Two new management hires at KTVU got into what was described to me as a huge "power struggle" Thursday at the station, according to a broadcast source.
Was told it got really "ugly" from the insider.
Kellee Roman, "manager of content and coverage," and recently-hired Amber Eikel, "managing editor" were the two involved.
Roman was an assignment editor at KNTV and for some reason took a job as an AE at KOVR in Sacramento. Fired? Now she's management at Channel 2? Huh?
Needless to say, again, morale at KTVU is at an all time low. Even worse than after the Asiana firings, according to the insider.
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What's the difference between a manager of content and coverage and a managing editor? I always thought the managing editor was in charge of all content and coverage. I can see where there could be some conflict, their jobs seem to overlap. KTVU seems to be taking a page out of the KPIX manual of how to run a newsroom. Too many managers with overlapping responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteI know almost nothing about how TV is made, but pretty good with business/management "speak" so I offer this...would a content and coverage manager be more of an "idea" person, suggesting general areas/topics that should, whenever available, be covered, rather than looking at each story and giving it a thumbs up or thumbs down? Such as: Look for positive stories about the East Bay...seek out stories that make MUNI look bad...cover as much "Wine Country Lifestyle" as you can pass off as news...
Delete> I know almost nothing about how TV is made
DeleteYou'd fit right in then. [rim-shot!]
Thank you, I'll be here all week......
Two women fighting. Throw Darya in the mix she'll cut them down to size.
ReplyDeleteKellee Roman? Seriously?? I knew her at KRON in the Rhonda Cokeley days. Nice girl, but she should be working at a Starbucks somewhere. (The same could be said about Rhonda, btw.)
ReplyDeleteWow, things are going downhill.
Kellee fired from KOVR? What is wrong with you Rich. I worked with her. Just call her ND there or ask her previous ND who went to Phoenix or just call the KOVR newsroom - she was very well liked and did a good job. You probably get tons of stuff from people there who don't like new people coming in, but from what I know, they need new people.
ReplyDeleteI worked with her at KOVR too. She was not well liked, and she didn't do a good job.
DeleteI think the implication was Roman got fired from KNTV ended up banished to SAC and now management at KTVU. Wtf???
ReplyDeleteThis is such a joke. Fire three pros and hire some desk reject as a manager? Wtf is going on down there? How the mighty have fallen
DeleteI know you're not going to tell me, Rich, you probably wont even 'whisper it in my ear'. but how do you do it? Do you have mechanical bug devices planted in the lunchrooms? Or, let us update or Thinking Caps; have you thrown your electronic 'lasso' around somebody's computer, somebody in that office, so that computer has now become your willing servant, your own private zombie? I heard that both Eric Snowden and Vlad. Putin want to take lessons from you on 'data resourcing'. How is your provincial Russian?
ReplyDeleteRussian? Nah, just a little Spanish and then? Kaput, but thanks, (I think).
DeleteWay too many chiefs, not enough indians. Seems to be a problem with Bay Area television. You win in the streets with good reporters who stick around and develop sources and get good stories and then deliver them on the air. And you win with good behind the scenes with people who know how to write and can figure out how to put a sentence together. You need good producers who aren't soaking wet behind the ears and fresh out of college. People who know what is important and can actually think for themselves instead of having some middle manager type constantly over their shoulder. You have editors who edit video, not some rush job by a reporter or some 20 something writer who is cranking out their 13th story of the day It's backwards now. Glad I don't have to deal with it. TV is in the toilet now.
ReplyDeleteBut a girl fight between managers? That's pretty darn sweet.
WHAT CAN WE DO???
ReplyDeleteToday on KKSF-910, John Rothman sat-in for Gil...he's the best!
How do we go about letting KKSF know how much we want to hear much more of Rothmann?
Call the station? Send Postcards?
Three hours of this Frosty Fella is really awful!
Agree. Just having an intelligent non screechy person sitting in, introducing a topic and taking local calls is what is sorely missing anyplace on the air now except 2 hours of Forum on KQED. Why won't some station give us just a few hours of what so many of us want? Tom Sullivan is back on 960 but during the same time span as Alan Colmes. Why not put him on live in his old slot of noon to three on 910? Never listened to Randi Rhodes but for some reason I'm not looking forward to it. From the clips I've heard it seems like she is trying way too hard to be "progressive" and shove that point of view down listeners' throats. Isn't there someone who can just discuss the issues of the day without having to posture right or left? Most interesting issues are neither really left or right.
Delete"Two new management hires at KTVU got into what was described to me as a huge "power struggle"
ReplyDeleteWell, whose zany idea was it to lead the Friday newscast with ad nauseam coverage of the Niners while child abduction alerts were blaring everywhere else?
I watched KTVU on Friday and they led with the abduction and returned to it several times thereafter. Don't know what planet you were on.
Delete@5:06
DeleteYou watched from where? Mars? On Earth, the 10 p.m. broadcast began with football coverage, not breaking news of the abduction.
They led the news with child abduction alerts - the college game ran long pushing back their 49ers program and then the news.
ReplyDeleteIf the argument was over whether or not American Idol results are really news stories, I'd say that the dust up was worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteI see middle managers arguing as a healthy sign that a company has passionate employees working hard to earn their keep. More importantly, it's a sign that their higher ups don't know what needs to be done or how to do it, otherwise, they'd establish and CLEARLY define what each position is accountable for.
Lord of the flies.....
FYI to Karel: If you have anything of value at the Hawthorne St. office, you might want to make arrangements to claim it, because it might get thrown out soon.
Delete