Whitson Out at Newport's Jacksonville Duopoly

Replacement to be named "very shortly"

By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/19/2010 10:15:22 AM

WTEV-WAWS Jacksonville VP/General Manager Jeff Whitson departed the stations last week, confirms business manager Tim Ford. Ford says no successor has been named, but that the stations' managers were working on it and should have a new GM in place "very shortly."

Ford did not offer a reason for Whitson's departure.

High Plains owns CBS outlet WTEV, which manages Newport TV's Fox affiliate WAWS in the #47 DMA. WAWS features MyNetworkTV programming on its digital tier. WTEV-WAWS unveiled a joint Action News brand and Website last spring, and Whitson was aiming to have local HD in time for the February sweeps.

In November, he told B&C about seeing "nice increases in ratings across the newscasts" since launching the new branding.