Monday, May 21, 2018

415 Media Exclu: KGO-TV Newsroom Down; Bleeding Talent; Bloom Fired; Marzullo and Harrington Quit; Watkowski at Center of Storm; Monday Open

Image result for Doom and Gloom AT KGO-TV, the newsroom "is down", a veteran staffer tells me. Doom and gloom everywhere at 900 Front and I'm being kind.

First off, a clarification from Sunday: Jonathan Bloom was let go --fired by her highness, embattled ND, Tracey Watkowski-Silva.

Image result for Alyssa Harrington KGO
Elissa Harrington
There's no official reason but Bloom, a much-respected reporter who'd been at KGO for seven years, was on Watkowski's shit list; he'd been tormented by her and after repeated berating, was finally let go. It may be a blessing in disguise for Bloom who is rumored to be headed to a local station.

KGO is bleeding talent: Katie Marzullo is leaving the station in a couple of weeks; she quit. According to my spy inside Circle7, Marzullo desired to report part time but was rebuffed by the new GM, Tom Cibrowski. Another Trixie-influenced move.

But there's more.

Freelance GSA reporter, Elissa Harrington, also quit and is headed to KTVU. She too was reportedly fed up with the scene at Channel 7 and said adios.

Image result for katie marzullo
Katie Marzullo
So Watkowski-Silva once again is at the forefront of an apparent personnel lack of confidence in KGO leadership. Whatever that is.

Her rule of force and intimidating style is now not only affecting morale, it's leading good people to leave on their own volition and escape the wrath of her highness. Almost all newsrooms have major tension and unease; it's a common negative part of the business, but Watkowski's demeaning treatment of otherwise dedicated news journalists goes way above and beyond the scope of decency.

ABC has to make a decision soon about Trixie's reign otherwise they may have an empty newsroom.

#415MEDIA Exclusive


18 comments:

  1. Rich you are such a smart insider did you ask Bloom how he would hide in the kitchen at Grumpys so he didn't have to go on stories

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    1. Nice to see you’re still reading Rich’s blog, Tracey.

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  2. Is it my imagination or has KGO management become more like KRON management since KRON and KGO became neighbors?

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  3. So much dysfunction at KGO - perhaps the management team is following the style of the White House. Keep new problems coming so no one has time to worry about yesterday's issue.

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  4. No! Not Katie! Not . . . both of us! Not . . . all of us!

    Here's hoping she lands somewhere where she'll be appreciated.

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  5. CRAP! Katie Marzullo is one of the primary reasons I watch KGO news. This is a major loss for them.

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  6. If Cibrowski has a clue, he will listen to Ashley's, Daetz's, and Finney's concerns, and come to the conclusion that Trixie MUST GO! I'm just a mainstream viewer, but I can Circle7 devoutees saying "This has got to STOP!" And for it to stop, Trixie MUST BE FIRED! I wonder if the Disney higher-ups want to remove such an expensive headache. Contract hassles the reason why nothing has changed?

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  7. As a regular reader of your blog it's pretty evident that all of the tv stations are dysfunctional. Seems that KNTV is the exception. I feel for all the reporters. Appears that management is to blame

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    1. > Seems that KNTV is the exception.

      Most of KNTV today is from KGO, back when they kicked Tracey to Fresno and had both quality product and a nice work environment. We were all glad to see her go; someone brought in a bottle of champagne and plastic cups to celebrate. I don't know why Disney trusts one of their jewels to this shrew but they don't seem to have the brightest management either, seeing how their suits keep sabotaging the work of their creatives. (Of course they respond by promoting the suits and laying the creatives off.)

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  8. There will be more blood letting. They need Traci around to lop-off those heads.

    Cuts at all the OnO's in the C7 mouse house.

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  9. Come back Katie Marzullo! Jeez, what a loss.

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  10. I've observed that a disproportionate number of people with hyphenated last names are also massive douche bags.

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  11. Field reporters are a dime a dozen. Clearly ABC see's it that way. When Dan, Michael, Eric, and Sandhya leave, then you have a problem.

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  12. To be honest, because I never watch channel 7 news, I have no idea who you're speaking of.

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  13. It wouldn't take long for katie marzullo to find another station in the bay area...imagine her landing at either KTVU or even KRON as a morning anchor to shake up Darya

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  14. I’m happy for Katie. She’s been nothing but a professional since they took her away from the weekend anchor desk. May the next chapter in her career be respected more than it ever was at KGO.

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  15. While I am disappointed Katie Marzullo quit, I am certain that she will not miss the way management treated her when they booted her from the weekend anchor’s chair and relegated her reporting for the 11:00 pm news. She deserved better.

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  16. There was s@#t going on at KGO when I worked there in 1969...Everyone watching their backs...Watch out for anyone who said they were going to brush their teeth...

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