Hurd, who also had a long stint at KPIX, was offered a generous buyout from NBC and essentially told to leave, to exit. She took the offer and decided to go but it was anything but a mutual farewell, you should know that. It's the truth and not the utter BS that is being pubbed by NBC and Hurd's own words. I'm not here to rip Cheryl, that's not my MO.
I'm just here to report what's real and what's fake.
There's legitimate retirements and there's fake ones too, the kind that are ordered by corporate. Like NBC is utilizing now --the mass market liquidation of people either being outright let go and/or the directive to take a buyout and "retire" and if you don't, we'll retire you ourselves, which is what's happening with Hurd.
Mark Ibanez was another KTVU figure, a sports anchor who was basically told to take a buyout from Fox and retire after 43 years at KTVU only Mark was still at the top of his game. Ibanez took the offer from Fox because had he not, Fox would have forced him out. It's the truth. And Ibanez's time isn't over as numerous sources tell me he's had flirtations with KPIX to join, maybe, their station down the road.
Again, take retirements with a grain of salt and don't always believe what you're being told. Most of it is complete BS.
The Morning Drive DRECK --with incapable Eric Thomas anchoring solo--was a complete MESS! Worse, Thomas was working with KCBS's 4th-tier bumblers; a sports anchor nerd who is not ready for prime time; a traffic producer who is a hard listen; a guy who kept telling us "there's no traffic but I'll just talk anyway"--really KCBS? Yeah, really.
Thomas is completely LOST IN SPACE. He's there because he's a body and they need bodies. The sports schlubs they have now--all of them, clueless and boring, are only there because Audacy/KCBS won't pay for premium talent, thus you get DRECK.
The reporters? Speaking of dreck.
And yet, Jenny Seelig, the alleged ND, is allowed to continue because Audacy is both powerless and clueless too.
I worked in network news for 20 years. Then I was offered a buy out. Got a year's pay. Found another job. Buy outs have been going on for years. They are offered or pushed towards those with long tenures. Nothing out of sorts here. Turn the page. Move on.
ReplyDeleteExactly right.
DeleteWhen is Cheryls last day on air? Dont normally watch NBC.
ReplyDeleteShe will take some time off...and resurface at another local station working per-diem a few days a week.
ReplyDeleteWin-Win!
Same thing happening here in SoCal, older reporters are "retiring ".
ReplyDeleteVeterans are changing stations also.
This has hit a nerve. I am not in the industry but am wondering why? You hear so many stories about young workers, 20's - 30's that have no work ethic and run from job to job making even more money than they did in the previous position. All this while people in their 50's with experience and dedication get tossed out like rotting beef. 11:11 you are very lucky. Most people in real life are left broken and hurting after years of dedication in their. I would just like to understand why people with tenure and experience are left behind in favor of youth and inexperience?
ReplyDeleteBecause they failed to learn from and emulate Tom Vacar, I imagine.
DeleteIs that what Cheryl Jennings did ?
ReplyDeleteFrom ABC-7
Another Cheryl... booted ?
You are 100% right Rich, KCBS is completely Lost In Space. Sad!!!
ReplyDeleteOff Topic. I'm watching Natasha Zouves on Xfinity 775, "News Nation: Rush Hour". She sounds and views very well. She's alone as the anchor with zero banter (no R. Aqui with whom to interact) and apparently zero time in-between news clips, commercials. "Rush Hour" seems to be schedule at 2pm and 3pm weekdays. RL, publish or just save for future reference or blogs.
ReplyDeleteI watch NewsNation and Natasha Zouves is excellent. Leaving Reggie Aqui and ABC7 was a smart decision. She is no nonsense and gives straight forward news.
DeleteElectric car motors interfere with AM reception. Some manufacturers are even leaving out AM radios in newer models. And smaller FM signal range + advertiser interest just isn't quite enough to pay for all-news radio staff levels. AM radio is the walking dead, full stop.
ReplyDeleteAs for low morale at KCBS, perhaps it's cheaper to drive staff away than to lay them off? I wonder if Audacy and Cumulus are now taking notes from the Eddie Lampert/Sears 'the real estate is worth more than the business' playbook (KLIV in SJ died because they owned the land under their transmitter and they sold it to developers for massively more than the station itself would ever again be worth.)
NBC san jose news at noon ran video of racist guy in san ramon harassing Asian kids at burger place. Newscaster was discussing covid cases and other stuff not relevant to video. Headline running underneath video. Embarassing!
ReplyDeleteCheryl Hurd is a distinguished news reporter who is through and efficient. I remember Cheryl and Lisa Kim anchoring the news on KOFY, too. She looks like she’s in her forties, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's Pat Thurston! I was a fan of hers on KGO all those years....but on KCBS??? She is fumbling and bumbling, every time she's on the air! Shouldn't she be somewhat used to the news format? (vs. the "talk" format) by now?? Just a few nights ago, she i.d.'d KCBS as KGO - twice!! She makes frequent errors, and will say "excuse me" and correct herself. Her voice also sounds much more high-pitched than it did on KGO. I want to like and listen....so far - can't do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Pat is turning into a mess on KCBS.
DeleteMark Ibanez was a nicer version of Gary Radnich. The only difference is that Mark occasionally went to a game while Gary never did but both mailed it in five years before they "retired"
ReplyDeleteThe Bay Area media talent today, or for that matter, across America is mediocre at best and cannot be relied upon anymore to be credible or professional. Hiring amateurs who are being paid peanuts doesn’t help ratings, and cramming in as many cheap advertisements into an hour’s programming, ( sometimes as much as 25 minutes an hour,) makes commercial radio unlistenable. Newspapers are dead, literally. Have you seen the SF Chronicle recently? It resembles a college newspaper. Mostly just wire copy and local features. Many breaking stories are not even in the paper because it’s “put to bed” much earlier than usual to save $$. Predatory companies that know NOTHING about journalism or care a whit about public service have ruined America’s communications industry. And who are the true losers? The public, which now sadly turns to social media for much of its news. Outlets such as Twitter have no constraints, standards or credibility and are mostly a lot of empty-headed noise and nonsense. No wonder an idiot such as Trump got elected. Too many Americans are mesmerized and, dare we say it, labotomized by this junk food for the mind.
ReplyDeleteMark Ibanez with his vanilla presentation and fake smile, and Gary Radnich with his tiresome Don Rickles act who never did anything but stay in the studio are not missed. The fact that they were considered some of the best in local TV sports shows you how truly dense and clueless most local sports fans are.
ReplyDeleteThe NBC buyout packages are pretty damn good which is why people are taking them. I wouldn’t call these forced retirements. ABC made a bunch of buyout offers about 3-4 years ago and only a few people took them because they simply had enough of the business. The deals aren’t even close. The peacock is actually offering a hell of a lot more than Mickey did. Buyouts come first then come layoffs and/or a hiring freeze. The former is almost always better than the latter.
ReplyDelete