News Directors

Dawn Dugle is out as news director at KHBS-KHOG, after just over two years with the Hearst-owned station in Fort Smith-Fayetville.

KHBS-KHOG vice president and general manager Brian Sather confirmed Dugle’s departure with TVSpy but declined to elaborate on the nature of her exit.

Dugle was named ND at KHBS-KHOG at the beginning of 2010, after working as assistant ND for 18 months at WAPT, Hearst’s station in Jackson, MS.  Before WAPT, Dugle worked as an executive producer at KEYE in Austin and a news producer at WTVT in Tampa.

No word yet on who will replace Dugle at KHBS-KHOG.

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Michael Fabac is out as news director at KXAN in Austin.

Although KXAN general manager Eric Lassberg was not immediately available for comment, Austin360 confirmed with newsroom staffers today that Fabac’s five-year tenure as the NBC-affiliate’s news director has come to an end.

Fabac’s departure comes a month after Austin media blogger Jim McNabb reported that newsroom morale was slipping amid the departures of a handful of reporters.

A tipster emailed this afternoon to report that “many in the newsroom are headed for celebratory drinks this evening.” Read more

Steve Korioth is joining WBTW, the CBS-affiliate in Myrtle Beach, as director of content. In his new role, which begins May 21, he will oversee all aspects of the station’s newscasts and online content.

Korioth joins WBTW from WRBL, the CBS-affiliate in Columbus, GA, where he has been news director since 2010. Both stations are owned by Media General.

“Because he has been a producer and manager in large and small markets, Steve brings a wealth of experience to the WBTW newsroom,” WTBW president and general manager Randy Ingram said in a statement.

Korioth replaces his current boss, David Hart, who  joined WRBL from WTBW in March.

Michael Garber has been hired as news director at West Palm Beach’s WPTV-WFLX, the stations confirmed to TVSpy today.

Garber has been news director of WTLV-WJXX, the Gannett duopoly in Jacksonville, since 2008. Prior to that, he was news director at WLTX in Columbia, SC and assistant news director at KGUN in Tucson.

Garber begins in West Palm Beach on May 29. He replaces Jeff Brogan, who was promoted to senior director of news strategy and operation for Scripps in March.

This is Garber’s second stint with Scripps. He was the lead sports producer at WFTS in Tampa/St. Pete in the late 1990s.

Keith Baker has been hired as news director at WBBJ, the ABC-affiliate in Jackson, TN. The move was confirmed to TVSpy by WCTI, where Baker is currently the assistant news director.

Baker joined WCTI last year from WFTS, the ABC-affiliate in Tampa, where he was an assignment editor. He has also worked at WPXI in Pittsburgh as an assignment editor and assignment manager.

He replaces Robert Davidson, who left the station to become news director for WCBI in Columbus, MS.

>Update: WBBJ has released an official announcement on Baker’s hire. He will start May 14 in Jackson, the town where his parents went to college and his uncle and grandmother have previously lived. Read more

Lane Michaelsen, the recently appointed news director of WCPO, has a clear goal for the Cincinnati ABC-affiliate: first place.

“We’re going to No. 1,” Michaelsen said in a recent interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer. “That’s our goal.”

WCPO, perennially in second place behind CBS-affiliate WKRC, has overhauled its staff in recent months. In addition to a new news director, WCPO has a new general manager in Steve Thaxton, who was hired in March. Read more

Ozzie Martinez has been promoted to assistant news director at WNBC, the NBC O&O in New York City.

Martinez has been senior daypart manager at WNBC since 2008. He has overseen major breaking news events and the re-launch of the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts.

Prior to joining WNBC, Martinez was the nighttime executive producer for WFOR, the CBS O&O in Miami. He began his career at Miami Fox-affiliate WSVN, where he began as a video tape operator and eventually held the roles of associate producer, senior producer and executive producer.

Jerome Parra will take over as news director of KXTV, the ABC-affiliate in Sacramento, on May 14.

Parra began his career as a writer and assignment editor at KXTV. He is currently the assistant news director at KPNX, the NBC-affiliate in Phoenix.

“He is a smart, innovative journalist who is passionate about news,” KXTV president and general manager Maria Barrs said in a statement. “He has great energy and ideas, along with the right experience, skills and drive to lead our team.” Read more

Ryan Hazelwood has been named news director at KVII, the ABC-affiliate in Amarillo, TX.

Hazelwood worked as a photojournalist at KVII from 1998-99. He has also worked as a photojournalist at KFDA in Amarillo and KVUE in Austin. Most recently, he was a broadcast engineer and instructor at West Texas A&M University. He also owns his own production company.

“We are very excited to have Ryan on board,” KVII president and CEO Thom Pritz said in a statement. “We already have the best news team in Texas and it just got better.” Read more

Tom Crespo has been named news director at KTEN.  The move extends Crespo’s long working relationship with Anthony Maisel, the NBC-affiliate’s recently appointed general manager.

Crespo and Maisel worked together at KDAF in Dallas for several years, beginning in the 90s.  When Maisel was named news director at KXII in the Sherman-Ada market (along the Texas-Oklahoma border) in 2010, one of his first moves was to bring Crespo on as anchor.

In March, Maisel was named general manager of KTEN in Sherman-Ada and he has again brought Crespo along with him.  Maisel announced this week that Crespo was leaving KXII to become KTEN’s news director. Read more