KXJB-TV has hired as its new news director a former KTHI-TV news director, therefore relieving KXJB news anchor Charley Johnson of that additional responsibility.
Dave Hoglin, fired by Channel 11 in July after heading its news staff for five years, begins work Monday at Channel 4.
Johnson had been news director and news anchor for about nine years. He will continue to co-anchor the 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts weeknights with Teresa Joy. He informed his staff about the change Monday.
Bruce Barnes, president and general manager of KXJB-TV, said Monday the move was "purely a management decision," that not at all was prompted by dissatisfaction with Johnson's performance as news director.
"This was a decision based on the fact that the person can't really handle two type of jobs in this day and age ... It would be unfair to ask someone to come in at eight in the morning and stay until eleven at night. And that's what you're asking a guy to do," Barnes said.
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"Station research several months ago indicated that the news director position is not quite as simple as it used to be 10 to 15 years ago," he said. News staffs at KTHI and TV stations WDAZ in Grand Forks and WDAY in Fargo have separated news directors and news anchors. Most TV stations operate the same way, Barnes said.
"KXJB is a very solid company. They put out a high-quality product."
"I genuinely am delighted to be starting over there." Hoglin said Monday from Moorhead, where he lives.
"I think everything will work out just great," said Johnson, who joined channel 4 about 14 1/2 years ago.
He referred to Hoglin and himself as "old friends." The two men have worked together before Hoglin was news director and Johnson a reporter at KNOX AM radio in Grand Forks in late 1972 and early 1973.
"We've had a long personal and professional relationship," Hoglin said. "It will be nice to be on the same team again. I have a lot of respect for Charley."
Johnson declined to say whether the move surprised him. He referred most other questions to station management.
"I don't know if it came as a surprise to him," Barnes said of the move. "I think he knew we'd been doing a research project. That's about all. It was something we weren't sure we were going to do."
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Hoglin said he and Johnson met during the weekend. "I think I can say that we agree that some very good things can come from the change," Hoglin said.
"I would not wish to walk into a situation that basically amounts to coming in over his head," he added.
Hoglin, a Thief River Falls native still is connected through marriage to KTHI. Pat Karley, his wife is a Channel 14 reporter photographer. Her presence at a competing station "didn't really weigh on my mind, because I think that it is more common than people realize," Hoglin said. He and Karley had worked at competing news organizations before and and it never compromised their work commitments, he said.
