KENS executive news director Kurt Davis is joining CBS News as vice president of news services.

Davis has worked at the San Antonio CBS affiliate for 10 years. In his new role, he will oversee CBS News’ satellite newsgathering organization, which provides news and information to the network’s 200 affiliates.

Davis has also worked as manager of coverage and content at WSB in Atlanta and as news director at WDSU in New Orleans. He has also worked at KDFW in Dallas, WSET in Lynchburg, Va., KATV in Little Rock and WBRZ in Baton Rouge, La.

Carlton Houston has been named news director of Oklahoma City NBC affiliate KFOR. Houston comes from Tulsa ABC affiliate KTUL.

“I am excited about leading a talented staff at KFOR,” Houston told TVSpy. “However, I will miss the spirit of teamwork at KTUL.  This station’s commitment to the community has made it a great place to work.”

Houston replaces Mary Ann Eckstein who left after 33 years at KFOR. He is currently the Region Six director for RTDNA.

Since 2007, Houston has been the news director at KTUL. He got his start as a reporter with KMBC in Kansas City, MO, and has also worked in Norfolk, VA, Jackson, MS, and Tampa, FL.

Houston starts at KFOR on May 28.

El Paso’s Entravision owned Univision affiliate KINT has named Uriel Posada as news director.

“It is a pleasure to come back to the Entravision family,” Posada told TVSpy. “KINT has a great group of professionals, and I am excited to work along side them.”

Posada comes to KINT from the cross town rival Telemundo affiliate KTDO where he helped launch station’s newscast. He replaces Zoltán Csanyi-Salcedo who left for ESPN.

[Media Moves]

David Baer has been named news director for Harrisburg, PA, CBS affiliate WHP.

Arthur Hasson, WHP vice president and general manager told TVSpy, “We are very excited about the arrival of our new news director David Baer. He has an amazing background with extensive news room experience highlighted by excellence at every step. His recent experience in Albany NY is particularly appropriate given it is also a hyphenated market centered in a state capitol.”

Baer last worked as news director at WXXA in Albany, NY. The Newport owned station was bought by Shield Media last year and entered into a shared services agreement with Young Broadcasting, the owners of Albany ABC affiliate WTEN. Under the terms of the agreement, WTEN took over production of the newscasts for both stations.

Baer has also worked at WGGB in Springfield, MA, and has been a news director in Indianapolis, Raleigh, Providence, Portland, ME, and Buffalo.

[Rick Gevers' Blog]

David Reese has been named news director at KMIR-KPSE, Journal Broadcast’s NBC and MyNetworkTV affiliates in Palm Springs, Calif.

Reese joins KMIR after 15 years at KNBC in Los Angeles, where he began as the nightside desk manager. Most recently, he was the assignment manager. Before joining KNBC, Reese worked as a freelance assignment editor and field producer for KCBS in Los Angeles and the CBS News Los Angeles bureau.

“David’s many years of experience as a southern California news executive will help take the news on KMIR / KPSE to the next level. We are extremely pleased he has agreed to join our team as we work together to make the Coachella Valley a better place to live,” KMIR General Manager Craig Marrs said in a statement.

Julie Moravchick has been hired as news director at WDAZ, the ABC affiliate in Grand Forks, N.D., according to the Duluth News Tribune.

Moravchik is a former producer at KQDS, the Fox affiliate in Duluth. She has also worked as news director of WAST in Ashland and as a at reporter WDIO in Duluth. Since 2011, she has been an account executive at Duluth-Superior magazine.

“It was good for me to work at the magazine and try another job and get another perspective,” Moravchik told the News Tribune. “Then you realize how much you miss it. When big news happens, that’s when you really, really realize what you’re supposed to be doing. You’re used to being on the front lines … part of it.”

Former WFLA news director Joe Mannion has died after a long battle with renal cancer, according to The Tampa Tribune. He was 79.

Mannion joined the Tampa NBC affiliate as a reporter in the mid 1960s and was named news director in 1979. He left the station in 1983 and became a lobbyist for Pasco County, a position he held until he retired in 2009.

“Joe was ultimate newsman,” longtime friend Joe Davis told the Tampa Tribune. “He trained in Washington along with the Huntleys and the Brinkleys and the others that the younger guys these days don’t know.” [h/t TVNewsCheck]

Tom Bell has been named news director at KOVR, the CBS O&O in Sacramento.

Bell moves to California from Texas, where he has been news director at WOAI in San Antonio since 2009. He is a former news director at KTVX in Salt Lake City and KPHO in Phoenix.

“Tom Bell is a veteran of more than 20 years in the local news industry and has an outstanding reputation as a leader who does an outstanding job of inspiring his colleagues to produce quality newscasts,” KOVR-KMAX VP-GM Kevin Walsh said in a statement. “I am very pleased to welcome him to Northern California and confident that he will do a terrific job of leading our news team to exciting new heights.”

Bell replaces Cameryn Beck, who recently left KOVR for KTVK in Phoenix.

Mark Effron has been named vice president and news director of WPIX, Tribune’s CW affiliate in New York City.

Effron is the former vice president of news and daytime programming at MSNBC. He has also worked for the Post-Newsweek stations, holding leadership roles at WFSB in Hartford and WDIV in Detroit. Most recently, he was the general manager and executive producer of “The Takeaway,” a show produced by WNYC Radio and Public Radio International.

“Mark’s expertise, leadership skills and successful record of news expansion and ratings growth make him the perfect fit to lead and revitalize our newsroom in New York,” president of Tribune Broadcasting Larry Wert said in a statement.

Effron begins at WPIX on April 17. He replaces Bill Carey, who stepped down in October.

“I’ve been watching Channel 11 ever since I was a kid growing up on Loring Place in the Bronx; I started with cartoons and then became enamored with the news and I can’t wait to help create the next generation of great PIX11 newscasts: news by and for people who love this place, even as we affirm our right to complain about the noise, the crowds and the prices,” Effron said in a statement.

WTAE investigative reporter Jim Parsons has been promoted to assistant news director at the Pittsburgh ABC affiliate.

“We believe that in his new role as assistant news director, Jim will continue to build on our legacy of high quality reporting and investigations that Pittsburgh viewers expect from WTAE Channel 4 Action News,” WTAE general manager Michael J. Hayes said in a statement announcing the promotion.

Parsons, who joined WTAE in 1998, said he was “honored and humbled” by the opportunity. His appointment as assistant news director is effective immediately, and WTAE has announced a search for a new investigative reporter.