the East Region. She shared the news on her Linkedin page.
Former Nexstar News Director (WANE-TV in Ft. Wayne) TED LINN, serving as an expert witness for the plaintiff in STANTON TANG’s lawsuit against Nexstar and its Grand Rapids, MI, NBC station, WOOD-TV, defended Tang’s handling of a memo over Pride Month coverage.
Full disclosure: Tang’s lawyer reached out to me in early 2025, saying his ‘extensive research’ had determined that I would be a perfect expert witness.
I asked him if his extensive research had discovered the fact that I used to be the ND at WOOD.
There was a long silence before he admitted it had not. That ended our conversation.
Holliday
After more than 20 years, the finish line may be in sight for former KSDK-TV (St. Louis/NBC) News Director ART HOLLDAY’s documentary on rock and roll pioneer JOHNNIE JOHNSON. Art’s entered into a ‘finish-line producing partnership’ wth STORYSMART. This news release explains more and also details the many rock and roll legends that Art has interviewed. Art retired last year after 46 years at KSDK, where he began as a weekend sports anchor and ended as news director. Full disclosure: we worked together at what was then KSD-TV and also at KOMU-TV while attending Missouri.
General Manager News and Notes:
Littleton
Scripps has named DEAN LITTLETON President of Media, a new job at the company. He’s been EVP of Media Broadcast Operations and is a former GM at Scripps’ KMGH-TV in Denver. More details about the new job in the company’s news release.
Former CNN and ABC executive ED O’KEEFE will be the next CEO for PBS station WNET-TV in New York.
Our List of Open News Director Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, July 26, 2026:
It’s unofficial, there may be others that are open, and some of these m have been filled. If you know of any in either category, please let me know: rick@rickgevers.com
WPVI-TV 4100 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
KGO-TV 900 Front St, San Francisco, CA 94111
WOFL-TV 35 Skyline Drive, Lake Mary, FL 32746
KMGH-TV 2323 Delgany St, Denver, CO 80203
KOKH/KOCB-TV 1228 E. Wilshire Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73111
WLKY-TV 1918 Mellwood Ave. Louisville, KY 40206
WGNO-TV 1 Galleria Blvd, Suite 850 Metairie LA 70001
WWL-TV 1024 N. Rampart St. New Orleans, LA 70116
WHBQ-TV 485 South Highland St. Memphis, TN 38111
WREG-TV 803 Channel 3 Drive, Memphis, TN 38103
KOKI-TV 2625 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74129
KAKE-TV 1500 N. West St. Wichita, KS 67203
KLEW-TV 2626 17th St, Lewiston, ID 83501
KNVO-TV, 801 North Jackson Rd., McAllen TX 78501 **
KCEN-TV 215 N. 3rd Street Temple, TX 76501
WSIL-TV 1416 Country Aire Drive Carterville, IL 62918
KNDU-TV 3312 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336
WWTV/WWUP-TV 1 Broadcast Way, Cadillac, MI, 49601-9802
WMAZ-TV 1314 Gray Highway, Macon, GA 31211
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
WCBI-TV 201 5th Street South Columbus, MS 39701
KNOE-TV 1400 Oliver Rd., Monroe, LA 71201
KBMT-TV 525 Interstate 10 South, Beaumont, TX 77701
KNBN-TV 510 North Cambell Suite 8. Rapid City, SD 57701
KAVU-TV. 3808 N Navarro St. Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station