August 11, 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019 UPDATE:
Greetings:
Today’s UPDATE brings news of a news director’s resignation at a network o-and-o in a top 25 market.
Zeller
JEFF ZELLER has stepped down as Vice President and News Director for FOX’s WOFL-TV in Orlando. He’s been the ND there for almost ten years and was the Assistant ND for 3 1/2 years before ascending to the top job. Jeff also worked in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Tampa, Cincinnati, and Dayton.
The Orlando Sentinel’s longtime TV writer HAL BOEDEKER has more.
The change comes about a month after a GM change at WOFL.
MIKE McCLAIN was promoted to GM here less than a month ago. Mike’s a former ND for three FOX stations who had been GM for FOX’s Charlotte operation, WJYZ-TV.
We hope to have more on this story and the rest of the week’s news (fairly slow so far) in our full newsletter later this weekend.
regards,
Rick Gevers
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Greetings:
Great to see so many of you in South Florida this week for the NABJ convention, which, I believe, had record attendance. I know the job fair was packed and many exhibitors ran out of time to meet with candidates.
It’s a busy and full newsletter, with TWO new ND openings (one in a top ten market) and TWO newly named news directors (also ONE in a top ten market.)
There’s a new paid help wanted ad for an EP job in San Francisco, and there are ads for THREE of the 32 openings we have on our always unofficial list of ND openings.
There’s an obituary for a ground breaking Kentucky broadcaster, a ton of items about former news directors (most of them long tenured), a new Assistant ND at an NBC o-and-o, and a new job for a veteran TV researcher.
And there’s also a lot of general manager items, including a new GM at a network owned station in a top five market.
Read on and enjoy!
Newly Named News Directors:
McCardel
WFAA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX…a Friday UPDATE told you of LESLIE McCARDEL’s promotion to Executive News Director for this Tegna owned ABC station. Here’s the station’s news release. Leslie’s been the director of content and strategy since 2016 when she returned after a brief hiatus. Leslie first joined the station in 2006. She’s also worked for sister Tegna station KHOU-TV in Houston and at KSBY-TV in San Luis Obispo, CA. Leslie replaces CAROLYN MUNGO who was promoted to station manager at WFAA after seven years as ND.
Giffune
WEYI-TV, Clio/Flint/Saginaw, MI…NEILLE-ANN GIFFUNE has been promoted to news director for this Sinclair Broadcasting operated NBC affiliate owned by Howard Stirk Holdings. She’s been the Assistant News Director here for the last seven years. Her background is a little different: Neille-Ann began her career as a sports anchor and reporter. She replaces MIKE SCHRAM who had been ND here for more than six years.
New News Director Openings:
Granato
KTRK-TV, Houston, TX…we were pleased to tell you in Wednesday’s UPDATE that WENDY GRANATO was being promoted to President and General Manager for this ABC owned station. (Fun fact: the President of the o-and-o group is also named Wendy, WENDY McMAHON.) Wendy (for the rest of this item Wendy refers to Granato) has been ND here for five years and worked at the station for 17 years. Before her promotion to news director, she was the EP of special projects. Wendy started on air in Lafayette, LA, and then worked at KNWS-TV, a now defunct 24 hour news channel. She later became ND there.
Wuzzardo
WWAY-TV, Wilmington, NC…this Morris Multimedia owned ABC station has an ND opening posted on its website. My records show KEVIN WUZZARDO has been ND here for five years and has worked there for 13.
Please note there are ads below for the news director jobs at WDIO-TV in Duluth, MN, WJFW-TV in Rhinelander, WI, and WBNG-TV in Binghamton, NY
Paid Help Wanted Ads:
Morning Executive Producer, KPIX-TV, San Francisco, CA:
KPIX5 San Francisco is recruiting for an Executive Producer to lead our morning news team.
This is a terrific opportunity to join a legacy news operation in one of the most dynamic markets in the country. The successful candidate will craft compelling, urgent newscasts while leading a veteran editorial team. Demonstrated success developing and integrating content across multiple platforms is essential.
We’re looking for a risk taker who understands the audience demands more than the expected formula. The Morning Executive Producer collaborates with other news managers and assists in developing and executing editorial strategies for all dayparts. Must be a mentor who knows how to inspire the team.
Minimum 4 years experience as a producer with management background preferred.
To learn more about this great opportunity and to apply, just click here.
News Director, WDIO-TV, Duluth, MN:
WDIO-TV is seeking a News Director ready to take a powerful market leader to new heights. This leader oversees all news, weather and sports content and delivery channels and is responsible for directing and managing the news department — seeing that the station’s vision and community mission is understood by the entire news organization.
WDIO-TV, News Channel 10/13 is the award-winning ABC network affiliate for Northeastern Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin. Part of Hubbard Broadcasting, WDIO-TV is committed to excellence in all that it does-broadcast news with hyper-local coverage, important public service that deals powerfully with today’s issues, and now, more than ever, top-notch digital content, to reach our viewers and followers with information the way they want to receive it.
When you work for WDIO-TV, you will find yourself among dedicated, passionate people who work hard every day to improve our product and our community. If you have the qualifications, and you are a person of talent and integrity, we invite you to apply!
To learn more about the day to day duties and qualifications for this remarkable opportunity please visit our web site by clicking here:
News Director, WJFW-TV, Rhindeland, RI:
WJFW, the NBC affiliate for north central Wisconsin, wants to find a news director with energy and vision to lead its newsroom.
Newswatch 12 promises best-in-class training and opportunities to entry-level video storytellers.
The next news director will need to enjoy recruiting, hiring, training, teaching, and managing young journalists.
This position might be the successful applicant’s first news directing opportunity. Newswatch 12 provides support for strong journalists who want to gain top-level managerial experience. The successful applicant could also be someone with wide experience who wants to return to small-market television news in a peaceful, beautiful part of the upper Midwest.
Visitors come here year-round to experience the Northwoods. You could live that experience every day.
You should prefer to lead by example. You will lead every aspect of modern newsroom activity working alongside young reporters. You will be a department head reporting to the General Manager.
If you’re the person in your newsroom right now who makes your colleagues think they’re lucky to have you around, we want to talk with you. Leadership in smaller-market newsrooms demands effective communication, inspiration and feedback skills. It’s likely you already demonstrate those capabilities.
We want to make our community better by making our news product better every day. If you want to lead that effort, please apply.
Send a cover letter and resume to John Quarderer, News Advisor jquarderer@wjfw.com
https://www.wjfw.com/careers.html
News Director, WBNG-TV, Binghamton, NY:
WBNG-TV in Binghamton, NY seeks a News Director to help guide our news department to new heights of journalistic and ratings success. This is an exciting opportunity to join a great team in one of New York’s most beautiful places to live.
The successful candidate will be responsible for establishing and maintaining market leading standards for newsroom operations and content. Other duties include hiring, coaching, supervising and evaluating news personnel, as well as preparation and administration of newsroom budgets and capital requests. The News Director is expected to work closely with other department managers to achieve the company’s overall performance goals.
A minimum of 4 years television news management experience and a college degree in broadcast journalism preferred. Must be able to demonstrate strong working knowledge of community issues and sound journalistic principles. Must have the ability to make fast, accurate journalistic and logistical judgments.
If you have a passion for excellence, and a burning desire to lead the best local broadcast news operation in Binghamton, NY, we want to hear from you.
Please send your resume and cover letter to:
Bob Krummenacker
General Manager
WBNG-TV
560 Columbia Dr.
Johnson City, NY 13790
rkrummenacker@wbng.com
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
WBNG is part of Quincy Media, a family owned company with television stations in 9 states.
Throughout Quincy, positions are available for candidates with all levels of experience and the advancement you are seeking. Visit www.quincymediacareers.com for links to all stations and opportunities.
WBNG-TV is an Equal Opportunity Employer
News Management Openings:
ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR:
KUSI-TV, San Diego, CA (relisted 7/14/19)
WHEC-TV, Rochester, NY (relisted 7/7/19)
KSPR-TV, Springfield, MO (listed 7/17/19)
WBND-TV, South Bend, IN (relisted 7/14/19)
WJAC-TV, Johnstown, PA (relisted 7/14/19)
KRNV-TV, Reno, NV (relisted this week)
KERO-TV, Bakersfield, CA (listed 7/14/19)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
KPIX-TV, San Francisco, CA (AM EP, new listing this week, see ad above!)
KPRC-TV, Houston, TX (Special Projects EP, listed 7/7/19)
WXYZ-TV, Detroit, MI (AM EP, listed 6/16/19)
KDVR/KWGN-TV, Denver, CO (AM EP, relisted this week)
KOIN-TV, Portland, OR (AM EP, listed 6/23/19)
WMAR-TV, Baltimore, MD (PM EP, new listing this week)
WVIT-TV, Hartford, CT (Dayside EP, listed 6/23/19)
WBNS-TV, Columbus, OH (Senior EP, relisted 7/14/19)
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH (listed 8/4/19)
WISN-TV, Milwaukee, WI (AM EP, relisted 7/21/19)
WHTM-TV, Harrisburg, PA (Digital EP, listed 6/23/19)
WVTM-TV, Birmingham, AL (relisted 6/9/19)
WAVY-TV, Norfolk, VA (AM EP, relisted 7/7/19)
WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA (AM EP, relisted 7/7/19)
WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA (relisted 7/14/19)
WNEM-TV, Saginaw, MI (AM EP, listed 7/21/19)
KMTV, Omaha, NE (AM EP, listed 7/28/19)
KWWL-TV, Waterloo, IA (listed 6/16/19)
WFFT-TV, Ft. Wayne, IN (listed 6/23/19)
WFXG-TV, Augusta, GA (listed 6/16/19)
WTAJ-TV, Altoona, PA (Digital Executive Producer, relisted 6/23/19)
KSBY-TV, San Luis Obispo, CA (PM EP, listed 6/16/19)
Other News Management Openings:
Listed 8/4/19:
WSPA-TV, Spartanburg, SC (Digital Content EP)
Listed 7/28/19:
WBRE-TV, Wilkes/Barre/Scranton, PA (Digital Content EP)
Relisted 7/28/19:
WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC (Enterprise Executive Producer)
WTNH-TV, Hartford/New Haven, CT (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 7/21/19:
E.W. Scripps, Cincinnati, OH, (Senior Director of Content)
E.W. Scripps, Denver, CO (Senior Director of National Content)
Listed 7/7/19:
KMTV, Omaha, NE (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 6/30/19
KGET-TV, Bakersfield, CA (Digital Content Manager)
Relisted 6/23/19:
WKRG-TV, Mobile, AL (Digital Content Manager)
KFDX-TV, Wichita Falls, TX (Digital Content Manager)
Listed 6/16/19:
Rocky Mountain PBS, Denver, CO (Investigative Producer)
WBRC-TV, Birmingham, AL (Digital Content Mgr.)
Obituary:
O. LEONARD PRESS, who is credited with founding the statewide Kentucky Educational TV network, died late last month at the age of 97. KET, which describes itself as Kentucky’s largest classroom, serving more than one million people each week via television, online, and mobile, celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
Names in the News (and other items):
Harrison
AKEMI HARRISON, who’s been the 11:00 PM executive producer for WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh is leaving that Cox Media station to become Assistant News Director for WVIT-TV in Harftord/New Haven, CT, the NBC owned station there. She’s the subject of this profile in the New Pittsburgh Courier.
Lots of news about former news directors:
Steel
Longtime Arkansas newsman BOB STEEL returns to a newsroom as news and program director for a Little Rock radio station. Bob’s a former ND for both KARK-TV and KATV but he began in radio in 1971. He’s also had several stints working for a Little Rock advertising agency.
Volpicella
FRANK VOLPICELLA once again calls Austin home as he becomes general manager for Community Impact’s Cedar Park-Leander edition. He left Austin in 2016 to take the ND job at WGCL-TV in Atlanta and later moved to WJXT-TV in Jacksonville as Managing Editor, a job he left about a year ago.
Donnellan
BRENNAN DONNELLAN joins the Cleveland Metro Bar Association as Director of Marketing and Communications. He’s been doing social media marketing and video production since leaving WKYC-TV in 2018 after a seven year run as ND. He’s also been an ND in Cincinnati and Syracuse and has worked in Boston, Atlanta, Columbus, OH (two stations) and Norfolk.
Piggott
We’re tardy in reporting the retirement of MIKE PIGGOTT who retired last spring after 18 years as Purdue University’s Director of Community Relations. That followed 17 years at WLFI-TV in Lafayette, IN as anchor, news director and also general manager for that CBS affiliate. Friends can ask Mike about his golf game with an email to: mpiggott@purdue.edu
Choate
One of the great things about travel is it allows you to connect with old friends. I had lunch (with others) with DAVE CHOATE, the assistant ND at WCKT-TV (now WSVN-TV) when I worked there. He was a great mentor to me, then a 23 year old producer. Dave later became ND at Channel 7 and also ran the NBC News bureau in Miami before leaving TV to run a substance abuse commission. He’s now 83 and is spending some time shooting some remarkable scenes, which you can see (and purchase) via this website. Friends can reach out to Dave via email: choatedm@aol.com
Calfo
Finally, congratulations to veteran television researcher TONY CALFO who has a new job. He’s joined ScreenEngine/ASI as Senior Vice President, TV News Group. Tony’s spent the last two years as EVP at Simple Opinions after 12 years at SmithGeiger. You can congratulate him on the move via email: TCalfo@screenengineasi.com
General Manager News and Notes:
Delia
With Tegna’s purchase of Dispatch Broadcasting’s WTHR-TV in Indianapolis and WBNS-TV in Columbus, OH, now complete, WTHR’s GM LARRY DELIA joins the corporate staff at Tegna as Senior Vice President, Media Operations. Larry’s been GM for WTHR since 2013, and became President of Dispatch Broadcasting in 2016. He’s run several other stations.
With Larry’s promotion, MICHAEL BROUDER gets bumped up from director of marketing and creative services at WTHR to president and general manager. Larry and Michael also worked together at WXIN/WTTV in Indianapolis.
Stewart
KYW-TV, the CBS o-and-o in Philadelphia, wasted no time replacing BRIEN KENNEDY who left the station last month. The new GM there is BRANDIN STEWART who’s spent the last 17 years at NBC owned stations, the last five as VP/Sales at WMAQ-TV in Chicago.
We noted in our “New News Director Openings” segment above that WENDY GRANATO is being promoted to GM for ABC’s KTRK-TV in Houston, replacing the retiring HENRY FLORSHEIM.
Scripps’s WKBW-TV (ABC) in Buffalo released General Manager MICHAEL NURSE and two key members of the sales staff last week. He’d been GM there for six years and spent 12 years as station manger before that.
MIKE RAJEWSKI will be the new GM for Lockwood Broadcasting’s KAKE-TV in Wichita. He’s been Director of Sales for Cox Media in Jacksonville and earlier worked in sales for WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach. He replaces NEAL DAVIS who’s off to Knoxville to run the Lockwood stations there.
Dant
And our last GM item completes a circle. KERN DANT will take over Lincoln’s KLKN-TV when the Standard Media completes the purchase of this ABC affiliate from Citadel Communications. Kern’s father’s STEVE was the station’s first general manager in 1996. Son Kern is currently General Sales Manager for WMC-TV in Memphis.
Our Full List of Open ND Jobs:
Here’s our list of open ND jobs as of Sunday, August 11, 2019:
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
KTRK-TV 3310 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005
WUVG-TV 3350 Peachtree Road #1250, Atlanta, GA 30326 **
KTVK/KPHO-TV 5555 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85013
KUSA-TV 500 E Speer Blvd, Denver, CO 80203
KUVS-TV 1710 Arden Way, Sacramento CA 95815 **
KSDK-TV 1000 Market St. St. Louis MO 63101
KFMB-TV 7677 Engineer Road San Diego, CA 92111
KSHB-TV 4720 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64112
WBNS-TV 770 Twin Rivers Dr, Columbus, OH 43215
WCMH-TV 3165 Olentangy River Rd. Columbus, OH 43202
WPEC-TV 1100 Fairfield Dr. West Palm Beach, FL 33407
KOCO-TV 1300 East Britton Rd. Oklahoma City, OK 73131
WBIR-TV 1513 Bill Williams Ave. Knoxville, TN 37917
WJRT-TV 2302 Lapeer Rd, Flint, MI 48503
WTOL-TV 730 N. Summit St. Toledo OH 43604
WAFF-TV 1414 N. Memorial Parkway. Huntsville, AL 35801
KGAN-TV 600 Old Marion Rd NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
KXXV-TV 1909 S New Rd, Waco, TX 76711
WLTZ-TV 6140 Buena Vista Rd. Columbus, GA 31907
WWAY-TV 1224 Magnolia Village Way, Leland, NC 28451
KVII-TV 1 Broadcast Center, Amarillo, TX 79101
KRCR-TV 755 Auditorium Dr. Redding, CA 96001
WJFW-TV 3217 County Rd G Rhinelander, WI 54501 (see ad above!)
KCBD-TV 5600 Ave. A Lubbock, TX 79404
WDIO-TV 10 Observation Rd, Duluth, MN 55811 (see ad above!)
WBNG-TV 560 Columbia Dr. Johnson City, NY 13790 (see ad above!)
WOAY-TV P.O. BOX 3001 Oak Hill, WV 25901
KRTV 3300 Old Havre Hwy. Black Eagle, MT 59414
KXLF/KZBK-TV 1003 S Montana St, Butte, MT 59701
KAEF-TV 540 E St Eureka, California 95501
KAVU-TV 3808 N Navarro St, Victoria, TX 77901
**: Spanish language station