Not So Fast...............
This from a tipster: Nexstar's consolidation is not going as planed. Back in April Nexstar announced they were consolidating the master control operations of their stations in Monroe and Shreveport to the hub at KARK. This was to take affect on July 1st. The Monroe crew was informed their lay off date has been extended to August 1st. The Shreveport crew was informed this week they were being extended an extra week, and the new lay off date will be July 8th.
posted by ATN @ 6:05 PM
56 comments
56 Comments:
Coverage won't improve either way. Nexstar needs to wake up. All of these stations have the lowest rated news in each market. Consolidation won't do anything but show locals that the parent station doesn't care about the locals.
Hmmm... Nexstar doesn't subscribe to Nielsen... Nexstar has the lowest rated news in each market. Conspiracy maybe? There's a reason why Nielsen ratings are becoming less and less relevant.
Now, I'm not saying that Nexstar-based news is award-winning material. But, how is consolidation of master control indicative of news production? They are apples and oranges. And, Nexstar won't wake up... they're doing well financially. After all, the business is about prospering financially.
The days of actually caring about your community are long gone. That's left to the individual news talent, and a lot of them are losing that, too. Very rarely have I seen people that genuinely care about the community they report for.
In ten years or less all stations of any size will be 95% automated with only a few humans to do technical work. Downsizing is becoming the thing and if you plan to retire from broadcasting you will have a "hard row to hoe." Talking heads seem to migrate from one place to another and the truly talented people such as announcers, camera people (both studio and news), and studio technicians are being left out and will be the first to go as computers and automated systems take over. The only stable jobs in the stations will be the janitorial ones. Hint, hint.
In ten years or less all stations of any size will be 95% automated...
You are already late...In Little Rock I know of 2 stations that have automation (maybe not the cam ops yet, but the big wigs are working on it). In the Fort Smith/Fayetteville market it's already happened (once again not the cam ops but most everything else is either there or going that way)
It started years ago, Used to be the networks paid the affiliates to carry their signal. Now unless you are an "O and O"(owned and operated by the network), the affiliates pay the networks for the rights to carry the Network Signals.
In ten years or less all stations of any size will be 95% automated...
You are already late...In Little Rock I know of 2 stations that have automation (maybe not the cam ops yet, but the big wigs are working on it). In the Fort Smith/Fayetteville market it's already happened (once again not the cam ops but most everything else is either there or going that way).
Words to the wise . . .
Looks like that extra week is not enough. I was talking to one of the mco's, and he said they have been extended an additional week. Maybe they will be able to get things working with an extra two weeks.
Knowing how things work around here I think an extra two weeks is way to optimistic. I was talking to an MCO over the weekend he said they wanted them to go work over in Monroe for a week. Seems the MCO's in Monroe have moved on and they are short handed.
I know most of the MCOs in Monroe had already found other work and have jobs waiting on them. Now, the station wants to hang onto them until the transition is made. I'm sorry, but I wouldn't want to hang around for a company that was getting rid of me... that's a lot to ask of some people that you're shoving out the door.
Yes, but your vocation has people out there that would work for free just to be on camera. Should have gone union if you ever had the chance.
There are no broadcasting unions in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas so we never had that option. If we did things like this would not be happening.
There are no broadcasting unions in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas so we never had that option. If we did things like this would not be happening.
Not true.
In some of the Union shops automation is controlled by engineering. Unions do have their place but cannot prevent management from automating their stations and reduce the number of employees.
That is just another belief that prevents union shops. That statement is ludicrous. And, even if it were to happen, the union people would not be affected. Spoken like a true management person.
well you could always "go union" if you get staffers to vote that way. Problem is folks get scared they'll lose their jobs.
Check out AFTRA & NABET if anyone's interested.
Federal law prohibits a company from keeping union efforts out.
Doesn't matter about right-to-work states. Police, Fire, Teachers...etc....all have unions. There are more unions in Right-to-Work states than most people realize. FWIW
I don't know about the Little Rock market, but here in the Shreveport market no one would consider "going union." The management at the local stations are so vindictive they will cook up a reason to fire you for trying to unionize. I know of a situation where that exact thing happened years ago.
Are you serious? They actually want you to go work in Monroe so you can save their ass? That takes a lot of nerve. They must be smoking some good stuff.
For real? I'm offended they would even ask you to work in another city while they are shoving you out the door. DON'T DO IT!
A union contract does not have job security. Look what happend to Detroit Auto Unions. Paid so much to the workers that it took the companies down moved overseas to pay lower wages. Look what has happend to a lot of jobs that are outsourced.
The biggesdt myth is that if you have a union you have job security.
If you've never worked in a union shop then you don't know what you are talking about.
Also look what has happended in Wisconson with that union.
Which is about to be repealed. In Wisconsin they can vote to over ride the governor with a public vote. They need something like 150,000 or 175,000 signatures in 60 or 90 days. They turned in over 1,200,000 signatures with a week or two to spare.
Ah, so you watch the Rachel Maddow Show too. You forgot to add that six of the Wisconsin senate Republicans who voted to strip unions of collective bargaining are being recalled.
Ah, so you watch the Rachel Maddow Show too. You forgot to add that six of the Wisconsin senate Republicans who voted to strip unions of collective bargaining are being recalled.
Getting back on subject. How's that hub consolidation working out? Has KARK taken over the master control operations yet? I was looking at their web page and see they are hiring master control operators. Did they offer the old mco's jobs at KARK or what?
Since we are still not connected yet the consolidation is not going that great. No the old mco's were not offered positions here, and as far as I know none of them have applied for any of the mco positions were have posted.
http://www.seiuwi.org/Supreme_Court_Overturns_Judge_Sumi_s_Permanent_Injunction_Against_Collective_Bargaining_Bill.aspx
I really hope that you don't think a union will save your job in Corporate America (remember that Reagan busted up the Air Traffic Controllers back in the 80s , which is/was illegal) and no I don't watch Rachel Maddow.
"The biggesdt[sic] myth is that if you have a union you have job security.
If you've never worked in a union shop then you don't know what you are talking about."
And, you don't have a clue. Job security is the main reason that you organize. They just can't fire you on the spot without due process. Of course if you misbehave or do something to warrant firing it will happen but that is what the Union Steward or Shop Steward is all about. Why don't you do a lot more research before your fingers start typing something you obviously know know very little about or just go by what people on the street tell you.
Good Luck in Corporate America and your union.
Oh, by the way I did work in a union shop and saw how layoffs and concessions worked.
6:40 PM You stated that the old mco's in Monroe and Shreveport were not offered positions at the KARK hub. SInce they are already qualified and currently working for your company, why weren't they offered first crack at your mco jobs?
Yeah, that doesn't make sense. But then again you are dealing with Nexstar.
"Good Luck in Corporate America and your union.
Oh, by the way I did work in a union shop and saw how layoffs and concessions worked."
Hey, go ahead and flounder in your low-wage, non-union shop and see further layoffs and people leaving due to working conditions and low pay. I have already made my living and have great retirement and did so while working in a union shop and yeppers, it was in broadcasting.
Regarding the above post. It's probably too late for most in this LR market to unionize. 'Tis a pitty you have to keep kissing management's butt somewhere for the rest of your mediocre career.
Unions here? Oh please, we all know our "friends" in Bentonville will never allow that to happen.
Oh snap! You got that right.
The master control consolidation is all fubared. The consolidation was supposed to happen at midnight July 1, but it hasn't happened yet. From what I keep hearing it might be August 1 before it actually happens.
WOW, that consolidation must be really messed up. So what are they doing with the mco's in Monroe and Shreveport? Have they let them go already, or are they just stringing them along? Thank god I don't have to deal with that.
If Nexstar is true to form, I bet you they are string the old mco's along.
Which are slowly being replaced by automation and before long only one person will be needed on each shift. A management's dream come true. I would get out while I could with what I have and seek another vocation.
What's wrong with KTAL, and why didn't you have the lottery again last night? Has this master consolidations happened yet? If so then is this what we have to look forward too? Your a terrible station, and and a f---ing joke!
You got that right 6:12. KTAL is as you say, "a f--ing joke." The lottery has been messed up for like three or four weeks now. Has anyone watched KTAL over the past day or two? They couldn't be any worse if they try.
Yeah KTAL is, and always has been a joke of a station. Just go to the Louisiana Lottery web site to get the numbers. That way you don't have to watch that crappy station.
Why did the Louisiana Lottery leave KTBS and go over to KTAL in the first place? They are the worst station in this area.
Why has KTAL been so messed up the past few days? You look worse then you normally do.
How KTAL is still allowed to operate, or have an FCC license is beyond me. Even raggedy old KMSS is better then KTAL.
Even with all the problems at least KTAL has stopped using those stupid HD graphics and that annoying crawl during the newscasts. That thing is so distracting.
Apparently the FCC lets the broadcasters do just about whatever they want these days.
I don't know how bad the quality has to be before a station would be shut down or taken off the air.
Your right. The FCC doesn't seem to matter, or do much of anything any more. Now the FC was all over CBS when Janet Jackson flashed her breast during the Super Bowl, but when it comes to a horrible station like KTAL they don't do anything.
KTAL has been having major equipment problems over the past two or three months, and it seems they are not going away. The signals had a lot of digitizing and a lot of dropout since Wednesday. Looks like something is wrong with the switcher too. The breaks have been running all crazy for the past few days.
This sounds like a management problem to me. Hey, you get exactly what you pay for.
Or in this case, what you are not paying for.
Hey, there are people out there that would be talking heads for free. Management is looking for these people so they can pay them a low salary, no retirement and no health care plan. What else would management want? It's a trade that is fading fast.
Monroe has never been able to keep good staff for the pay that they give you. Monroe is nothing more than a training stations and off they go to bigger and better things.
I see KTAL has that annoying ticker running in the news again. Whoever is running it in Little Rock needs to learn how to use it. Running it over commercials is a no no.
So is KTAL ever going to fix the signal? It's been pixelating, and having video and audio drop for almost two weeks.
Yeah, it's been jacked up like that since they switched master control from Shreveport to Little Rock two weeks ago. We didn't have all these problem before Little Rock took over. Now we have to do our jobs plus half of what master control use to do. This master control consolidation has not been that consolidating at all. God I hope we are sold soon.
So what happened on the morning show Monday morning? Was that Little Rock's fault, or Shreveport's fault? I love that shot of your crappy studio with the audio pulled down.
When are you going to get it together with that stupid ticker? It's so annoying and distracting you should just get rid of it. If you can't do any better then that then maybe you should go back to the old system.
If you thought that was bad you should have seen the 5, 6, and 10 Monday. They were worse then the morning show.
All 4 of your Monday newscasts were embarrassingly bad. So what's the deal with Brandon's mic? On Wednesday's 10 Brandon's mic sounded like he was was doing a phoner on a radio show, but Michelle's mic and Todd's mic were perfect.
Post a Comment
<< Home