Full Job Description

KVIA is a first-place ABC affiliate in the sunny Southwest. We seek an articulate weekend sports anchor who knows how to sniff out and tell a great story – and not just a sports story.

As you can surmise, 40 percent of your job is guaranteed to be Sports. The other 60 percent fluctuates between Sports and News depending on the season. Football season in Texas means you’re more likely to do more Sports. However, during the slower summer months –or, low and behold, when seasons are canceled- you report to the News department for duty. You can –and should- pitch stories related to your beat but the assignment will depend as much on the strength of the pitch as it will on newsroom needs.

Expect a full multi-media experience: you’ll have to pick up a camera and shoot, engage viewers on Twitter/Facebook plus maintain the sports section at www.kvia.com.

The weekend sports anchor/reporter should be someone who has the skills typically acquired after a couple of years in the business, and the knowledge of journalistic principles typically found in someone with a bachelor’s degree.

This position is not for a beginner, although it’s conceivable the weekend slot could be filled by someone VERY talented with only a year or so in a smaller market. We will also consider recent graduates with comparable experience.

This is a legacy station with great owners. The 401k plan is extremely generous and the station makes a habit of winning major awards, but here’s the best part: the general manager, the promotions manager and our main anchor are all former sportscasters (see a pattern?). I’m interested in sports when it becomes news – so if you can sell your stories to both ends of the spectrum, you’re a winner.

Sports is always a first thought here, never an afterthought like it is at so many stations. We cover two NCAA Division I universities: UTEP and NMSU and we don’t hesitate to lead our newscasts with sports when something big is going on.

El Paso is the 20th largest city in the country. We’re home to the famous Sun Bowl each December. We also cover about 30 high schools and produce the Borderland Blitz, a 30-minute Friday night high school football show. We have a Triple-A baseball team (who hasn’t heard of the Chihuahuas, right?) and a USL franchise with faithful fans. This really is a premium job for a middle market station.

Now back to you:

We are looking for a very strong writer who consistently develops interesting local stories that appeal to people who usually can’t stand sports. Reels that show an actual INVESTIGATION into a sports-related topic and memorable storytelling will bubble to the top of our list.

Be ready to prove you’re well-rounded and conversant about topics beyond the world of sports. You’ll likely help out in news when the local sports season tapers off.

Strongest consideration will be given to those willing to make a 3-year commitment to this station and our community. This is a great job of its own accord and we want someone who recognizes it as such.

The ability to speak Spanish is not a requirement, but it could give you an edge in story development since it’s the primary language of many of the people you would be covering.

Please include a link of your work, along with a resume, salary requirement (this is really important) and a cover letter that tells us why we should pick you over everyone else. The job is contingent upon successful completion of a drug test and background check.

Good luck!