WTVJ Confirms Layoffs
Eight newsroom cuts at NBC Miami
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/30/2009 5:31:56 PM
A WTVJ Miami spokesperson has confirmed Monday’s report that three anchors have been dismissed in a cost-cutting move. Five additional employees were let go Tuesday, and the station has put its weekend morning news on hiatus “for an indefinite time period.”
Word of Monday’s layoffs, involving Kelly Craig, Joe Carter and Andrea Brody, initially appeared on SFLTV.com.
Tuesday’s five casualties stem from the newsroom and include one on-air person, Tisha Lewis.
The spokesperson cites the harsh business climate facing television as the reason for the layoffs, and says the anchors let go Monday, despite some having long tenures at the NBC O&O, were long-term temporary employees, not official full-time station employees.
Talkback
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In recent years, WTVJ's news department has failed to deliver decent ratings. I'm very much concerned that WTVJ could be looking at a similar fate to WWJ-TV Detroit, and KDNL-TV St. Louis. Both of those stations used to have news departments... both news departments were shuttered, due to horrible ratings. As for WTVJ, it remains anybodys guess.
Eric - 7/2/2009 2:50:31 AM EDT -
Is it possible that NBC Uni is shedding costs in an effort to make the station more attractive to potential buyers?
The sale announced last year around this time to Post Newsweek fizzled in Dec. '08. With the various anchors and other newsroom folks laid off... how much annual expense has been reduced?
Ted Langdell - 7/1/2009 4:18:49 PM EDT
Report: WTVJ Cutting Talent, Newscasts
06/29/2009CNN Hires Investigative Producer
01/30/2008Hearst-Argyle Kicks WVIT Tires
05/28/2008Post-Newsweek Reports 7% Dip in Revenue
02/25/2009
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