news directors

The former news director at WOOD Grand Rapids, Mich., will lead Cox Media Group’s Fox affil in Memphis.

The Scripps ABC affiliate in San Diego chooses the former KATU Portland, Ore., news chief to succeed Joel Davis who was upped to station manager last October.

Dan Salamone announced Monday that he was stepping down as the news director at Raycom’s Cleveland CBS affiliate WOIO and its sister station, WUAB (MNT). His last day will be Friday, Jan. 9. Salamone has been guiding the 19 Action News operation for nine years.

After 17 years in the broadcasting, Nate Hill is changing careers to become a financial adviser in Topeka. He became news director of KSNT (NBC), KTKA (ABC) and KTMJ (Fox) six years ago.

Scripps moves him from its KSHB Kansas City to lead the newsroom at its Tampa ABC affiliate.

Media General moves her from executive producer at its WAVY Norfolk, Va., to head news operations at its Myrtle Beach, S.C., CBS affil.

Weeks, news director at  Raycom’s KAIT Jonesboro, Ark., since 2008, moves to the group’s NBC affiliate in Jackson, Miss.

The Harlingen, Texas, Telemundo outlet promotes him from executive producer.

The former news director of WGHP High Point, N.C., will head news operations at Fox Television Stations’ WJZY-WMYT duopoly.

Recently named KUSA Denver News Director Christy Moreno, who succeeds Patti Dennis after a winning 18-year run, will assume her new duties Jan. 12. “It’s a very big jump” from Knoxville to Denver, she acknowledged. At WBIR she oversaw a newsroom of 65 people; at KUSA she’ll run a newsroom of just over 100. In Knoxville, they’ve been busy covering a school bus accident this week. In Denver, breaking news regularly rises to national attention. But throughout the interviewing process, Moreno said, there were “so many similarities” between the Knoxville and Denver news outlets.

He held the news director post at WHEC Rochester, N.Y., before being tapped to succeed Lisa Jackson at Sinclair’s CBS affil in the New York capital.

He is succeeding Craig Hume who announced his departure a few weeks ago. Neerman previously was ND at WHAS Louisville, Ky.

Harris, who starts Jan. 5 at Gannett’s Jacksonville, Fla., NBC-ABC duopoly, has worked for Belo/Gannett for the last 10 years, eight of them at WFAA Dallas.

News director Julie Moravchik is out at Fargo, N.D., ABC affiliate WDAZ. “Thank you everyone for your kind words,” Moravchik wrote on her facebook page. “My plan for now is to take a month off, recharge and ‘get back into the game.’ ”

He sent an email to staff at the Sinclair-owned NBC affiliate saying his last day will be Nov. 26. Hume has held the post since May 2013.

Joe Sullivan, who has been the 5:30 p.m. anchor for the Gulfport, Miss., Fox affiliate since September 2013, is adding ND duties to his resume.

Tribune’s WJW made it official, naming Andy Fishman news director. Fishman has been the Cleveland Fox affiliate’s interim news director for the past six weeks. He replaces Sonya Thompson, who became the director of news projects for Tribune Media Group.

Former Weather Channel executive Jennifer Rigby has been named the new news director at Gannett’s Atlanta NBC affiliate, replacing Ellen Crooke, who was promoted by Gannett to help run news operations for 46 stations nationwide.

He joins the Buffalo, N.Y., CBS affiliate from WTAJ in Altoona, Pa., where he held the same position.

The former news director at WFXT Boston is tapped to run news operations at Fox’s Washington O&O, succeeding Dana Hahn.

Andrea Clenney has been named news director of Columbus, Ga., NBC affiliate WLTZ. She comes to WLTZ from WCJB in Gainesville, Fla. where she was news director.

Wilson Stribling is back in the morning anchor chair at NBC affiliate WLBT Jackson, Miss., a role he held for 11 years. He moved into management, and eventually became the station’s current news director. Getting back on the anchor desk is a permanent move, and that means he will be stepping out of the role as news director when WLBT finds a replacement.

When Sinclair took over ABC affiliate WJLA in Washington, they sent WJLA GM Bill Lord packing. Yesterday, Lord was introduced to a few WUSA staffers as the CBS affil’s new news director.

News Director Bill McFarland has been fired at the E.W. Scripps-owned ABC affiliate in Tampa, according to a source inside the TV station who requested anonymity. Assistant News Director Michele Murray also was let go.

She will take over the news director slot at Tribune’s Fox-CW duopoly KDVR-KWGN, succeeding Ed Kosowski who left in August.

No reason was given for her departure from the Sinclair-owned CBS affilate in Albany, N.Y.

Fred D’Ambrosi’s last day at the Gannett-owned CBS affiliate in Washington will be Oct. 24.

E.W. Scripps Co. taps the former ND of its KMGH Denver to lead the news operations at its ABC affiliate in Cleveland.

Lee Rosenthal, currently news director at Cox Media Group’s KTVU San Francisco-Oakland, is being transferred by Cox to WFXT Boston. Cox is acquiring that station (and WHBQ Memphis) from Fox, in exchange for KTVU.

After more than 30 years at St. Louis NBC affiliate KSDK, News Director Mike Shipley told his staff Wednesday that he will be leaving the station, sources said. They added that Shipley told newsroom employees that he would stay on until a replacement is hired and trained.

He is moving from WSYR Syracuse, N.Y., to succeed Greg Turchetta as head of the Austin, Texas, CBS affiliate’s news operations.

Trey Fabacher is out at Meredith’s Atlanta CBS affiliate. On the bright side, the station did announce a new news director, Larry Perret, who came from Kansas City. He takes over for Lane Michaelsen, who left in July and now works with Sinclair in Maryland.

The news director at Meredith CBS affiliate in Kansas City takes the same position at Meredith’s Atlanta CBS outlet.

WJZY Charlotte, N.C., News Director Geoff Roth is leaving the Fox O&O and going back to Fox’s KRIV Houston. Fox-owned WWOR New York station manager Dianne Doctor will help out the Charlotte newsroom while the station looks for a new ND. Doctor will continue in her role as station manager of the New Jersey MNT affil.

He will take over the post at the Utica, N.Y., NBC affiliate from Steve McMurray, who is now VP-GM.

She’s held a variety of roles at the Houston ABC O&O over the past 12 years, most recently as senior executive producer, special projects.

He will leave Tribune’s Fox-CW duopoly in Denver when his contract expires next week after three years as news director.

Wilson came to the West Palm Beach, Fla., NBC affil from KNXV Phoenix, where he had been assistant news director since 2008.

After 18 months at the Tribune station, the veteran news executive confirms that he will be stepping down at the end of October.