The Ax Falls at WHAM TV

[Mark Giardina]

From www.fybush.com

Over on the TV side, it was a very bad week for staffers at the TV stations Newport recently acquired from Clear Channel. We're hearing there were significant job cuts at Rochester's WHAM-TV (Channel 13), Syracuse's WSYR-TV (Channel 9) and Albany's WXXA-TV (Channel 23), with more than a dozen people out the door in Albany. More as we get details...

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Is anyone really shocked at this news?
It will be interesting to see who got the boot. I'm guessing mostly off-air staff and perhaps management. However it would not surprise me if some on-air veterans are also shown the front door. After all it's policy these days to go after talent who makes big salaries.

 

[Sxottlan]

I heard Susan Ashline is gone. Someone else too whose name I don't recall. Can't check the website because their profiles are already gone.

I also heard they were "read the riot act" over there, whatever that means exactly. Again, just rumor though.

Personally I think they're starting to slip like 10 did.

 

[SpinNY]

Sources tell me WHAM was hit the least out of Newport’s Northeast stations—which isn’t surprising because of the amount of revenue they bring in. These layoffs were mostly part-timers. There was no reading of the riot act, employees were given a frank description of the current marketplace in the TV biz—something we’re all aware of. They still won every newscast in the last ratings period, including the 11pm. Not exactly what I’d call slipping.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I am surprised to hear that part-timers were let go instead of going after some full-time staff. Normally media companies depend on part-timers more because they are not paid as much as a full-timer and they get little to no benefits.
One also has to feel bad for Susan Ashline. This is what her third broadcasting job in the Rochester market? First she worked for public TV, then went to WHAM radio, where she and another news person got the ax a few years ago, and then worked for 13 part-time. There isn't really any place for her to go now unless an opening occurs at Channel 8.

 

[BobRoss]

I am surprised to hear that part-timers were let go instead of going after some full-time staff. Normally media companies depend on part-timers more because they are not paid as much as a full-timer and they get little to no benefits.

Friends at WSYR in Syracuse tell me their union rules stipulate that part-timers must be laid off before any full-timers can be laid off. And even then, it's based on seniority... so the lifers who make the big bucks are pretty well protected anyway. If the union at WHAM has a similar arrangement, that could be the reason why they axed PTs instead of FTs.

At WSYR, they allegedly offered optional buyouts to many top-earners, but none of them were on-air talent. It was all people in production and engineering who make a lot just because they've been there forever. Staff was told, because about 10 people accepted those buyouts, the station only had to lay off a couple of people -- back-office positions not covered by the union. The buyouts included something like 6 months of pay and benefits, effectively allowing Newport to eliminate their targets without having to lay off the part-timers (which wouldn't have amounted to much savings).

Apparently buyouts were only offered at a few stations... not sure why they didn't do that elsewhere. Sounds like it might have been better for WHAM if they did.

 

[dmott3]

Health Reporter Jen Markham was layoff from 13 WHAM too,

 

[cnymike]

I'm beginning to wonder if Rod Wood was let go from WSYR-TV. If he's taking a vacation, normally they'd pre-tape all the Consumer Reports, but Dan Cummings is now doing them. If he has been let go, what a shame. He's been there forever, and is a world class anchor.

 

[dustintv]

Not all that shocked here either, I believe it was in the making ever since the CC sale was first annouced. My sympathies to those who have been laid off of course.

It'll be interesting how far the cuts will go. For right now, cutting part timers and "luxury" positions seems like the typical coporate layoffs one often dreads. (By "luxury" positions, I refer to the medical reporter position. Markham was only hired last year as a replacement for Christine Webb, and there was speculation if the position was even needed if I recall.) Of course, I can imagine the employees at the CC stations are right now bracing for the worst. WIVT and WBGH are already barely holding on with a thread, Rachel Barnhart must be having flashbacks from her WROC exit.

I don't think they would let someone like Rod Wood go, he is too much of an asset to WSYR. If they did, it would be quite startling and probably would send shivers down folks' spines as no one would be safe in that scenario.

 

[Mark Giardina]

There are only two jobs I know of where the person doesn't have to worry about being laid off: A Justice on the United States Supreme Court and the Pope.

If 13 decided to get rid of their medical reporter, I wonder if 10 and 8 will follow suit?

Another note of interest. I went to WHAM TV's website last night and while looking at their list of bios and pictures of their news staff noticed that Jane Flasch's photo was not featured. One can still e-mail her, but why her photo was not included is puzzling to me. After all Jane has been with 13 for a number of years. One would think she would be included in that list of staff over say someone just recently hired at the station.

 

[rochestermediamonitor]

There were several full timers shown the door at 13wham. The layoffs were NOT based on seniority. They found a nice little loophole to get rid of select people. The contract for Rochester employees is different from that of the Syracuse station. In Syracuse, they targeted buyouts at select employees, nobody was laid off there. In fact, there was an overwhelming response to the buyout offer. In Rochester, they just layed people off, there was no option. The best part of the story is the fact the teamsters rep isn't returning the calls of people who were laid off. Classy. Oh, one of the middle managers "quit" the day after the layoffs were announced. There are rumors floating around that the smaller stations may be sold off, so maybe this is only the beginning.

 

[BobRoss]

I know for a fact Syracuse had many people take buyouts, but they did still lay off 2 people.
The 2 layoffs were non-union employees who didn't need to be bought out. They could be fired without question, so that's what happened.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

There were several full timers shown the door at 13wham. The layoffs were NOT based on seniority. They found a nice little loophole to get rid of select people. The contract for Rochester employees is different from that of the Syracuse station. In Syracuse, they targeted buyouts at select employees, nobody was laid off there. In fact, there was an overwhelming response to the buyout offer. In Rochester, they just layed people off, there was no option. The best part of the story is the fact the teamsters rep isn't returning the calls of people who were laid off. Classy. Oh, one of the middle managers "quit" the day after the layoffs were announced. There are rumors floating around that the smaller stations may be sold off, so maybe this is only the beginning.

Besides the former medical reporter, were any of those others laid off on-air people?
As for the union rep not returning calls, that just shows you how little unions can do these days to protect people employed in the broadcasting industry. The smart thing for someone is to have their own individual contact.
Considering what happened at 13 with the new owner, plus the on-going soap opera at Channel 8 with Nexstar, eventually Channel 10 is going to be the only TV station in Rochester that has a stable work environment; until that station is eventually sold to some minor-league operation.

 

[Rochwatcher]

I can only speak for on air work, but personal contracts don't protect you very much either. They are very one-sided and aren't worth the paper they are written on. They usually give a station the ability to terminate you if they want regardless of your contract....but will hold you to the contract to get out. What a business. :

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I can only speak for on air work, but personal contracts don't protect you very much either. They are very one-sided and aren't worth the paper they are written on. They usually give a station the ability to terminate you if they want regardless of your contract....but will hold you to the contract to get out. What a business. :

You are 100% correct about contracts. One thing that always puzzled me, perhaps you can answer my question. If a station terminates an employee, then how can that station hold a person to a no-compete clause if that contract has expired?

 

[news2you]

They can't in New York State. It is a RIGHT TO WORK STATE. Many news people have fought and won in a court of law... non-competes don't hold water.

 

[SirRoxalot]

NY is NOT a Right-to-Work State. Check the list here. For a discussion of what right-to-work entails, check out this. Basically, it covers your right to not join a union, or be forced to pay dues to a union who represents employees in your workplace.

If you plan to violate a non-compete, you'll need a lawyer.

Judges have typically reduced non-competes that exceeded 6 months for employees who were fired, or asked to renew at reduced rates. The process of getting to court and resolving the issue usually takes 6 to 9 months in the first place.

 

[Rochwatcher]

I can only speak for on air work, but personal contracts don't protect you very much either. They are very one-sided and aren't worth the paper they are written on. They usually give a station the ability to terminate you if they want regardless of your contract....but will hold you to the contract to get out. What a business. :

You are 100% correct about contracts. One thing that always puzzled me, perhaps you can answer my question. If a station terminates an employee, then how can that station hold a person to a no-compete clause if that contract has expired?

To answer your question as easily as possible--basically while the contract might no longer be valid (ie--you are no longer getting paid), the time period it covered is still valid.....


As far as Right To Work states go, ask Rachel Barnhardt if it is or not...she found out the hard way.

 

[Sxottlan]

They still won every newscast in the last ratings period, including the 11pm.

I thought 8 had won it? Whatever.

Not exactly what I’d call slipping.

I wasn't talking ratings. I was talking quality, which in my opinion is going down hill over there i.e. breaking news on stories that happened seven hours earlier etc.

 

[rocktv]

They did not win at 11.

It was tied 13 and 8.