TheBuzz Erika Engle

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Hey brah, can you spare a news director?

TWO Honolulu television stations are searching for a news director, now that KGMB's Tauna Lange has accepted a news director gig at XETV in San Diego.

KGMB joins KHNL, which started its own search after Sue Levine's departure at the end of last year. KHNL is culling a clutch of candidates.

On the Net: » www.emmis.com » www.hawaiibroadcasters.com » www.kgmb.com

Lange moves from the No. 72 television market way up to No. 26 with glowing words from Rick Blangiardi, the senior vice president and general manager who hired her.

"Her leadership during the past 2 1/2 years has helped tremendously in the revitalization of the KGMB9 newsroom," Blangiardi said in an announcement to staff.

"As a seasoned journalist and veteran of the television news business, Tauna has provided a depth and breadth of experience which improved every facet of our news product."

Lange could not be reached for comment by press time.

She will leave KGMB at mid-month for the new job, which starts March 20.

Her departure, amid parent company Emmis Communications Corp.'s efforts to sell the station, adds to the several positions the station is trying to fill.

Emmis instituted a hiring freeze when it announced plans to sell its 16 television stations last May, with certain exceptions including current openings at KGMB -- but job seekers' enthusiasm can be dampened, if not drowned, by a pending ownership change.

"Recruitment right now is no small challenge," Blangiardi said.

Open positions, from chief engineer to business manager, reporter and advertising sales account executive, are posted on the Emmis Web site and on the job-bank page at the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters' Web site -- as are opportunities at other Honolulu broadcast outlets.

Competition for the broadcast jobs, even at a station that's on the block, may heat up once Montecito Broadcast Group LLC receives its automation equipment and other technological upgrades and institutes planned job cuts at KHON.