Friday, April 20, 2018

Wayne Departure Leaves Dark Cloud Over KTVU News; Staffers Nervous; Fox Digs In; Uneasy Times at 2 Jack London Square

Related image YOU CAN READ Ken Wayne leaving KTVU (Fox) two ways; he was working without a contract and got tired of being given the run-around by the big boys (it's not known now where he's headed if anywhere) or Fox essentially saying to Wayne, go ahead and leave, make our day.

My own analysis is that KTVU is in full Fox-iteration mode; after four years running the Bay Area's #1 news station, the era of high salaries for the big shots (and not-so-big shots) are over.

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Ken Wayne
Wayne was considered a valuable anchor but not to the tune of $300K a year-contract variety. He's solid but not a household name; not someone that would make KTVU suddenly slip off the radar. Under the old ownership, (Cox Media) Wayne would have probably received an extension and slight raise to boot. But Fox didn't regard Wayne as a prized asset worthy of a six-figure salary. And they're probably right. Hence, Wayne worked without a contract for over a month.

More disturbing for the remaining on-air talent is that this strategy of paying less for average, even above average anchors and reporters is not going away. Mark Ibanez, the four-decade sports anchor recently signed an extension but nowhere near the money he expected to get and Ibanez is one of the most popular personalities at the station. Frank Somerville makes $615K a year but I'm betting his next contract will be for far less money even though he's the face of the station.

Fox is notorious for paying less-than-average compensation for reporters too. Notice the rapid amount of correspondents leaving the station for PR jobs that lack the limelight of TV News adrenaline but pay decent wages and are far more stabile. Add darn good benefits and you have the ultimate package. Or as one veteran reporter who left told me, "It sure as hell beats getting up at 4 AM to cover a refinery fire in Richmond."

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Frank Somerville and Julie Haener/KTVU
A station once known for its great legacy of TV News talent and "10 o'clock News" valor is fighting to keep its staff from suffering long-tern morale issues. The newsroom is teeming with malaise. The bright-eyed younger folks have suddenly discovered that the big suits at corporate prefer haunted houses over Disneyland. Even good ratings don't make the lasses happy. There's more a feeling of resignation and "it's just a damn job now." People who I've talked to that work there tell me it's the worst case of morale ever felt in Oakland.


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Rita Williams
KTVU was never going to be the "old KTVU" of Kevin O'Brien (ex-GM) days simply because Fox isn't Cox Media. Cox was family-owned and took pride in running their stations with TV News journalism as a major entity. Fox is more bottom line and less loyal even to those who have lengthy runs. Which is why there are so few long-termers left at KTVU. The anchor roster still has old timers but the reporter turnover is quite disturbing.

KTVU still makes a lot of money; the most revenue of any station in the Bay Area and feeds off its Fox Network shows and NFL football affiliation --which accounts for its massive emphasis on sports.

Its success in that department allows for its news commitment too; unfortunately its management isn't so warm and fuzzy with the boys and girls that have to do the heavy lifting.

On Fridays at the station there used to be a large couple of boxes of pastries and doughnuts for the morning staff; it's gone now.

17 comments:

  1. Ken is a class act all the way.

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  2. Holy crap!!! Who'll Anchor the 7 o'clock news on KTVU Plus??

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    1. Bring in Christine “I’m right, and you’re goddam wrong” Craft, along with Karel “Check Stealer” Bouley with the Bay Area Entertainment report.

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  3. Life is about changes....sorry to burst your bubble!!

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    1. hahaha - oh hello Amber

      this will be a huge black eye for KTVU, mark my words

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  4. The world of broadcasting - radio and television - has changed and as much as we bemoan the change, you have to be realistic and understand that the playing field is different. With one or two exceptions in the Bay Area, no anchor is worth more than $250K because a departure by any will have no effect on the ratings. I once had a General Manager tell me that his third place station's news department was a $4 million per year expense; but had advertising revenue of $6 million per year. Do the math folks, it is a good return on the investment. He said that to get to number two in his market, the company economists and outside consultants estimated he would need to spend $8 million per year on people, equipment, sets and other stuff. If the ratings remained the same, he has gone from a profit to a loss and the difference between #2 and #3 - 4 ratings points would equate to only $3 million more in revenue. That's how stations get managed these days. So if you don't like my advice is simple, turn the dial (does anyone still have dials?) and find someone to watch that you can live with. No need to wring your hands or stress out.

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  5. With Steve Aveson leaving KRON, what do you think the chances of Ken heading over to the big 4? I don't think it will help the station, as I believe one lone anchor does not bring in viewers.

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    1. > With Steve Aveson leaving KRON, what do you
      > think the chances of Ken heading over to the
      > big 4?

      Zero.

      Next easy question?

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  6. the modern ''sports talker''. ''we''ll talk about The Giants and and a little about my Golf Game , right after this on Your Sports Leader...''.

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  7. They. Just. Read. A. Teleprompter.

    The days of idolizing tv and radio "stars" is over. Ron Burgundy even ribbed it in the movie "Anchorman". WKRP anyone?

    As long as I have Heather Holmes to look at KTVU is just fine in my book. :)

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  8. KTVU always let go some of their well known anchors, not sure is it a back stab by other anchors or management. Leslie Griffith, Elaine Coral just left the station at the peak of their career. Just glad Dennis Richmond was able to work until his retirement and well respected in the Bay Area. I already given up on this station. Too many reporters confusing audiences and adding some outside reporter as a fill in. And image the depature of other reporters like Ross forgot his last name, Keba Arnold, Ken Wayne, John Sasaki and some anchor hired less than a year just shows working at KTVU is tough tough tough. With Ken departure, my best guess is Andre Senior will take over since he was a main anchor in FL with KGO Dion Lim from the resource info online.

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  9. Local TV news is gasping for air. It's relevance is on the slide. I'm sorry for Ken, he's a terrific talent and a good guy to boot. The reality of the marketplace is that the model is changing because many people are unplugged from cable and many TV's don't even have a tuner anymore. Online news is the most consumed throughout the day, so a "local" newscast (which is really just a lot of AP rip n read) at a designated time is on its decline. Just like newspapers, local TV news will last a bit longer, but it's heyday already happened.

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  10. I can see Ken Wayne going on to KRON TV. He could easily be a nice fit with Pam Moore and Vicky Liviakis too...

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  11. Sorry to hear this. Ken Wayne is a good guy and when I did watch KTVU News I appreciated him. Nowadays, I don't turn on Channel 2 KTVU at all. Not a fan anymore. Fox is a horrible, deceitful entity.

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  12. So Ken is learning that the days of getting paid half a million to a million smackers to sit in a comfortable chair in an air-conditioned room and read the words others have researched, written and edited are over? Boo-hoo. My heart bleeds.

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  13. It isn't dark times at the station. When Lee Rosenthal was there...that was dark times. He had no business operating a newsroom and it showed - Wie Tu Low. The morale at the station is way better now than it was in the final years with COX. Sure things are different, but IMO much better. Ken Wayne is very talented, but not irreplaceable. KTVU is loaded with on air talent. For the longest time, the noon, the 7, and the saturday shows were single anchor. Nearly every show has two or three. I hope brass gives Frank Mallicoat a chance to fill the role. I think would pair very well with Heather.

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  14. Somebody tell Ken that wearing Brown shoes with a Blue suit doesn't cut it....Go Black!!!

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