KATO OUSTER DRAWS IRE TO KRON MANAGEMNT
*The Erica Kato axe story has the eyes and ears of Media General big suits--how so? Word on the street: Because their affiliate managers are having "independent reviews" on Kato firing. Translation: Don't be surprised if MG wants Pero to reveal his specific reason(s) why Kato was bounced.
These matters usually take a lot of time when it involves personnel so the process could become gradual --maybe, maybe not.
*Multiple KRON sources: "significant" turmoil and unease" inside studio. Morale at an all-time low. (Lower than low)
*Aaron Pero at center of the heat.
*Staffer: "We're all just staying clear of his (Pero) path."
*Producers, EP's, staff weary and "afraid"--"I'm scared, (one particular evening staffer) of him."
*Mysteriously, Pero's good friend was absent from the morning news show --she called in sick on Monday. (What a coincidence)
*KRON has been besieged with e-mail complaining about the Kato firing. A "Bring Back Erica" petition has circulated.
*Developing
*Follow me here and on Twitter
LOL - The moral here? Don't F*ck with Erica!
ReplyDeleteKeep the dish coming!
No, the real moral of the story. Don't work at KRON.
DeleteIn all seriousness RL, how is this "turmoil and unease" any different than all the earlier turmoil and unease at KRON that you have been reporting on for years.
ReplyDeleteThis time Pero's feeling the heat.
DeleteThere's a (terrific) new book out by Joseph O'Neill, a brilliant writer, called The Dog. I think of Pero every time I see the cover, particularly since "Pero" means dog in Spanish. He is aptly named.
I bet Pero is surprised and even stunned by the reaction that occurred over this. The overall negative reaction and the fact that higher ups are looking into it does not bode well. It could be that there is a long list of grievances/problems about him or how the station is being run that finally has gotten them very angry. And it could be the thing causes some major changes to occur down the road.
ReplyDeleteUpper management including HR gave the OK to let Kato go. How they reached the decision is what may be in question here. The decision was not made by Pero alone.
ReplyDeleteBut if it completely backfires, it's gonna Pero who takes a fall.
As far as lawsuits???
She can sue anyone she wants, for anything she pleases.
She probably had no contract, so they can fire her "just because". No reason needs to be given to her or the public.
Stations go in "new directions" everyday and fire people.
Now is her big chance to see the rest of the USA....
Via Midland-Odssa TX.,...Tulsa OK.,,,,Lansing MI.,or even Yuma AZ.
Those places need a fashion pick-up!
It's a lot more complicated than that, but what makes you think she had no contract?
DeleteBecause of her age, and how she came up through the assignment desk. Deskies don't have contracts or agents. A 'Big Girl" contract may just have been used as bait to string her along until KRON could go "in a different direction."
DeleteShe could even have just been freelance because that is a major trend in top 50 markets. Freelance reporters also.
I don't think she is represented by any real agent.
The new chick has some solid on-air time in "real weather" markets.
She also seems to have nice fashion sense also.
Fashion Dance Off!
Too late, Channel 7 is ready to sign her to their news station.
ReplyDeleteMy Question is if someone wrong is going on more than the relationship of a boss and his employee. Why would Erica want to go back to that environment? The only way she goes back to KRON is if Pero and his Friend are ousted.
ReplyDeletePut Erica in Jacqueline Bennets old spot or Michelle Apon in that spot.
ReplyDeleteHi Rich, Could you enlighten us as to what is going on at 910 am, I just at 7 p.m. turned in to listen to Alan Colmes and I get the best of Armstrong and Getty. Please don't tell me they are going to do 4 hours of A&G in the a.m. and 3 hours repeat at night. I like A&G for the most part, but certainly not as a steady diet, I really like variety, and good programming, it just seems to get worse and worse. Could they not afford Alan Colmes anymore?
ReplyDeleteAssuming that Erica is free from any wrong doing and a clean personnel file, would this be considered wrongful termination?
ReplyDeleteI signed that petition (for what it's worth).
ReplyDeleteI wish KRON would ditch their news department…they haven't produced any quality work since they lost NBC… But they should lose Pero…Janice Gin would do better running that department…
ReplyDeleteThanks Jan
DeleteI too signed the petition. But I'm hoping another Bay Area station will pick her up. KRON is crap hole.
ReplyDeleteAaron Pero is a classic example of what has gone wrong in our broadcast industry. Putting egotistical fools who have no business rising to that level creates stress, tension and toxic working conditions. Let's hope for the sake of the people who work at KRON that management sees the light and sends Pero packing very soon. He's done more to wreck the news department at that station than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteIs the new weather girl they hired anorexic? I think her name is Michelle. Oh my God. I thought I'm skinny. Watched her on TV this morning. She had this really tight dress. It's not even size 0. It's like a size negative 4 or something. It was so uncomfortable to watch. I changed channel. Hey, why did they fire Erica?
ReplyDeleteProbably because she was too much woman for them :-) By the way, not making a joke about her weight or anything - in my book, Erica's perfect. Michelle is waaay to skinny for me. So is Anny Hong. Hmm, maybe a trend there?
DeleteAll of the other chicks dont hold a candle to erica. I dont watch any of them and won't watch any of them because i am no longer a kron4 viewer.
DeleteThis may shed a little light on what could be going on: I believe Erica was an employee of KRON. Michelle Apon, the new girl replacing Erica, describes herself on linkedin as "freelance" at KRON. Cheaper and cheaper and cheaper and cheaper....just like radio did about 15-years ago, the TV air product is starting down that long road of slowly withering away.
Delete> A "Bring Back Erica" petition has circulated.'
ReplyDeleteIs there a "Fire Pero" petition?
I'll sign
DeleteDoes Rob Fladeboe still work at KRON?
ReplyDeleteI haven't been up-to-date w/the Bay Area News scene since I left a decade ago.
Rob was a top-notch report...better yet, a top-notch WRITER (what a lot of today's young-un's cannot say about themselves).
Pero has had something like seven or eight Executive Producers in the morning leave in the past eight years, all because they got tired of dealing with him. There have been multiple Assignment Desk people who have all also left because of him. Most of KRON's producers are under the age of 27, because once they all learn how things work at KRON they get the hell out of there. Last I heard, the guy who was in charge on mornings doesn't even have the title of Executive Producer, they just call him "senior producer" or some garbage. He's a weaselly little scumbag just like Pero whose only real job is to tattle on everybody. I believe he's also a former convict who did time for dealing meth. That's how things work in the Pero newsroom!
ReplyDeleteGary Radnich says Aaron Pero has been a close friend of his for over 20 years.
ReplyDeleteThen again,Radnich says he needs a bodyguard and he cant go to games because fans chant "You suck, Radnich" from start to finish.
Birds of a feather...
I watched KRON this morning. The talent there just looked like they were sad or unhappy. The smiles seemed forced. Wonder if that's because of the Erica firing or just people scared about job security. Our family liked watching Erica on the weekend mornings. We do miss her. Hope someone else will pick her up.
ReplyDeleteHey Rich, any closer to finding out how and why this firing all happened? Erica Kato seemed nice on TV. It's too bad.
ReplyDeleteI can offer one bit of speculation. Don't know if anyone saw it about a month back, but Erica was doing one of those "what's trending on social media" segments on something food-related and Darya started making all these orgasmic food-related noises, talking over her. Then Erica stops in mid- sentence and says "Darya, all I'm hearing from you is sound effects over there". Then they cut to Darya who tried to play it off like it was a joke or something, but you could see Erica's face for a couple of seconds at her desk in the background and she looked PISSED. Can't say I blame her at all, because Darya is annoying and unprofessional as a given, but that probably didn't do poor Erica any favors. For anyone who says there wasn't any bad blood between the two, I submit this as Exhibit A.
DeleteDarya is ridiculous and sad. One day everything she has done to get these woman fired to sooth her ego will be done to her. It's as simple as that. The plastic surgery won't work anymore, her boobs will sag no matter how much underwire she wears and her posture won't hold her up so she can stick her boobs out. On top of that, her buddy Pero will be gone (I see that on the horizon) and his talented and professional replacement will take the "fan" mail seriously and send her packing. I don't watch KRON anymore because of Darya talking over people (insecure witch. Had a boss like that once) and the way it get's chaotic with everyone talking at once. Erica, you're young and beautiful; Count your blessings that you're out of there.
ReplyDelete