ROCHESTER Ch8 News, Kevin and Mo Out ??

[unverviking]

For the 3rd night in a row (Mon, Tues, Wed) Katrina Irwin is anchoring (solo) the newscasts, stating that Kevin and Maureen have the night off...

Anyone have any other info ??

 

[Mark_Giardina]

For the 3rd night in a row (Mon, Tues, Wed) Katrina Irwin is anchoring (solo) the newscasts, stating that Kevin and Maureen have the night off...

Anyone have any other info ??

I've seen recent promos featuring not only Kevin and Maureen, but also Scott, John, and 8's Health Reporter. So, to answer your question, perhaps both anchors are on vacation at the same time, which isn't impossible, but unusual. The other scenario is that one anchor is on vacation while the other is sick or on emergency leave.

In previous posts I read that that Maureen just recently signed a new contract with 8 and that Hetsko’s contract is up for renewal in the near future.

???

 

[unverviking]

I've seen the promo's too, just kinda unusual to have both anchors out at the same time. I thought that was 1 of the reasons to have 2, so the other could take over as a solo if needed, or vacations, etc.

Not that Katrina is doing a bad job, I think that it's nice not to have to wait until the weekend to have to see her shining face...

 

[Mark_Giardina]

I've seen the promo's too, just kinda unusual to have both anchors out at the same time. I thought that was 1 of the reasons to have 2, so the other could take over as a solo if needed, or vacations, etc.

Not that Katrina is doing a bad job, I think that it's nice not to have to wait until the weekend to have to see her shining face...

To be honest I use to watch Channel 8 news because I knew that Rachel Barnhart would be coming up with a story nobody else in the market had. I watched 8's morning show because the team of Christine Crafts, Rob Haswell and Cathy Orosz worked well together and they seemed to be enjoying themselves, which you can't fake on TV. And Steve Levine would feature interesting investigative reporting stories that I found informative. Well all of those people are now gone. And, as a viewer, so am I.

 

[SNOOZENEWS]

Actually it is very common for anchors and reporters to be off at the same time during the summer months since they are not allowed time off during November, May February, and sometimes July.

 

[oldschooler1]

Yea, but when those two are out -- that place is so short-staffed - to have to keep someone in to anchor straps them even more. Ty Chandler is gone, too -- her last day was Friday Aug. 4. So that leaves them -- on the street -- 3 reporters. Jennie Chu, Joylynn Witfield, and Dave McKinley. Katrina's also an anchor, so is Lando and Harness is on health. Helluva staff you got there, Nexstar.

 

[Mark_Giardina]

Ty Chandler-Channel 8

Ty Chandler is gone, too -- her last day was Friday Aug. 4.

Well that makes two reporters gone within a month. Even that's a record for 8. So what's deal with Chandler? Did her contract expire and it wasn't renewed, or did she leave on her own? Pretty soon if 8 keeps on getting rid of field reporters, WHAM radio will have more people on the streets collecting news than WROC TV

Here is the job description posted on 8's website. This position might be for replacing Cathy Orosz.

Chandler's photo is still listed in the bio section. That should be down by Monday at the latest.

REPORTER
7/28/2006

Job Description
Cover and report news events. Involves constant on-air work, often live in the field. Write news stories for air under tremendous deadline. Candidate must possess ability to enterprise story ideas not from a paper or press release and break stories ahead of the competition. We want reporters who understand the use of natural sound as an art. No beginners. Only optimistic positive minded people who understand what it really means to work as a team need apply. If you live this job 24/7 and want to work for management with a track record of getting you to the next level, than we want you.
: Excuse me...but I am still recovering from laughing at this sentence.

Send non returnable tape and cover letter to Lee Eldridge, News Director, WROC TV, 201 Humboldt Street, Rochester, NY 14610


Educational Requirements
College degree preferred

Experience/Skills Necessary
Minimum 2 years reporting experience, but additional experience as producer/assignment desk prior to reporting a plus.

Salary
Negotiable

Start Date
Immediately

Closing Date for Referrals/Applications
8/11/2006

Contact Information
Lee Eldridge
News Director
201 Humboldt Street
Rochester NY 14610
Phone: 585-288-8400
Fax: 585-288-1505

 

[oldschooler1]

Job Description
Cover and report news events. Involves constant on-air work, often live in the field.

That means you get no time to breathe, even grab lunch, or make phone calls for your next day's stories, though you're expected to generate stuff -- all within eight hours, while doing live hits for the noon, 5 & 6.

Write news stories for air under tremendous deadline.

What is a "tremendous" deadline? Anything like being 'completely destroyed'? I thought a deadline was a deadline. Or maybe this means 'oh, we didn't tell you you have to write a vo/sotvo for 5PM, too? And do it live? In Brockport? And it's 4:15pm? we didn't tell you? Gee, without an assignment editor, I don't know how that happened...

No beginners.
Nonetheless, 24 year olds with one year under their belts working in Eureka, CA or Glendive, MT will be hired, because they're the only ones who will work for $30g a year, only because they get to pad their resume tapes wth live shots.

Only optimistic positive minded people who understand what it really means to work as a team need apply.

In other words, don't mouth back when we give you the umpteenth story to do about high gas prices, and we change your schedule every 2 weeks because we can't get a grip on handling work and vacation hours of 31 people.

If you live this job 24/7
Don't even think about having a life of your own -- save from editing resume tapes on Saturday nights...

and want to work for management with a track record of getting you to the next level,

Yea, they'll give you a cardboard box, wait for you, and hold the door for you, when they send you to that "next level"...

than we want you.
Shouldn't that be then? BTW...Knowing more about grammar than/then our ND automatically disqualifies the applicant.

Educational Requirements
College degree preferred

Preferred?! Since when did this become an option?! Yes, you, too, can invest $120,000 in a degree at Syracuse University, only to have channel 8 make that $120,000 degree optional.

Experience/Skills Necessary
Minimum 2 years reporting experience, but additional experience as producer/assignment desk prior to reporting a plus.

Meaning, we don't know when the next producer is going to book, and as it is we don't have enough to cover all the shows we do, and since we can't get schedules straight, you gotta know how to produce. Plus, did we mention we have no assignment editor -- so be ready to rotate into that position once every two weeks or so, plus weekends? Right now, our idea of an assignment editor is to turn the scanner way up.

Salary
Negotiable

As long as your requirement is between $31,000 and $31,500/annum. Don't ask about the health benefits. Just...Don't ask.

Start Date
Immediately

Is this to fill Rachel Barnhart's position? Or Cathy Orosz's? Or Ty Chandler's? Or the assignment editor's?

 

[Mark_Giardina]

Ty Chandler

I was right. Ty Chandler's photo was removed from WROC's webpage as of Monday.
Who is the next photo to be missing? Stay tuned as the drama on Humboldt Street
continues.

 

[odomski]

This is typical of Nexstar to ruin their stations. Look what's going on down in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at WYOU. With the very small on-air staff there, I can't understand how they put on a daily newscast.

They will find every way possible to screw over Hetsko in his contract negotiation...if he decides to stick around that is. For WROC's sake, I hope he does stick around...and give him a more than fair deal.

 

[Mark_Giardina]

They will find every way possible to screw over Hetsko in his contract negotiation...if he decides to stick around that is. For WROC's sake, I hope he does stick around...and give him a more than fair deal.

If Nexstar tries to screw over Hetsko then they are indeed crazy. Perhaps Hetsko sees the writing on the wall and may decide to bail before his contract expires. Not that I have any inside information, but when one sees how other co-workers are treated when it comes to renewing their contracts, someone with smarts doesn't wait for the blindfold to be handed to them as they are lined up against the wall. Get my drift?

 

[Baldecki]

Maybe someone will take over Channel 8 cause ratings are crap. Similar to WUHF. I know its a long shot, but its the only thing that can save the station. Where is Donna DeeDee when you need her! (God i hope thats her name, been so long)

 

[Ima_Talent]

Scotty is extremely talented and should have no trouble finding work in a bigger market. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he is already looking for his next career step upwards.

Ass for Donna Dedee, I believe she left broadcasting to run a private / catholic girls school.

 

[Mark_Giardina]

Scotty is extremely talented and should have no trouble finding work in a bigger market. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he is already looking for his next career step upwards.

Ass for Donna Dedee, I believe she left broadcasting to run a private / catholic girls school.

Donna Dedee is President of Bishop Kearney High School. I highly doubt she will leave that job to return to broadcasting; especially working for WROC or WUHF. As for a new owner at Channel 8, I've been saying for months that appears to be the only solution to improving that place. The current owner, Nexstar, appears only interested in the bottom line, even if it means getting rid of several of their most experienced news people. Pretty soon even people from Elmira TV won't apply for a job on Humboldt Street.

 

[anoldguy]

The current owner, Nexstar, appears only interested in the bottom line, even if it means getting rid of several of their most experienced news people. Pretty soon even people from Elmira TV won't apply for a job on Humboldt Street.

This is only a guess, I have no inside information but .....
Rumor has it that Nexstar is in the the slow process of bringing news back to their properties in Utica. If so, they have ABC -WUTR & Fox WFXV to fill the void (great full power signals). Utica is in dire need of a second TV news operation. Many people feel that a local newscasts would be very expensive since Clear Channel stripped them of all their equiptment to the bare walls a few years ago. So it would be a complete new set up. However, would some old equiptment be sent to Utica from some of the other Nexstar stations. And how much of the news in Utica would actually come out Humbolt St. in Rochester? I was in Utica a couple months ago and caught a weather update on the Fox station and it was done by WROC meteroligists. So maybe Utica would replace Elmira as the warm up spot for the future employees of WROC.

 

[oldschooler1]

News again on WUTR? Would it look as bad as it did back in the day? Yuck.
I would bet a buck that Nexstar is NOT restarting news there. Talk about a money loser. Start up TV news operations nowadays are money pits from the word 'go'. It takes years and years and YEARS to change news viewing habits, esp. in a market like that -- where ch. 2 has been the only game in town for a few years now -- even before that, ch. 2 kicked the crap out of WUTR.
Admittedly, in the early 90's, before Smith bought KTV and updated it, ch. 20 was making very significant gains -- only about 10 share points separated the two, from what I once heard -- but then KTV poured it on heavy, and never looked back.

GM's and owners don't have the patience for the agonizingly slow ratings growth experienced by start-ups, especially a UHF going up against a VHF. Though that doesn't make a whole lot of difference in the equalized days of cable, there's still that stigma -- in the community -- of new versus old. UTR, despite a terrific signal, is still seen by the oldsters who are watching news as the "new guys on the block". They will NEVER make profitable headway against Bill Worden on KTV.

Sales people and GM's can have positive "can-do" attitudes all they want. It still won't make people watch a new news operation. What a waste of effort nowadays.

Plus, I hear that CC took the archives out of 20 -- and put them in Syracuse at ch. 9. Anyone know if this is true? Talk about starting from scratch. And, any news start-up would be minimally staffed; doubtfully staffed on weekends, and woefully under-capitalized. It would be a loss-leader only as long as Nexstar stockholders will stand for it -- and with a stock price hovering around $5 (going as low as $3.80 in the last few months), they wouldnt stand for it for long.