Patrick Costello has been named news director for Phoenix ABC Affiliate KNXV.

The family of the man who killed himself live on Fox News Friday afternoon is speaking out, criticizing the network during two local interviews in Phoenix.

Jodon Romero led police on a high-speed car chase in Phoenix for nearly an hour before exiting his vehicle and shooting himself in the head. Fox News, which had been carrying the chase on a delay during “Studio B with Shepard Smith,” accidentally aired the suicide after the control room failed to cut away in time.

“That shouldn’t have been the way that any of us had to learn about my brother’s death,” Nature Romero told Phoenix NBC affiliate KPNX (video above).  Read more

Bob Morford is joining KRIV, the Fox O&O in Houston, as assistant news director. He begins his new role on August 6.

Morford joins the station from WCPO, the ABC-affiliate in Cincinnati, where he has been the news director for 11 years. Prior to that, he held the news director position at KNXV in Phoenix, WPXI in Pittsburgh and WLWT in Cincinnati.

“Bob is an accomplished news manager with more than 30 years of experience. His track record of excellence speaks for itself,” Tom Doerr, KRIV’s vice president and news director, said in a statement. “Bob will be a tremendous asset to our station and leader in the newsroom.”

Joe Hengemuehler announced yesterday that he is leaving his post as news director at Phoenix ABC-affiliate KNXV.

“After 25 years in the broadcast industry and 10 great years at ABC15 News, I have decide to re-invent myself,” he wrote on Facebook. “Some say it’s crazy! Others call it courageous! Either way, it resulted in my resignation from a job I truly love, at a place I couldn’t wait to get to each day, working with some of the best people in the broadcast industry. And that’s the point. I wanted to step away at a time when all was right.”

Hengemuehler has been news director at KNXV fos six years. Prior to that, he worked at WUSA in Washington as senior executive producer and at KOCO in Oklahoma City as news director. [via NewsBlues, Rick Gevers & Associates]

Sportscaster Paul Calvisi has joined KNXV, the ABC-affiliate in Phoenix.

Calvisi is a local sports radio host and a member of the broadcasting team for the Arizona Cardinals. He will continue with both jobs and debut on KNXV later this week, the station said in a statement.

“As ABC15 set out to find a way to re-define sports in this market, we realized that we need to do something bold,” VP-GM Anita Helt said in a statement. “Paul’s penchant for being edgy, entertaining and informative makes him a great partner for sports director Craig Fouhy who has established himself as a trusted, smart and engaging voice in the sports community.”

Rebecca Thomas, who signed off this week from KNXV, the ABC-affiliate in Phoenix, is joining rival KPHO, the CBS-affiliate.

“I am going to be spending some time with the great folks over at CBS 5,” she wrote on Facebook. “I am very excited!”

Thomas, who spent six years at KNXV, was the 3 p.m. co anchor. She begins at KPHO, where she will be a freelance reporter, on Monday.

Afternoon anchor Rebecca Thomas signed off from KNXV yesterday afternoon.

Thomas is the station’s 3 p.m. anchor. She has worked at the Phoenix ABC-affiliate for almost six years.

“I am humbled to have worked with you,” Thomas told co-anchor Susan Casper on her last newscast. “Not only are you my co-anchor, my co-host, you’re my friend. When you work with someone who ups your game, you are so lucky.”

No word yet on Thomas’ future plans going forward. Her bio has already been stripped from the station’s website. Watch KNXV’s tribute to Thomas inside… Read more

KNXV, the ABC-affiliate in Phoenix, will launch an 11 a.m. newscast on July 9.

The hour-long weekday newscast will be staffed by the KNXV morning team — anchors Connie Colla and Kirk Yuhnke, along with weather anchor Amy Murphy and traffic reporter Brandon Hamilton.

Manuel Bojorquez, a general assignment reporter at WSB in Atlanta, is joining CBS News.

Bojorquez has worked at the Atlanta ABC-affiliate since 2006. In 2011, he won the NATAS Southeast Emmy for Live Reporting. While he was a general assignment reporter at KNXV in Phoenix, he won two Associated Press Awards for live reporting of Arizona wildfires.

Bojorquez began his television career at KESQ in Palm Springs. He will be a Dallas-based correspondent for CBS News.

The Scripps station group has announced a restructuring in station leadership, with general managers Ed Fernandez, Sam Rosenwasser and Steve Wasserman taking on expanded roles.

Fernandez, currently the general manager of WXYZ in Detroit, will also oversee KSHB-KMCI in Kansas City and the Azteca America affiliates. Rossenwater, general manager of WEWS in Cleveland, will add KJRH in Tulsa, WMAR in Baltimore and the LiveWell affiliates. Wasserman, general manager at WPTV in West Palm Beach, will also oversee KNXV in Phoenix, WCPO in Cincinnati and WFTS in Tampa. Read more