EXCLUSIVE: Layoffs at Channel 6 Start
Friday, April 15, 2011
GoLocalProv has learned that newly acquired Channel 6 has begun the process of laying people off. Citadel Communications out of Bronxville, NY recently bought the station for $4-million dollars and is not wasting time getting rid of people. The layoffs, from what we have learned so far, do not affect talent. However, station insiders say no one should be surprised if some of the current talent is given two options:
1. Stay and take a significant reduction in pay
2. Be shown the door
Sources tell GoLocal the following positions are being eliminated. Chief Engineer, News Photographer, and Audio Engineer and also some other technical positions. Losing any position in a news organization is not good—but the fact that a news photographer is being let go perhaps shows what direction the new owners are going in to chop costs no matter what it does to the news content of the station.
Steve Doerr, who is serving as General Manager until the sale becomes official did not speak of specific lay-off notices that have been given out. However, he did say the new owners do have a plan for a reduction in staff. “Citadel has notified us that they will be eliminating a number of positions when they begin operating the station on May 1st. We’re in the process of talking with employees who will not be retained. Most of the positions affected are in the production and technical areas.”
The new owners have pledged a real commitment to local news and bringing the station out of 3rd place. Where I come from, you need to be adding resources---more reporters, more photographers, editors, live truck techs, writers, producers, graphics people etc---not cutting positions.
But what I propose takes one thing:
Money.
What Citadel is doing pumps up the bottom line.
Jeff Derderian is a former television news reporter and anchor both in Providence and Boston. He is one of the founders of the Station Education Fund. He can be reached at [email protected]
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