LATEST:KTVU has seen a staff shake-up/personnel reduction big enough to shock staff amid impending more maneuvering that won't be kind to morale.
Again, NEWS you will only read, first, at 415 Media.
I told you Monday that John Fowler, the veteran Health/Science reporter is gone. Fowler left on his own terms but knew he was about to get his walking papers any day now.
We can also report, according to my Fox/KTVU source, that Fowler's producer, Sharon Navratil, (who just so happens to be Tom Vacar's wife) was canned along with longtime Special Projects producer, Leslie Donaldson, who'd been at KTVU almost 30 years.
Said an Insider to me: "If I were Tom Vacar, I'd be worried." Indeed, Vacar is 66. And the fact he's an attorney (although he doesn't practice law) is no worry to FOX. They too have lawyers.
MORE CUTS:
*According to my source, the whole graphic arts staff was cut. I don't know the total but it was significant and it involves key staffers to the early and late, "10 O'clock News" staff. Some of these people were canned months ago and moved with the COX (former KTVU owner) people to Boston.
*Fox model is, and will always be, "Low Overhead to Max out Profits." It should also be pointed out Channel 2's dismal performance during the May Sweeps, especially at 5 and 6, was the major impetus for the latest round of personnel shake-up and layoffs.
Fox affiliate and O and O (Owner and Operated) management was none-too-pleased about their new Bay Area station's performance and that more cuts are coming.
As my source says about KTVU's photographers? "They're really getting screwed!"
*Developing...
*415 Media Exclusive
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Re: KTVU... What I want to know is where the heck "Highland Memorial Hospital" is Tara Moriarty ? She said it no less that 6 times this morning. She, her camera man, her producer... someone has been here long enough to know the name of the hospital.
ReplyDeleteIs George Rask OUT at KRON?
ReplyDeleteRich..one person from the graphics dept. went to Boston. No one else was spared.
ReplyDeleteThe Boston Fox O&O was last in local ratings for news....then it became a Cix station in the swap. Boston station now #1, and KTVU now Fox O&O is...you guessed it...last. See a pattern here? Of course Fox will cut and cut until the rating improve.
Fox has also recently activated more cameras inside KTVU equipped with audio for employees "safety". Nothing like treatin your staff like children to improve productivity and morale.
Cox wanted out of KTVU and FOX wanted out of Boston.Cox may have made the better deal because the ratings bump is impressive.
DeleteI wonder what 2 Jack London Square appraised for?
You can easily sell 2JLS and move the entire operation to a site the size of a postage stamp.
Bet they could make a pretty penny(cash) on the sale.
What would keep the Murdoch brothers from moving KTVU to South San Francisco area/SFO?
They love the area and given the fact that FOX/FNC is moving to 2 World Trade in NYC, you must ask...
"Why would FOX want to stay in shitty old Oakland?" ( I was born at Providence so I can call Oakland shitty")
Don't know where you are getting your erroneous information on WFXT being "number 1" in Boston, but you are dead wrong. WCVB is #1. WFXT may have the top news at 10pm and parts of the morning, but newscast competing directly against WCVB, WHDH, and WBZ, generally fall either third or fourth (trading places with WBZ at times). WFXT's overall news ratings lag behind WCVB and WHDH.
DeleteKnock it off Gregggggg...your legacy follows you.
DeleteTori Campbells last day is Friday. Comic Mark Pitta promised he would say something about Ho Lee Cou,etc. in a tribute. How easy would it be to write like that everyday?
ReplyDeleteFOX? How much after all those people are gone,every new employee or FOX transfer from another station will have a conservative background? It will be part of the new hiring policy.
Cutting staff isn't going to help. KTVU news is a mess. Fox took a solid brand that needed shoring up and completely fucked it up instead. This is KGO-Radio all over again. I only watch Paulson in the morning for a weather report and watch KGO and KRON. In general, I'm watching a lot less local news. I'm sick of the same five stories that get repeated every few minutes and so little real reporting. Just like I used to listen to talk radio I used to watch local news. I was their audience and they chased me away.
ReplyDeleteStaff cut comment was sarcasm
DeleteStill waiting for that Vacar story on disintegrating plastic plumbing to come true. It's only been 21 years since that aired.
ReplyDeleteWell, mine already disintegrated. Re-piped with copper.
DeleteFOX should consider the old line -YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW. They should not be surprised their rating stink. After all they have treated employees like shit.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to Leslie Donaldson! As a journalism student at Moraga's Campolindo High School in the early 1970s, she was bright, provoking, and highly creative. She will undoubtedly apply her conceptualizing and reporting skills with even greater acumen wherever she lands on her feet.
ReplyDelete#candaveclark
ReplyDeleteDid Fox outsource management of KTVU to Cumulus?
ReplyDeleteAs is always the case, when ownership and management screw up, it's the worker bees that take the hit.
ReplyDeleteFox wanted San Francisco because it is an NFC city. Boston is an AFC city.
ReplyDeleteFox's KTVU can broadcast 10 or 11 of the San Francisco 49ers games each year. WFXT Boston can only broadcast one or two New England Patriots games each year, when the team hosts an NFC club (since under NFL telecasting rules, the visiting team determines which network carried inter-conference games).
Sweet Jesus. Just turned to KICU to see 7pm KTVU news with Mike Mibach and there he was being chatted up by Harvey POS TMZ about Donald Trump. Fox News is tabloid dog crap. They don't even try to be serious about journalism. I will never watch that garbage again and I feel really sorry for Mibach.
ReplyDeletethats 100% right. i work for a fox O&O and they most def wanted to cash in on the 49er games.
ReplyDelete