KCBS-TV Hires News Director From Seattle

After nearly five months without a full-time news director, KCBS-TV Channel 2 on Thursday hired Bob Jordan, news director at KING-TV in Seattle, to improve ratings and clean up the tabloid image that plagued the “Action News” team earlier this year.

KCBS fired its last news director, John Lippman, in early May after months of controversy over his news tactics, which critics called sensationalist. After KCBS fell to a distant third in the May ratings sweeps, General Manager Steve Gigliotti was bumped down to station manager and replaced by Bill Applegate, a veteran station executive.

Since then, Applegate has made a pledge to restore respect to KCBS’ news, which still trails rivals KABC-TV Channel 7 and KNBC-TV Channel 4 in the ratings.

Jordan, who could not be reached for comment, has worked as a news director in Sacramento, Houston, Orlando, Fla., and Minneapolis. Three weeks ago, the onetime anchorman was also named president and general manager of NorthWest Cable News, a 24-hour network set for launch in the spring.

“If any one person can make a difference in Los Angeles news, Bob is that person,” said a journalist at a competing Los Angeles station, who requested anonymity. “He can motivate news staffs like no one else in the world, and the result is a better newscast.”