GM Simone, News Chief Richardson Out at Revamped KMSB Tucson

Apparently Bob Simone and Bob Richardson didn’t fit into the new setup at KMSB Tucson, which is now being managed by Raycom’s KOLD in a shared services agreement that kicked in last week. The GM and the news director have departed, reports TVSpy.

Simone took over KMSB, Belo’s lone Fox affiliate, in 2009. Richardson had been news manager at KMSB since 2003. TVSpy says he’s launching a media consulting company in Arizona called RAR Productions, which will help businesses and organizations “with the news media, crisis management, event production or political messaging,” Richardson said in a statement.

A call to RAR’s line was not returned on short notice. Belo did not return an email for comment either.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.