Anchor for hire: Get this man a gig

Waste not, want Jeff.

Proverbially speaking, that's (unsolicited) advice as anchor Jeff Gillan was ousted from one job at Las Vegas One and should stride straight into another at Channel 3, where his talents would snap snugly into place as that station puzzles out a new approach to news. Or at Channel 13, where tossing a credibility lifeline of Gillan's caliber could refloat a station gone aground on the rocky shoals of Nina-gate.

Earlier this week, Las Vegas One assassinated a vital asset, killing the Emmy-winning "NewsONE at 9," leaving the respected Gillan gig-less as the Greenspun Corp., Las Vegas One's co-owner, tightens its white-knuckle vise grip on its budget, following last week's shuttering of its 702.tv project. Staffers Carol Wilkinson, Daniel Gutierrez and Vincent Cano also were dropped.

("Face to Face with Jon Ralston" and "In Business Las Vegas" continue on LV1.)

Gillan deserves a job in a market that needs him. "It's sad and frankly, the market has lost a little something," says Gillan about the newscast he piloted for eight years as its on-camera face and off-camera managing editor. "No, it wasn't for everybody, but we did something very unique."

Amen, brudda.

In June, this column shelled out kudos for "NewsONE's" interview-intensive/crime-lite/glitz-averse approach that stressed substance over swagger. Journalistically, its loss is as prominent as Gillan's proudly bald noggin brimming with valuable Vegas knowledge and the skills to present it simply and understandably. His probing chats with politicians and Las Vegas leaders accomplished what few newscasts could, but should: They made viewers smarter.

Reunions warm the heart. One with Channel 3 news guru Bob Stoldal -- Gillan's ex-boss at Las Vegas One and Channel 8 -- would also heat their news product. Under Stoldal's stewardship and with the stated intentions of general manager Lisa Howfield, expect Channel 3 to gradually push its coverage in fresh directions and toward a more in-depth focus, already evident in longer nightly news pieces that might eventually broaden into new formats in stand-alone broadcasts.

(A half-hour 10 p.m. newscast Channel 3 is producing on KTUD, Channel 25/Cox Cable 14 -- also co-owned by Greenspun -- debuts Monday, still in standard style, but with experimentation conceivable. KTUD also will simulcast Channel 3's 5 p.m. news.)

Stories with more than just gristle on the bone would provide much to gnaw on for a man who knows how to intelligently chew over news. Gillan's civic-centered approach -- meaty, meaningful, not mesmerized by sirens and crime-scene tape -- cannot be squandered, lest Las Vegas lose a little of its TV news soul. Hyperbole? Not when headline-skimming, ambulance-chasing journalism jams the airwaves.

As for gigging at Channel 13? They'd never have to worry about any Gillan-gate.

"Even though I'm 52, I have a lot of years left," Gillan says. "I believe in what I do. I'm old-school. Every market needs a few old-school people. I hope somebody picks me up. I'd do a great job for them."

Amen, brudda.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.