KTTV lays off 99 people?

[TheRob]

I found this link posted on another board.

http://www.tvornottv.net/2009/06/27/massive-layoffs-at-kttv-fox-11-in-los-angeles/

Even in market two, that seems like a huge chunk of the staff out the door in the next couple of months.

 

[1069_KIFR]

That is basically 9 people. But since it is channel 11 they multiply it by that number, so 99 have to go. If it was CBS 2 only 18 would have been let go.

 

[landtuna]

I was wondering what TV station had a total of 99 employees any longer than I noticed it was a Fox station.

They probably have that many just sitting on the morning talkfest show. All interrupting each other.

 

[emailfailed]

I have confirmed it was at least 99 employees. This included editors, writers, photologs, their chief helicopter operator and the entire graphics department. The plan is for KTTV/Fox 11 to basically have their reporters go one-man-band, otherwise kindly put in this industry, backpack journalism.

This is the first station in this market to do such an thing I believe.

I found the full story here...
http://www.socalnewswire.com/2009/06/massive-layoffs-kttv-fox-11.html

Their helicopter operations are going to be interesting as KTTV is basically "the pursuit channel."

 

[azumanga]

I have confirmed it was at least 99 employees. This included editors, writers, photologs, their chief helicopter operator and the entire graphics department.

The layoffs from graphics are due to Fox giving its Tampa O&O, WTVT, all the graphical work for its O&Os.

Their helicopter operations are going to be interesting as KTTV is basically "the pursuit channel."

Kind of interesting, as there is actually a Pursuit Channel -- though for a completely different reason:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pursuit_Channel

 

[Robnoxious]

If Dorthy Lucey and Jullian Barbarrie (or whatever her last name flavor is this week) are still gainfully employed, then the deep cuts didn't slice far enough.

 

[LKellerIII]

I have confirmed it was at least 99 employees. This included editors, writers, photologs, their chief helicopter operator and the entire graphics department. The plan is for KTTV/Fox 11 to basically have their reporters go one-man-band, otherwise kindly put in this industry, backpack journalism.

This is the first station in this market to do such an thing I believe.

I found the full story here...
http://www.socalnewswire.com/2009/06/massive-layoffs-kttv-fox-11.html

Their helicopter operations are going to be interesting as KTTV is basically "the pursuit channel."

I guess KRON San Francisco can be considered a leader in this field...no matter how dubious the distinction. The station has been in debt and bleeding money since they lost their NBC affiliation early this decade.

They switched to "VJ" reporters ("video journalists") a few years ago, so KRON reporters have to run their own cameras and edit their own pieces. There were only a few professional reporters left at the station by the time that happened, but the VJ requirement made the rest flee. Now that station's newscasts are like the amateur hour.

 

[Horns]

The station I work at once tried VJ's and switched back to professional photographers. The reasons? 1. the quality of the video looked horrible. The packages looked too "small market". 2. it was touch to hire good VJ's. Any good reporter wouldn't apply for the job There are exceptions. We have one reporter/photographer who does long form feature/travel stories and shoots his own stuff. He does outstanding work. We also have a VJ on one of the weekend shifts. Otherwise, we are almost all back to two man crews. 3. We broke too much equpment. The VJs were constantly breaking cameras. The photographers are much more professional and careful with equipment.

 

[LKellerIII]

The station I work at once tried VJ's and switched back to professional photographers. The reasons? 1. the quality of the video looked horrible. The packages looked too "small market". 2. it was touch to hire good VJ's. Any good reporter wouldn't apply for the job There are exceptions. We have one reporter/photographer who does long form feature/travel stories and shoots his own stuff. He does outstanding work. We also have a VJ on one of the weekend shifts. Otherwise, we are almost all back to two man crews. 3. We broke too much equpment. The VJs were constantly breaking cameras. The photographers are much more professional and careful with equipment.

At KRON, the quality of the video is often poor. And with a few exceptions, the VJs seem to be neither professional journalists OR broadcast professionals. They slur their words, and don't know how to modulate their voices. I've been wondering if they're Interns.

 

[azumanga]

At KRON, the quality of the video is often poor. And with a few exceptions, the VJs seem to be neither professional journalists OR broadcast professionals. They slur their words, and don't know how to modulate their voices. I've been wondering if they're Interns.

I take it that the quality of KRON's newscast have not only fallen, they've fallen off a cliff. News departments in even the smallest markets would beat KRON by miles.

 

[1069_KIFR]

Without a doubt. Some of KRON's newcasts look like a High School production. Some of their newscast is sold off to a paid advertiser and they disguise the last 5-7 minutes as if it is an interview segment.

Sometimes I think some of their weather segments have been pre-recorded.

 

[chicoast]

Found this site and am adding my 1/2 cent (the 2 cents also suffering from the recession) from the 3rd largest market arena. All of your commentaries ring true here with the stationwide layoffs and compounding of work tasks on the remaining staff. Citywide, the quality of the newsproduct has diminished, with multi-station news event sharing and the individual station's approach to each story. This is not a good time for us veteran news junkies who expect nothing but the best. Desktop editing renders varying audio levels and repeated use of the same clip within the same story....can't check the archives for variety....not enough time to do that. "B" roll is limited and interviewee jump cuts are in. Since automated news shows or teases began, I've never seen so much black, no audio or no video on the air. The NBC station is unwatchable. Recently one of the Big 3 net stations completely missed local hits on both sides of a net bumper in prime time. Think somebody pissed in their pants over that one?

 

[Doctah]

That is basically 9 people. But since it is channel 11 they multiply it by that number, so 99 have to go. If it was CBS 2 only 18 would have been let go.

is that supposed to be funny? Because, well, it's not clever at all. Sorry.

 

[kenglish]

Will the next NAB Show "Pick" be, a steering-wheel-mounted, "Edit while You Drive" device? Should be just what is needed by those one-man bands.

 

[azumanga]

Just don't tell the police or the insurance companies.

 

[e-dawg]

Do you think Fox 11 LA will add an early newscast. i.e. 5-7pm news like their sister station in New York, Washington, and Boston?

 

[Robnoxious]

Do you think Fox 11 LA will add an early newscast. i.e. 5-7pm news like their sister station in New York, Washington, and Boston?

And cut off the 10,750th consecutive airing of The Simpsons? Are you mad? Besides, in Fox 11's infinite thought process and wisdom they all ready run a news broadcast at 6:30pm. It's called TMZ.

 

[LKellerIII]

Desktop editing renders varying audio levels and repeated use of the same clip within the same story....can't check the archives for variety....not enough time to do that. "B" roll is limited and interviewee jump cuts are in. Since automated news shows or teases began, I've never seen so much black, no audio or no video on the air. The NBC station is unwatchable. Recently one of the Big 3 net stations completely missed local hits on both sides of a net bumper in prime time. Think somebody pissed in their pants over that one?

Not to mention the over-use of file footage. Last night I watched a story about the possible closing of the NUMMI auto assembly plant here in the Bay Area - GM backed out as part of their bankruptcy, and Toyota will probably decide not to operate the plant on their own.

The story was on ABC 7 (KGO-TV) - which I think of as the highest quality local newscast. They interviewed UAW union officials, but heaven forbid they should have more than a few seconds of talking heads, so they included video of cars being built on the assembly line. That's fine - but instead of shooting new footage, they relied on old file footage, so what the viewer saw was autoworkers building 5 year old Corollas.

I think that's really low class and sloppy, and I don't think its excused by tight budgets. The reporter and camera man were at the plant anyway - it would have taken only a few minutes to shoot new assembly line footage.

At the very least, they should run a crawl indicating "File footage" like newscasts used to.

 

[recto101]

The station I work at once tried VJ's and switched back to professional photographers. The reasons? 1. the quality of the video looked horrible. The packages looked too "small market". 2. it was touch to hire good VJ's. Any good reporter wouldn't apply for the job There are exceptions. We have one reporter/photographer who does long form feature/travel stories and shoots his own stuff. He does outstanding work. We also have a VJ on one of the weekend shifts. Otherwise, we are almost all back to two man crews. 3. We broke too much equpment. The VJs were constantly breaking cameras. The photographers are much more professional and careful with equipment.

At KRON, the quality of the video is often poor. And with a few exceptions, the VJs seem to be neither professional journalists OR broadcast professionals. They slur their words, and don't know how to modulate their voices. I've been wondering if they're Interns.

I'm Not surprised that KRON is the least watched TV station in San Francisco. I'm not surprised in the Bay Area that a Local 7pm Chinese Newscast on KTSF, a 5pm Filipino Newscast on TFC and KTSF and a 6pm Spanish Newscast on KDTV 14 would beat KRON4