KLBK anchor Bill Maddox once had a news writer on his staff by the name of Scott Pelley. Yesterday, Pelley told the veteran anchor in a video clip, “Bill I have waited all this time to say thank you. You were my first example in life of what an anchor man should be.”

Maddox retired from the Nexstar owned CBS affiliate after more than 50 years in broadcasting Wednesday. He started at KLBK in 1964. In 1968 he went to work for the cross town station KSEL (now Nexstar owned KAMC) He retired from KAMC in 2002 and later returned to KLBK.

“Television was only twelve years old whenever I started and so I’ve seen it grow and develop and change dramatically over the last 47 years and its been a joy to be able to be part of this,” said Maddox

The station posted a look behind the scenes at Maddox’s last day. Click here to view.

[FTVLive]

This week, WRNN is hiring a booker/producer, as well as a weekend weather anchor and a junior broadcast IT engineer. Meanwhile, News 12 Long Island needs a news line producer and an investigative producer. Get the scoop on these openings and more below, and find additional just-posted gigs on Mediabistro.

• Booker/Producer WRNN (Port Chester, NY)
• Weekend Weather Anchor WRNN (Port Chester, NY)
• Junior Broadcast IT Engineer WRNN (Port Chester, NY)
• News Line Producer News 12 Long Island (Woodbury, NY)
• Investigative Producer News 12 Networks (Woodbury, NY)

Find more great TV jobs on the TVSpy job board. Looking to hire? Tap into our network of talented TVSpy pros and post a risk-free job listing. For real-time openings and employment news, follow @MBJobPost.

Charles Wolfertz has been named president and general manager of WTAE, Hearst’s ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh. His appointment is effective June 1.

Wolfertz has been general sales manager at WTAE since March 2012. He previously worked for Belo as sales manager at WHAS in Louisville and WFAA in Dallas.

“Chuck is a next-generation media executive with a successful record of local television management experience,” David J. Barrett, Hearst Television chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “He has played a major role in the station’s sales and customer service initiatives in the Pittsburgh market, and is the ideal leader to continue to build upon the great legacy of WTAE.”

Wolfertz succeeds Michael Hayes, who was promoted to senior vice president and group head of Hearst Television.

The longest-tenured employee of WIBW has died. Elmer Gunderson, a broadcast engineer at the Topeka CBS affiliate for almost 58 years, lost his battle with cancer Sunday. He was 81.

Gunderson joined the station in 1955, just two years after the station went on the air. He was just out of the Navy and looking for a radio engineering job to pay for his education. WIBW radio had no openings, but the television station did.

“He asked if I had any experience in television,” Gunderson said in a 2005 interview. “I said no. He said do you want to learn? And I said that would be all right.”

Gunderson continued to work at WIBW until his health declined in April.

TVNewsCheck and BIA/Kelsey have put out a list of the top 30 station groups ranked by the ad revenue taken in during 2012.

While FOX Television Stations ranks number one with a 2012 revenue of $1,768,200, according to the survey, the big surprise was Sinclair Broadcast Group which landed in the third spot. CBS Television Stations was sandwiched between the two in second with $1,601,775 in revenue.

Mark Fratrik, BIA/Kelsey VP and chief economist said in the article, “Sinclair has recently acquired many stations, and those acquisitions are reflected in the totals,”

You can see the list of the top ten station groups after the jump or check out the entire list by clicking here. Read more

Denver Fox affiliate KDVR has admitted that a report broadcast Saturday about an Italian gun executive who was detained by local law enforcement was incorrect.

The station says Karina Aguirre, who claimed to be the man’s U.S. attorney, “concocted an elaborate but false story” about a man who was detained after a taxi driver mistook him for “a terrorist.” KDVR says they were referred to Aguirre by David Kopel, an attorney for the Independence Institute in Denver, and Steve Schreiner, a Colorado board member of the National Rifle Association.

“More steps should have been taken to corroborate Aguirre’s story and verify information provided by Kopel and Schreiner,” news director Ed Kosowski said in a statement. “KDVR is committed to fair, accurate and balanced reporting and we are reviewing policies and procedures to ensure our content meets those standards.”

Neither Kosowski’s statement or the post on KDVR’s website address the fact that the station failed to reach out to law enforcement or the gun company to corroborate Aguirre’s story before the report aired. In a strongly-worded statement Wednesday, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said KDVR “dropped the ball.”

“The Sheriff’s Office feels that it is unfortunate for Fox 31 Denver to have released a report that claimed the Adams County Sheriff’s Office involvement in an event without verifying it first. It is also unfortunate and disturbing for Fox 31 Denver to have released such a bold report before doing their due diligence by thoroughly investigating the tips prior to broadcasting,” the statement reads.

The Sheriff’s office also praised KUSA, the NBC affiliate in Denver, for uncovering the hoax.

WTOV has announced Eric Minor, anchor for the Stuebenville, OH, NBC affiliate, is leaving the station.

“Our daughter is about to turn 12 years old and my son is an energetic 8-year-old,” said Minor in a statement on the station website. “Even on this modified schedule, NEWS9 at Six will always be on at 6 p.m. That meant I was still missing band concerts, soccer games and family dinners. You only get to watch your kids grow up once.”

Minor was hired by West Virginia University’s P.I. Reed School of Journalism as director of student careers and opportunities. His last day is two weeks from Friday.

Minor has worked at WTOV for more than 16 years. He anchors the station’s noon and evening newscasts.

Ben Simmoneau has left Philadelphia CBS owned station KYW.

A station spokesman confirmed his last day was yesterday. They also said he hasn’t announced where he’s headed.

Simmoneau joins a growing list of reporters and anchors who have left KYW in the last month. Anchor Susan Barnett left just before May sweeps, while reporter Robin Rieger left the station in early April.

Simmoneau had been with the station since April 2008. Before workig at KYW, Simmoneau worked at WGAL in Lancaster, PA.

Shannon Hori is leaving WFOR in Miami for WAVE in Louisville, where she will be primary anchor. In her new role, she will go by her married name, Shannon Cogan.

After seven months freelancing at KCBS in Los Angeles, Andrea Fujii becomes a full-time staff reporter for the CBS O&O.

Alexandra Limon returns to her native Los Angeles as she joins KTTV. She was previously a reporter for KIRO in Seattle.

Julie Luck joins WFMY in Greensboro as the primary anchor. Luck left rival WGHP last year.

Matt DeLucia jumps 36 markets as he joins WCAU in Philadelphia as a reporter. For the past four years, he has been a reporter at KVVU in Las Vegas. Read more

Sally Shamrell is joining Tucson ABC affiliate KGUN as co-host of “The Morning Blend,” the station’s daytime lifestyle and information show.

It is a return Tucson for Shamrell, who worked at NBC affiliate KVOA until 2003. Since then, she has worked in infomercials and as an actress.

“We are very pleased to have Sally back in Tucson where she can utilize her great talents in the unique environment of The Morning Blend on KGUN9 and CW58,” KGUN general manager Jim Arnold said in a statement.

Shamrell will co-host the program with Amanda Guralski.