July 9, 2026

Stepping up to take charge of the Hearst Media Production Group is BRYAN CURB. He’s an Oregon State grad who’s now in Charlotte where HMPG is located. He’s been with Hearst for a bit, first as Chief Creative Office then was Executive Vice President and GM. The boost to the first chair (as they say in the world of symphonies) as President is well earned. Well Dunne! Bryan.

KAYLA THOMAS has taken on a new set of tasks at WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi. She’s done the Creative Services Director thing, done the Executive Producer for Studio 3 thing…now she’s transitioning to Multimedia Sales Manager for the Gray-owned NBC affiliate. She’s a real go-getter who has worked at WDSU in New Orleans, WAFB in Baton Rouge, and WVUE back in Nawlins. She was even Student Association President at Pace, her alma mater. Well Dunne Kayla!

THR is reporting that Television City in LA….the iconic Fairfax area locale where Carol Burnett, The Price Is Right, Bill Maher, and so many more have done shows...is to be sold. All-time low production levels are cited as the cause.

My friend Sadie (not her real name…the real person is an avid reader of the substack) is seldom irate. She’s the one we all said missed the boat by not becoming a diplomat. So yesterday, when she called, and was irate, it was unusual. What had worked Sadie up you ask? A former well-respected national PR pro, she’s a Texas lady. Born in New York but raised in Beaumont. I’ll wait while you check your Maps app for the location. She has two degrees from UT-Austin, and she reads books. Not clueless. What had triggered her was a TV ad for James Talarico. She’s a progressive moderate who has no taste for MAGA and knows John Cornyn personally – he worked at the law firm where Sadie’s hubs was Managing Partner. Sadie had just seen a spot for Talarico and it was entitled “Drowning.”. Check the calendar. A year ago, Camp Mystic suffered a tragedy when the Guadalupe River flooded the Hill Country location and 28 people, mainly young girls, died. Some bodies have yet to be found. What a horror. Why in the name of all that is holy would anyone have chosen the name ‘Drowning’ for a spot running IN TEXAS on the anniversary of the tragedy? Sadie went to high school with the grandmother of one of the still-missing girls. The unfortunate name has been everywhere with this spot. The work has been covered a lot. Having done PR for Tracy-Locke, sharing the name of a spot is highly unusual. Is this the outcome of the Cut and Paste world of ‘reporting’ today? The spot, which was running all across Texas features Talarico talking about how difficult it is to make ends meet. OK, fine. But the title? Which brings us to the point that the wrong choice of words DOES make a difference. The whole incident made Sadie question Talarico’s decision-making since he had to approve the spot. No, she would NEVER vote for that crook Paxton. But words matter and being aware is more important than being creative. Why in the world would you hire a poli-sci grad with NO advertising savvy instead an ad and marketing pro? Pols should tap TV marketing people to do their campaigns.

I’ve been asked to include a link for jobs outside the TV world (which is most of them at this point), so, when possible, I will. Up to ya’ll to let me know if a link is broken, etc. You’re welcome.

Job Alert – Vice President Brand Marketing DisneyPlus and Hulu Burbank

Job Alert – Video Creative Very Local Brand Studios (Hearst) Winter Park

Job Alert – Senior Vice President Brand & Marketing Fox TV Stations Hybrid

Think About This: “The wicked become even worse when they are tolerated.” ~ Leo Tolstoy