New news director at KCTV-5

Blaise Labbe (La-BAY) is the new ND in Kansas City, and the first African-American male to head up a local newsroom.

He currently directs online content for Griffin Communications, the family-owned company with stations in Tulsa and OKC. Before that, Labbe headed the KWTV newsroom for Griffin for six years. He's also on the board of the Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism.

KCTV-KSMO GM Robert Totsch, who just confirmed his hire to me, said that Labbe was hired by Belo Corporation in 1988 as a photographer at its Houston station. "Anyone who comes up through the Belo ranks, that's solid," said Totsch, who came to Kansas City last year from Belo's St. Louis station.

"People don't usually come up from cameraman" to news director, Totsch said. "He's got an excellent news background." (I'm actually surprised more photogs don't get to run a newsroom — they're often the best storytellers the station has.)