As May 2023 came to a close, The E.W. Scripps Co. attracted attention for sharing with its employees details about a local news initiative designed to transform how its broadcast TV stations report and produce its newscasts on a daily basis.
With a pledge to invest nearly $10 million in its local news teams, with most of those dollars funding salaries, and the integration of Scripps News coverage into local news products, the reporters, editors, producers and anchors at Scripps’ local stations across the U.S., now under the leadership of Dean Littleton, were told by CEO Adam Symson that over the coming months they’d hear “a lot more about the ‘what, when and how’ behind the reimagination of its local news operations.
A little of the “when” is now unfolding for Scripps, as it quietly announced via an internal memo the creation of five new Regional Vice President/GM positions.
According to an internal memo obtained by RBR+TVBR from a Scripps-owned television station, Littleton reiterated how the company would be adjusting its local media organization “to place decision-making closer to the operations with a focus on improving our agility and driving financial performance.”
With Scripps shares near the bottom of its five-year pricing trend and trading at $8.67 just before 11am Friday, the following individuals are already ensconced in their new roles as RVP/GMs, effective August 16:
- Kathleen Choal
- Anita Helt
- Nick Nicholson
- Lyn Plantinga
- Joe Poss
Choal presently serves as VP/GM of KSHB-41 in Kansas City. She adds the Waco and Corpus Christi, Tex.; Indianapolis; Tulsa; and Omaha markets to her purview.
Helt, currently VP/GM at KNXV-15 in Phoenix, will add oversight of its stations in San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield, Calif.; Tucson; and Las Vegas.
Nicholson, the VP/GM of WFTS-28 in Tampa-St. Petersburg, gains top leadership responsibilities for WPBF-25 in West Palm Beach and Scripps’ stations in Miami, Tallahassee, and Fort Myers, Fla.; the “Florida 24” all-news channel; and Lafayette, La.
Plantinga, who holds the role of VP/GM for WTVF-5 in Nashville, will add oversight of Scripps’ stations in Cleveland, Buffalo and Cincinnati as well as Lexington, Ky.
Poss, the VP/GM at WTMJ-4 in Milwaukee, will gain the top leadership role for Scripps’ WXYZ-7 in Detroit, in addition to its stations in Lansing and Grand Rapids, Mich., and in Green Bay, Wisc.
Littleton confirms that these five RVP/GMs will continue to oversee the station they currently manage. However, he added, “In the station where they each sit, we will recruit for a Station Manager role between now and the end of August to help with the station’s day-to-day operations.”
Littleton noted that current department heads at these stations are eligible to apply for these positions. “Successful candidates will take on the station manager responsibilities in addition to their current department head role,” he said.
How the changes impact current GMs for the respective Scripps markets had been the subject of speculation. A Scripps spokesperson responded to RBR+TVBR‘s request for comment on Friday afternoon to clarify what’s next for the local GMs.
Importantly, each GM retains their role and will now report to each Regional VP/General Manager. “GMs and stations managers report to RVPs or VP of Operations, depending on their region,” the Scripps spokesperson said.
But, what about the creation of a Station Manager role?
“We are introducing the role of station managers at each station where a regional VP/GM sits as well as in several smaller markets,” the Scripps Spokesperson said. “The Station Manager will be a department head and will help the regional VP with the daily operations of their station in addition to their department head role.”
AN UPSIZED ROLE FOR SAUNDERS
As hinted at above, Scripps VP of Local Media Operations Jon Saunders, who currently oversees the company’s Montana stations, is adding on more markets — some of which are geographically disparate.
As such, Saunders will oversee Scripps’ properties in Boise and Twin Falls, Idaho; Missoula, Great Falls/Helena, Butte/Bozeman, and Billings, Mont.; Salt Lake City; Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Baltimore; and Richmond and Norfolk, Va.
It is in Saunders’ station group where Scripps plans to introduce the Station Manager role. This will first be seen in smaller markets where an open GM position exists: Missoula, Butte/Bozeman and Boise/Twin Falls.
Littleton reiterated that current department heads will be eligible to apply for these roles, which would be in addition to their department head responsibilities. “The station managers in these markets will report to Jon and we will not be filling the GM roles,” he said.
This raises the question of what Scripps’ plans are for those who currently serve as GM in the many markets that have gained a RVP/GM.
In the meantime, Littleton plans to share details of the Station Manager positions once they are publicly shared on Scripps’ internal WorkLife blog.
