news directors

Sources say KTRK Executive Producer Jerry Vazquez is leaving the Houston ABC O&O for the city’s Telemundo affiliate KTMD news director chair effective immediately.

The Wilmington, N.C., ABC affiliate confirms Pickey no longer works at the station. WWAY wouldn’t comment on when he left or why.

After 14 years, the head of news at the ABC Houston O&O is leaving, saying the job was affecting his family, life and personal relationships.

The former news director of WPTV-WFLX West Palm Beach, Fla., will lead the news operations at CBS’s Dallas duopoly.

The longtime journalist at Tribune’s Chicago CW affil is promoted to succeed the retiring Greg Caputo.

Kristen Hamilton, content manager at WXIN Indianapolis, returns to Illinois to become news director for this Sinclair Broadcasting-owned CBS affiliate. She succeeds Nora Baldner.

Jack Pagano, the newly appointed news director for Montgomery, Ala., CBS affiliate WAKA has left the station after being hired in May. Pagano says he left so he could take care of a family issue, adding. “I will seek another run in broadcasting as soon as my family situation is resolved.”

The new newsroom chief at the Cowles-owned NBC affiliate worked for the State of Colorado for the past four years, but earlier spent five years as an EP at KUSA Denver and held news positions at stations in a number of other markets.

The assistant ND at WZTV Nashville will take over top news duties at the Louisville, Ky., ABC affiliate beginning June 2.

Jordan has been news director at Cox-owned Seattle CBS affiliate KIRO for the last two years, transferring from Cox-owned WFTV Orlando, Fla. He tweeted that he’s retiring at the end of June.

The Fargo, N.D., Fox affiliate’s news director since the station went on the air in 2000 is stepping down. Shaw, who has battled a chronic illness since last September, told his newsroom staff that he will step down Friday to more fully recuperate.

The Journal Broadcast Group’s Milwaukee NBC affiliate hires her from WLS Chicago where she’s been assistant news director since 2002.

Greg Caputo, a widely admired and respected television news executive who headed three Chicago news operations over more than three decades, is retiring as news director of Tribune Broadcasting’s Chicago CW affiliate WGN. Caputo announced today that he plans to step down in June, one month before he turns 65.

The veteran news director succeeds Dan Schillinger at the QNI-owned NBC affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Norma Morato is no longer news director of Univision’s O&O in New York. One inside source says she has resigned. Another source says she was seen packing her belongings from her office last Friday signaling she was on her way out.

Patti Dennis, a powerhouse TV news director, has spent over 30 years living by daily and hourly deadlines, watching the clock, counting stories by minutes and seconds at Gannett’s NBC affiliate KUSA Denver. She is a fierce competitor, overseeing 55 hours of newscasts per week on KUSA and co-owned MNT affil KTVD. Additionally, she is in charge of news for Gannett-owned stations regionally, content on the KUSA website and on the local Telemundo station (a corporate cousin), and now, in charge of recruiting nationally for the parent company.

Veteran News Director Ron Bilek is back in a newsroom. He’s been named the interim ND for Gannett’s WCNC Charlotte, N.C. The station is currently without both a news director and general manager, and the assistant ND is about to leave for a new job (if she hasn’t already left.)

The assistant news director at the Colorado Springs ABC affiliate gets bumped up to the top news job.

The former CBS news executive succeeds Kingsley Smith as VP at Fox’s Los Angeles O&O.

Veteran News Director John Verrilli left WBZ today. He has been ND for the Boston O&O for the past five years

Ingrid Johansen is no longer the news director of Greenville, N.C., CBS affiliate WNCT. A WNCT spokesperson confirms she was no longer with the station.

Nexstar Broadcasting’s CBS affiliate in Marquette, Mich., will debut 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts next month produced from a new broadcast and digital operations center, and hires Cynthia Thompson as news director/anchor.

The former WCBD Charleston, S.C., digital journalism director will take over news leadership at the Mobile, Ala., Fox affiliate.

The associate professor in the University of Missouri School of Journalism and KOMU executive producer will succeed Stacey Woelfel as head of news at the university-owned NBC affiliate.

He spent 29 years at the San Antonio ABC affiliate. He left the station in December as his cancer worsened.

The longtime KGW Portland, Ore., newsman will now head Media General’s NBC affiliate in Davenport, Iowa.

Josh Eure, who was scheduled to start Monday as news director for Gannett operated WHAS will not be coming to the Louisville ABC affiliate after all.

Stacey Woelfel, news director at the University of Missouri-owned NBC affiliate KOMU Columbia and associate professor in the MU School of Journalism, has been named the first director of the new Jonathan Murray Documentary Journalism Center at the MU School of Journalism. Woelfel will step down from his position at KOMU and begin working as director of the Murray Center on Sept. 1.

Gannett picks the former assistant news director and senior content manager at KTNX  Phoenix to be executive newsdirector of the Louisville ABC affiliate.

Wolff, who had been assistant news director at the NBC Orlando affiliate for seven years, assumes the new job immediately. She had been leading the newsroom since news director Bob Longo departed last month for a similar job at WTEV-WAWSJacksonville, Fla.

He joins the NBC-owned outlet in Connecticut from co-owned WMAQ Chicago.

Bill Berra is stepping down as vice president of news for Journal Broadcast Group and WTMJ in Milwaukee next month.

ABC affiliate WKBW Buffalo, N.Y., has promoted Lisa Polster from assistant news director to replace ND Polly Van Doren, who’s leaving for the same job at WKEF-WRGT Dayton, Ohio

ZGS Communications Names Gilberto Companioni to lead news operations at its Orlando, Fla., Telemundo affiliate.

Mike McCormick, former news director of WTEV-WAWS Jacksonville, Fla., has been named news director for West Palm Beach CBS affiliate WPEC.

Sinclair CBS affiliate WPEC West Palm Beach, Fla., fired News Director Cathy Younkin on Friday. General Manager Michael Pumo confirmed that Younkin, who was named ND in 2009, is no longer at the station but declined to comment further.

He will head up news at the Cox Media Group CBS-Fox duopoly in Jacksonville, Fla.