TVSpy
Genie Garner will join Honolulu’s KITV as its new News Director starting in October, the station announced Tuesday.
Garner had worked in Hawaii from 1989-1991 as a producer for KGMB News, and has since held several news management positions, including assistant News Director at KMOV in St. Louis, and most recently as News Director at WHAS in Louisville, Ky.
“Coming back to Hawaii years later and renewing my connection with the local viewer is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” says Garner.
“It is serendipitous that our need came at a time when Genie felt a strong desire to come back to Hawaii,” said Mike Rosenberg, KITV President and GM.
The Honolulu television market has been in flux since the mid-August announcement of a shared-services agreement between three Honolulu news stations, KGMB-TV and KHNL/KFVE-TV. The service merger seemed the only way for the stations to remain viable in a struggling economy, but it will mean laying off over 60 employees between the three stations.
KITV was not involved in the deal, but Rosenberg noted that Garner “is certainly qualified to lead our news team at a time of great turmoil and opportunity in the market.”