Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Stench of Low Morale at KGO (ABC7); Inner Turmoil at 900 Front

Watkowski
Burton
 WIDESPREAD DISDAIN AND ANGER IN KGO (ABC7) NEWSROOM; SENIOR STAFF IN 'MAJOR' FUNK; LOSS OF FAITH IN UPPER MANAGEMNT ...GM BURTON AND NEWS DIRECTOR, WATKOWSKI SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION AND 'INNER TURMOIL'

*An increasingly frustration with upper management exists at KGO-TV.

*Source:

How the two of them (Burton and Tracey) get away with bad management is by having a weak staff... The main concern is with having so few full-time employees. The part timers don't want to make waves... They just follow orders and suck up to Tracey so they continue to get work.
 
Source:
 
There are no leaders in the newsroom to serve as a counter point-like in the old days Pete Wilson really spoke on behalf of reporters, writers and producers.
 
It's a very unhappy newsroom-stressed by both changes in the industry and management that thinks the answer is youngsters with social media chops.
 
*Developing...
 

9 comments:

  1. Burton and Tracey have the look of pure Stepford-style evil. Thanks for the photos, if I see them on the street I'll give them a piece of my mind, they could use it.

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    1. Not Stepford. More like Donald Trump.

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  2. Trixie Witchkowski is probably choking on her Togos as we speak.

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  3. > ...like in the old days Pete Wilson really spoke on behalf
    > of reporters, writers and producers.

    WHAT???

    I worked at both KGO when Pete was there and KRON when Pete was there. I often sat right next to him. The only time he ever "spoke out" was when he said to himself, "Where do I want to go for dinner?"

    As for advocating for writers et al, when you needed to talk to him about something for the show he wouldn't even deign to look you in the eye.

    I know I'm supposed to be all sentimental about him because he croaked and all, but honestly, one of SF's indie papers summed him up best once: "smug jackass."

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  4. ABC7 has turned into the clusterfuck that KTVU was a year ago. Time to move to Canada

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  5. This is just the way everything is in the corporate world now. The old guard is dead or dying. Management (mostly old guard) are panicking and grasping at anything that will capture the Millennials. Hence, social media and presenters who are young. It's now a "part-time" world. Anyone with any deep experience and gravitas must be eliminated. Good reporting and anyone with serious journalistic chops have mostly gone on to the big blogs and other websites.

    Ratings will continue to fall across the board no matter what corporate management does. The demographic they're so desperately trying to reach are NOT watching. In the meantime they've totally alienated those who have been watching (Baby boomers and some GenXers) who apparently, no longer matter. This is happening Everywhere. Brave new world!

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  6. Those many (7)staffers near retirement should think of that paraphrase from the band leader on the Titanic, "Folks, I think we have time for one more tune".

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  7. I remember my first day at KGO back in the late 60's...First thing was the several groups each taking me aside and saying all the others were bad...Stint only lasted a week...

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  8. @9:14 Times have changed and will keep changing. Please move as you said.

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