It’s been what, a few months now since Lee Eldridge left and Channel 8 is still without a news director. Normally one would think that someone, somewhere, say in a smaller market would jump at the opportunity to work in a medium size market in a city like Rochester. Apparently not. Maybe 8's reputation is keeping qualified candidates away, who knows?
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Still No News Director at Channel 8
- Thread starter The Voice of Reason
- Start date
8 is currently working under a news director from Nexstar's coporate office. He's not permanent, but is acting ND until someone gets hired, which will be a while. Currently, 8 has no permanent GM, no national sales manager, and no ND. Tim Busch is acting GM while performing his VP duties for Nexstar. The urgency to hire a ND just isn't there right now. I suspect it will be many more months before someone gets hired.
There appears to be a lot of "acting" going on over there on Humboldt Street doesn't there?tvnewswatcher said:8 is currently working under a news director from Nexstar's coporate office. He's not permanent, but is acting ND until someone gets hired, which will be a while. Currently, 8 has no permanent GM, no national sales manager, and no ND. Tim Busch is acting GM while performing his VP duties for Nexstar. The urgency to hire a ND just isn't there right now. I suspect it will be many more months before someone gets hired.
It must be great for staff morale to have not only an "acting" GM but also an "acting" news director. What's next "acting" anchors and reporters? A solid broadcasting operation first of all wouldn't have the personnel problems 8 does, and secondly, if the company had a better reputation the resumes would be piled up outside the building for people wanting to work there. I don't see similar problems when it comes to replacing staff at both 10 and especially 13.
Touche'
Lest we forget, it took ch. 10 about 10 months to hire a ND after Bradshaw left.
Not having a ND in place is a huge cost savings that no GM can ever, ever ever resist. They see the news getting on the air according to schedule; sometimes, that's all they need to know everything is "OK" in the newsroom.
They could give the excuse that they'd want to wait to hire a GM, so that new GM could hire his/her own ND. Yea, right. It all comes down to cash. Fewer bodies means fewer paychecks. And '07 is a lean year for broadcasting (no national olitical races).
Not having a ND in place is a huge cost savings that no GM can ever, ever ever resist. They see the news getting on the air according to schedule; sometimes, that's all they need to know everything is "OK" in the newsroom.
They could give the excuse that they'd want to wait to hire a GM, so that new GM could hire his/her own ND. Yea, right. It all comes down to cash. Fewer bodies means fewer paychecks. And '07 is a lean year for broadcasting (no national olitical races).
oldschooler1 said:Lest we forget, it took ch. 10 about 10 months to hire a ND after Bradshaw left.
Not having a ND in place is a huge cost savings that no GM can ever, ever ever resist. They see the news getting on the air according to schedule; sometimes, that's all they need to know everything is "OK" in the newsroom.
They could give the excuse that they'd want to wait to hire a GM, so that new GM could hire his/her own ND. Yea, right. It all comes down to cash. Fewer bodies means fewer paychecks. And '07 is a lean year for broadcasting (no national olitical races).
Why not take it one step further and just forget hiring a news director. Instead let the main anchor also take on the duties of managing editor. Hell Walter Cronkite did it for years and I'm sure there are anchors in other markets that have a say as to what stories go on the air and which ones do not. It would not surprise me if the big shots at Nexstar are writing this all down as they seek yet another way to squeeze blood from a stone.
yea, but you still need someone to take all the heat generated by a GM, and to be ready to get called to his office on a moment's notice and explain every little thing (usually over and over again); to plan sweeps, to do the scheduling, to sign the bills, to do the hiring, to do the budgets each year...A Managing Editor is, one might say, in charge only of standards, excellence, and morale. All the network anchors are usually MEs as well. Walter wasn't the only one.
BTW, WTVH in Syracuse, a Granite station, has a combination ND and main anchor. And Nexstar would not have to look far within its own organization to find models of cost-cutting.
BTW, WTVH in Syracuse, a Granite station, has a combination ND and main anchor. And Nexstar would not have to look far within its own organization to find models of cost-cutting.
oldschooler1 said:A Managing Editor is, one might say, in charge only of standards, excellence, and morale.
Three things lacking at Channel 8; especially the last one.
Anyone willing to take bets how long before Nexstar finds a sucker...I mean a candidate for the news director's job? At the rate the company is going, I would say after July maybe even August. Meanwhile who is running the news department over there?
The sad fact is that station is sub-par with or without a news director....I mean can you really tell a difference?
The Voice of Reason said:Meanwhile who is running the news department over there?
I hear it is their corporate ND, out of Texas, whomever that is. he is not there all the time.
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