Demotions at Fox47

[sinklair]

TheWayItIs, I worked in Lansing a few years back, then worked in Flint, now out of the biz. Still have friends in practically every market.

The people who fled Fox 47 say Scripps and station management basically lied about the job. They were sold a false bill of goods. That’s why many left. Management called them complainers. They said these MMJs didn’t work hard. It’s pure BS.

I agree that the neighborhood concept in its current iteration is awful. I’m not convinced that making it part of a live newscast helps much, tho. It’s just an endless string of unimportant and uninteresting drivel.

If news managers actually cared, and brought a vision to the newscast, it could be decent. It just isn’t. At least not now. And I doubt the current regime will have any impact… especially as they drive out good people,

[sinklair]

It looks like one of the key architects of Scrippscast is taking a fall. Sean McLaughlin is gone. In now is Kate O’Brian, who used to oversee ABC News — and more recently Newsy.

https://scripps.com/press-releases/scri ... te-obrian/

I’d like to say Adam Symson has seen the light on this failed experiment and is now moving toward a better, more locally focused news model. But this is Scripps…

[sinklair]

Even investors understand that Scripps is floundering with its local stations’ adoption of the failed Scrippscast:

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2024/ ... or-scripps

[MasterB]

The Scrippscast was going to always be an epic fail I think that Adam Symson needs to go as he is running Scripps into the ground. If I was the CEO I wouldn't have gone with a Scrippscast that be DOA and a big fat NO from me. I'm sure Adam doesn't watch Fox47 neighborhood news as that is just a spread sheet for him.

[sinklair]

Scripps stock hits a 52 week low..

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2024/ ... or-scripps

The board needs to fire Symson.

This is what happens when you have bean counters run TV stations. In the effort to save a couple of bucks, they drive down morale, good employees leave, quality of the journalism
Suffers, audiences on broadcast and digital go elsewhere, ratings dry up, revenue plummets, and the company goes into a death spiral like Scripps and Sinclair.

It’s the old adage, spend money to make money. Quality is job one. People are the most important asset.

When Adam is bounced, they need to replace the entire leadership team of Scripps. Bring in a new focus on building up its local stations. And give station managers like Fox 47 manager Gary the pink slip.

Hell, I’ll do it for a fraction of Symson’s current $15-million compensation package: https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/media/n ... 20%241.53M.

[Jack5o2soco]

My reporter source there says management is in so many meetings every day they can't even run the station. I guess Gary shuts all ideas that are not his own down. He is also saying rude and misogynistic comments to reporters then wondering why they want to quit. They said he's had some awful things to say about his own ideas failing and blaming it on his news staff. I bet 5 more quit before summer.

[MasterB]

Why doesn't Nellie put her foot down and tell Gary to knock it off I'd go to HR and report Gary as a sexiest pig.

[Jack5o2soco]

Why doesn't Nellie put her foot down and tell Gary to knock it off I'd go to HR and report Gary as a sexiest pig.

I had a long talk with this person as they were very upset. They have gone to HR but they issue a "warning" and then basically force the accuser to quit by creating unrealistic expectations. They then basically bully them saying they are not fit for this industry by not meeting the made up expectations. HR got a hold of other managers saying they had up to 14 complaints on one of them. What a terrible company going to any length to protect their own mistakes.

[sinklair]

It sounds like the HR Manager there is part of the problem and needs to go as well.

[deathstar]

Why doesn't Nellie put her foot down and tell Gary to knock it off I'd go to HR and report Gary as a sexiest pig.

They do and HR does absolutely nothing about it. They protect him at all costs

[sinklair]

Neille has quit once, she’ll do it again. She doesn’t need to put up with the crap she’s getting from the demoted GM Gary.

[Jack5o2soco]

Neille has quit once, she’ll do it again. She doesn’t need to put up with the crap she’s getting from the demoted GM Gary.

Apparently he's been taking his frustrations and lack of success out on his staff lately. Morale is even lower there now than it has been. Two racist, misogynistic, and homophobic managers with dozens of complaints have been slapped on the wrist by HR. But since Gary "saved" Tallahassee, he's immune in Scripps eyes.

[sinklair]

Gary is liked because he never says no to corporate. They want to lose anchors, Gary’s the first one to offer to slash positions. He has no new ideas, just excuses why his decisions are right and when it doesn’t result in bigger ratings or more ad dollars, then he blames others. It’s a old routine that most 47 old timers have grown weary of and newbies just say F-it and leave/break their contracts.

[Graham Wellington]

Gary is liked because he never says no to corporate. They want to lose anchors, Gary’s the first one to offer to slash positions. He has no new ideas, just excuses why his decisions are right and when it doesn’t result in bigger ratings or more ad dollars, then he blames others. It’s a old routine that most 47 old timers have grown weary of and newbies just say F-it and leave/break their contracts.

47 old timers? You mean people who have been there over a year?

[sinklair]

LOL, exactly.