Today's THV Slashes Positions in Master Control and Graphics Departments
Arkansas Business.com reports KTHV, Channel 11 will be eliminating 7 jobs in the master control and graphics departments. Station GM Larry Audas tells AB.com master control operations for KTHV and Gannet's other CBS affiliates will be centralized and ran from Greensboro, North Carolina. The more complex graphics will be handled out of Colorado.
posted by ATN @ 3:45 PM
97 comments
97 Comments:
Thank you George W Bush for making the economy so bad, good people are losing their jobs left and right. It's hard enough to afford gas if you have a job. This is really sad.
Of course our paychecks don't go up with the cost of everything. I think everyone in Washington should be voted out. They are doing nothing to help the American People. Thanks Bush, you suck!
i wish he could have another four year term....you guys are just too lazy to earn more money. Keep your political rants for dailykos and the huffington report, this is a television blog.
5:22 PM, May 16, 2008
at last check, this blog is open to all comments, not just the ones you approve of.
Gosh, from the technical problems involving switching, audio levels, etc., that they have been having lately, I thought that Gannett had already done that months ago.
Gannett Sucks! They'll cut jobs across the board and justify their big bonuses at the end of the year.
... in terms of Bush. Having a Republican in office is supposed to favor big business. Well according to the economy the ONLY corporations that are favored are the ones HIS family is associated with - Exxon Mobile, Shell, BP and the other oil companies. Yes you can blame the crap economy on Bush because it is ultimately his fault. He is in the minority and not affected by the crap economy because of his family money and their oil interests.
Besides, The folks at THV and Gannett are not too lazy - it's corporate greed! How big of a profit is enough so that you crap on the people that enable you to make your year-end million-dollar bonuses?
The folks let go at THV were barely getting by as it is. They are not Lazy, YOU are just an out-of-touch moron!
This KTHV's great contribution to the community, driving up unemployment and leaving seven Arkansas residents stranded.
They can promote themselves as responsible folks who care about the community, but all they really care about is how to shave and save a measly couple hundred thousand dollars when they're raking in millions, and they do it at the expense of people who need the money more. That's heartwarming. They don't fool me.
waaaaahhhh! Businesses make decisions that allow it to remain profitable. It's a tough decision and I'm positive that it was not easy to let good employees go. On that same note, you as an individual would change jobs if you were unable to make ends meet and another job was available that paid more money. You'd be cordial and you might even give your employer an opportunity to match it but the bottom line is you'd do what was best for your family.
I get so sick of this sense of entitlement that allows crybabies the opportunity to blame everyone but themselves.
If you'd stay with a job no matter the pay or benefits regardless of the well being of your family, then I guess you get a pass but if you'd leave for better financial conditions, well you're doing the same thing that KTHV is doing.
As one of the seven let go at Today's THV, I am not bitter and blame no one. It is just the end of "20th Century" TV news production. Business is business and I understand why Gannett made this decision. I have seen the graphics package that they will implement and it looks great. We are now in the "21st Century" TV production era. Just look at the number of "backpack journalists" at THV. One day soon editing will be done by the producers along with graphics. It's been a great ride and I look forward to watching the news from my couch instead of the control room!
Why was Kathleen Berger let go?
if you were let go by THV, I wish you luck finding employment ASAP.
I guess Kathleen Burger wasn't the queen that people at THV thought she was.
So this is the second market she has been in and let go by two stations.
So now who has the problem?
You can bet that the big wigs at the broadcast division of Gannett are not taking any pay cuts.
Proud, and lucky, to be retired (management level) from that company.
Get out of broadcast while you can. It's not worth the ulcers.
anonymous said...
Why was Kathleen Berger let go?
11:54 PM, May 16, 2008
Berger was working as a freelancer. Apparently management didn't think she deserved to be hired full time, so they hired Ebone instead. Once she was in place they had no further need for Kathleen's services.
cut the commissions of the sales people and their managers.
Knowing THV, the positions cut were probably held by illegal aliens who were rounded up by ICE.
With Ebone and Katherina, you have the minority factor. Kathleen Berger doesn't fill that bill, other than being a woman. That must have been most of the reason, because she is a better reporter than either of the other two.
Kathleen should never have been let go. She totally outshines Katherina and Ebone. But it has nothing to do with skills anymore. Content and Race are sufficient.
cut the commissions of the sales people and their managers.
7:07 PM, May 17, 2008
Why? They work hard too and deserve to earn whatever it is they earn. It takes all people to make the station what it is.
11:25,
You don't get it. KTHV is still profitable with the seven employees. But the station gets rid of the employees for trivial reasons like a few hundred thousand dollars; then they run promos with news anchors and children or a contribution the station made to a charity and promos with the anchors interacting with the community, but they really aren't the warm, caring company they promote themselves as. The whole thing is a sham.
And yes, I might fire my employer if I could get a better job elsewhere, and that isn't because I'm a hypocrite, it's because the station isn't living up to expectations like it agreed to.
It's a tough decision to let those seven go. No, just plain callous. It's miserly and it's irresponsible. By hiring those seven people and letting them go, KTHV just revealed to the community that it won't keep it's word. It's not that they couldn't, it's that they won't.
As far as "I get so sick of this sense of entitlement that allows crybabies the opportunity to blame everyone but themselves." goes, what's to be sick about? What entitlement are you talking about? Those seven people have a right to remain at the station that made a commitment to them. Legally, the station can cut them, but ethically, they shouldn't cut them. Seven people took a job at a station they expected to remain at, and they got dumped on by a few loser micro-managers who care more about trivial expenses than people. It's as black and white as that. There are no shades of gray here. If KTHV doesn't want to assume the expenses of every day operation, it should fold up and leave air. Apparently, they believe they're in over their head anyway.
You know what? It is a tough decision. It is tough to do the right thing and act responsible. If you can't cover the overhead in the first place, don't hire these people. KTHV and the rest of these stations shouldn't make commitments they won't keep.
The whole thing is sleazy. KTHV is sleazy. The rest of these media outlets are sleazy, too. Broadcast news is sleazy. Get out if you can.
1:55, you are an idiot if you can't see that the station management has the right to hire and fire as they wish in order to accomplish their objectives. They don't have to justify it to anyone but their shareholders. Things change. This business has changed, and positions are disappearing as a result. That's life. It has nothing to do with THV's commitment to the community or warm and fuzzy promos, or any "agreement" made with employees. When you take a job, your employer does not make an "agreement" to keep you for the rest of your life, no matter how things change in your field! And no, I don't work at THV. This is just common sense.
you have three sales managers who make approximately $450K combined. They sit on their ass and couldn't sell themselves out of a paper bag. Isn't that a lot of money for 3 people to push paper? That is too many sales managers for a station the size of KTHV. Consolidate 2 of those positions and you will have saved a lot more than the 7 people losing their jobs. It's called trimming the FAT.
it's not common sense. true, there's no employment contract [that I know of], and I understand what KTHV did was perfectly legal, but it's sleazy, too.
People have a right to run around on their spouse. It's legal. That doesn't make it ethical. Compromising the finances of seven families to save a buck is pathetic. You're an idiot if you can't understand that. I stand by everything I said. And I'm quite aware of who the idiots are around here. A lot of idiots have called me an idiot before. It's amazing.
And KTHV does have to justify seven firings if they're going to act like they're a responsible company that cares about the community it operates in. They just drove up Arkansas' unemployment figures by seven people, and taxpayers like you and me have to foot the bill to pay unemployment so this stupid t.v. outfit can save a buck. Great. That's what I live for, paying other people's unemployment benefits on account of some loser micromanaging t.v. execs. That's so great. I'm right. You're wrong. Get over it.
How can you compare running around on one's spouse to a company that eliminates 7 positions which it no longer deems necessary? You are a nut! The "community" doesn't care that THV let 7 people go. Most people will never even know it. Get over yourself--people get fired every day. And by the way, they are all getting nice severance packages, from what I understand. And I believe the positions do not end until the fall. Nobody's on unemployment, so don't worry about your tax dollars just yet.
It' just the broadcaster's way of doing business, as it has always been.
Apparently, some people don't want a union to protect them against such senseless terminations.
I am surprised that Gannett is not "outsourcing" it to India.
Wow. An old unionist coming out of the woodwork. I thought all you guys died in 1968.
Unions are worse than corporations.
It's because he doesn't have a third leg like the chicken does.
In major market stations (where you will never be hired) all jobs are union. NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, all union.
But, how could you have known that spending your life at a menial [look it up] job in a small market. Do you wonder when will you be replaced by automation?
alot of good posts.
Bottom line, we live in an AT WILL state. Employers can fire you at will. I'm sorry to see people lose their jobs but we really need to let the market (economic and TV) take care of themselves.
We don't need restrictions that force businesses to keep employees despite profits/ratings/etc. It should be because the employee is doing a great job and the business can afford to pay them what they think is fair.
And just as we, as employees, want a good paying job with security, we know that we can change jobs at will no matter what. We live in a free market society. THV did nothing underhanded. Sure, maybe they over-hired and then had to let people go but I've never seen a business take on the additional financial responsibility of having too many employees for the implicit reason to fire them....that's just crazy.
And to the note that the commissioned sales people are overpaid and worthless....I don't know these people at all, but part of the benefit of paying commission is that you are incenting them to produce and paying them on a scale that's tied implicitly to the amount of revenue they are generating. While you may think that number is too high I'd challenge you to take one of those commissioned jobs and see how well you do, maybe you'd succeed but probably not because it's people like you that complain about what others can do rather than compete with them for that "big money"
again, to any of you that lost a job, my best wishes that you find another one quickly with little impact on your family. I'm sure you do even better in the long run.
For those of you that whine anytime a business makes any cuts, you're complaining about what makes our market economy great, supply and demand. let me ask you, has the high price of gas forced you to cut back on anything like eating out? well your cutback forces other businesses to take the same cut back and absorb it throughout our economy. Businesses get leaner and we are forced to do more with less. If you want your country or corporations to "take care of you" just because you feel entitled, well that's called communism and we see how well that's worked as an economy....China's learned that politics is one thing but an economy thrives on being a free market.
hire mickey goodwin
"China's learned that politics is one thing but an economy thrives on being a free market."
It is obvious that the above at 10:44 a.m. was written by someone that has never worked in broadcast in any capacity.
Right now, China is getting most of our business thru corporations that don't care about the workers in this country.
Automation is the coming thing and, if you work in a broadcast station you might as well get ready for it. It's a management's dream, that and straight salary.
"Right now, China is getting most of our business thru corporations that don't care about the workers in this country."
Corporations have a responsibility to their shareholders first, otherwise they have no business going public in the first place. You bitch and moan when your 401k does poorly because the corporations are losing money yet you like to over-regulate them and force them to pander to you regardless of their ability to turn a profit.
When you and I stop buying products from these corporations we force them to make changes to re-establish our desire to do business with them. But I see you'd rather blame corporations than allow the market to maintain their directions.
I am so glad I got out when I did.
Tell ya what.
What sucks is that 7 people are without a job.
But for all you guys bemoaning KTHV as the bad guy (when actually it is Gannett), at least they are getting a heads-up and a severance package.
When I got laid off a few years back, I got NO warning.
Best of luck to the THV Seven on getting a new and better job.
"Corporations have a responsibility to their shareholders first, . . . "
You should explain it's "majority share" shareholders. Not the amount of stock that the average employee would own. They could care less about the average family man,woman or single employee. That's broadcast.
"...cut the commissions of the sales people..."
What? And then work for free?
No, work for hourly wages like everyone else or better yet, straight salary. What, too close to management you say?
all reportes will be replaced with backpackers once each one's contract is up. this will save Gannett even more money.
A lot of salespeople would love to have a salary. Straight commission is the most stressful way to make a living in the world.
Oh no just like radio...slash those jobs and hurt the little guy/gal trying to perform a craft and earn a paycheck!
Hey, folks. It's the broadcast business.
A Lot of money at the top, little money at the bottom.
It quit being fun about thirty years ago.
This last post is hilarious!
I vow not to remain in t.v. for that long.
I, Anonymous, vow not to stay in t.v. that long.
Keep in mind that this tidbit came from Arkansas Business. It may or may not be accurate.
I've always found that the guys (gals) who work in the Master Control/Graphics departments are the ones who always seem to follow you around while breathing really loudly out of their mouths.
I wish these people well, but c'mon.
It's local tv (yes, LR is local tv).
It's not near as important as anyone thinks.
-------------------
I do think it is funny this story has drawn out "Blame the government!" guy.
He's the same guy that follows you around and breaths over your shoulder while you're actually trying to do real work.
1) Television stations are licensed to serve the public interest and use the public airwaves. This means they should be worried about someone other than stockholders, although most aren't.
2) Similar things are happening all across the country. Automation is replacing people. Newsroom positions aren't being refilled. Experienced employees are being replaced by employees with less experience. Stations are lagging in terms of both capital and personnel investment.
3) Slash and burn management worked great for the airline industry. (sarcasm).
1. I hate it that 7 people are out of work, I hope they land on their feet and in a better place.
2. Well stated about sales and commissions...they earn based on revenue, and in bad month, they earn VERY little...less than anyone else, including the person answering the phones at the switchboard. BUT, stick to it, work your way up and easily make $120,000...but that paycheck is generated on well over a million in sales, and well, a million bucks in ad revenue pays a LOT of other employees at the station.
3. Broadcast is no different than any other industry, consolidations are the way to grow, and although technology has cost some their jobs, over all technology has added hundreds of thousands of new jobs to the american economy, just in different areas. There are no longer people manufacturing reel to reel tape machines, but many writing software for digital editing.
4. No one on this post can show any proof that THV is full of uncaring bad people, just because, regrettably, some people are being let go.
It's not a good situation, but give local management some credit.
"This last post is hilarious!
I vow not to remain in t.v. for that long.
I, Anonymous, vow not to stay in t.v. that long."
What is hilarious is the fact that I have been retired for twenty years from a major broadcasting corporation. Now, what is hilarious is the fact that you won't last that long and will probably be replaced by automation before you have your (vested) time in for retirement. Are you still laughing? Ahh, life is great if you're not in broadcast.
You cranky old jerk, I wish you would get off this board! I get SO tired of hearing you talk about how you are retired from Gannett (management, you are quick to inform us) and how glad you are that you are not in "broacast" anymore. The term is "broadcasting," by the way. You're always saying everyone will be replaced by automation. Give it a rest. Go enjoy your "retirement" and leave this board to the non-geriatric crowd.
Round 2 - Coming Soon! Yes, Gannett is plannig more layoffs in the near future.
"You cranky old jerk, I wish you would get off this board! I get SO tired of hearing you talk about how you are retired from Gannett (management, you are quick to inform us) and how glad you are that you are not in "broacast" anymore. The term is "broadcasting," by the way. You're always saying everyone will be replaced by automation. Give it a rest. Go enjoy your "retirement" and leave this board to the non-geriatric crowd."
Youngster, please let us know when you get the boot.
What other lay-offs are coming from Gannett?
Huh? you have to be old to be retired from broadcasting??? I would not consider some of the anchors who have left the biz lately old, but would consider them retired. I think you are being a little stereotypical to refer to someone as hold just because they state they are retired from the biz.
"Working on commission is the most stressful way to make a living."
In case you haven't noticed, we all are living on commission. If you don't do your job, you're out. Sometimes you're out even if you do what you're required.
I think the trouble with the ones they chose to let go is that several of them were pretty hard workers. I can think of three or four in the newsroom who have been there a long time who don't do much of anything. But, they didn't ask me. A shame.
11:13, if you read the retired poster's earlier comments (if you can stand to, that is), you'll see he says he retired 20 years ago from Gannett. Even if he wasn't retirement age then, he's still older now. And cranky and out-of-touch, too. That's not stereotyping. In his case, it's fact.
How do you know it's a "he?"
"11:13, if you read the retired poster's earlier comments (if you can stand to, that is), you'll see he says he retired 20 years ago from Gannett. Even if he wasn't retirement age then, he's still older now. And cranky and out-of-touch, too. That's not stereotyping. In his case, it's fact."
It really gets to you, doesn't it.
2:52 PM, May 22, 2008
Any stations doing their newscasts live from Riverfest, or, having booths to meet and greet ???
If you had to cut people out of your newsroome, where would you start?
Riverfest is old and tired. The same thing, year after year. Do people really want to see live newscasts from there?
No, but sponsors do. Viewers don't matter.
Not sure if you guys saw this but Media General is cutting 750 jobs corp way.
Uhm, I just want to remind the people making the George W. remarks that the economy wasn't bad until the Democrats took over congress a year and a half ago. It's their asinine policies and pork spending that have screwed up the entire country. Get your head out and remember that even though Bush has a low approval rating, the Do Nothing But Complain About Bush Congress has an even lower one. It's their fault that gas prices are so high, not Bush's and not "Big Oil's." We've been restricted from building any new refineries for over thirty years, we're not allowed to drill or explore for new oil in the US for environmental reason, which by the way are stupid. The pipeline in Alaska didn't hurt anything there. In fact, the caribou population has skyrocketed because they like the warmth of the pipeline.
I'm curious. How many does that leave in the technical department at KTHV.
I'm curious. If master control is part of the technical department, how many employees remain there?
I think there's the Department head/chief engineer,assistant chief engineer, and three techs.
Which brings up the question.Do three people need two bosses?
With all the budget cuts, are the likes of Ebony and Katherina the future? This is a serious question as a viewer- not a smart mouth comment?
With two people in charge of three, looks like Gannett made cuts in the wrong direction. Isn't there a girl in charge of that station.
I don't know about Ebone, but backpack journalists are the wave of the future. They are young and will work for nothing, and they do a job that was once done by two people, a reporter and photog. Basically, if you want to work as a reporter in this business, you'd better be able to shoot and edit your own stuff.
Katherina is just plain awful. She may be able to shoot her own stuff but she has no clue how to write a pkg. I guess that's what you get when you hire anybody off the street and pay them peanuts. She's been working their for months and has not improved much. I cringe when I watch her stories.
THV should hire away from KATV the dynamic LL duo of Kristin Fisher and Amanda Mannatt. Either one looks better than any three females on THV!
Sure looks have something to do with a hire, but do you want looks or real journlism talent? If you want just looks that is how KTHV got the llikes of that morning reporter Katie>
Morning Reporter, Kattie I think quit. Haven't seen her in a while. Get rid of Yancy. As an avid THV viewer, she was a terrible hire.
"If you had to cut people out of your newsroome, where would you start?"
Hi-priced news readers.
I must be missing something, because I don't think Kattie Hansen is attractive in the least, and she is annoyingly chirpy on air.
Now that you mention it, Kattie hasn't been on in awhile. Did she quit?
Perhaps Katie was fired. Do you htink some of the other Kthv talent should be fired ?
The switching and audio can't get any worse, can it?
rumor is, their evening technical director left, and they never replaced him
Can't really tell any difference.
So what is the deal with Katie, the morning reporter? Is she still there, or not?
She's gone. She quit. I guess she didn't get her way with all the air time she wanted and thought she deserved.
has AShley Blackstone quit?
Ashley is under contract. I think she is on vacation. Why would you think she quit?
Maybe he or she thought that because lately people just seem to be disappearing over there with no announcement...Kathleen Berger, Katie the morning reporter, etc.
Blackstone will not be around long, after her contract is up she and her photog boyfriend will be leaving. THV will not pay their reporters a liveable salary in effort to replace them with lower standard BPJ's.
Ashley is one of the few crdible reporters left around THV. They would be fools not to try and renew her contract, offer her more money. Dunbar is another one of their credible talents. They ought to offer Blackstone something instead of replacing her with bpj
Agreed, but why should they? They can pay people like Katherina next to nothing and get a reporter (if you can call her that) and a photographer in one...and it still doesn't hurt them in the ratings. You don't get the same quality as you do with Blackstone or Dunbar, but that doesn't matter as long as the numbers are good.
So as some one who follows the news- Two questions: Why doesn't it hurt their ratings? And secondly, are folks like Dunbar and Gates going to be able to find jobs if the market is willing to settle for mediocrity?
If I knew anyone in journalism school now, I'd tell 'em they better plan on reporting, shooting, and editing their own work if they want to get jobs in TV news.
You can also look for co-anchors to be a thing of the past. Why does a station need two talking-head newsreaders?
If that is the case, will Dawn Scott get a co-anchor or will THV simply go sans the prereqisite male everyone clains will arrive July?
Do they need a male anchor to stay on top of the ratings? It doesn't seem like they do. Why pay someone six figures, when he probably would not make a huge difference in the ratings?
So does that mean Wes Moore can kiss that promotion goobye?
Yes, pretty much. Gannett is going down the crapper!
Kathleen Berger was not let go. She was never hired. Berger is a freelancer, not an employee. Ebone did not push her out. Ebone worked at THV for a few months before Berger stopped working on good terms. For all we know, Kathleen may again freelance for THV at some point.
The republications are the ones who made the economy bad the man who is running for president on the republications side but every thing on the democrates but the economy was in bad shape before a democrate was put back in the white house any one who say the democrates made the econmony bad is a ball face lie
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