WOOD-TV8 staff push back on internal memo to tone down Pride Month coverage

[whitebalance]

Tang and Fox would do well at a Sinclair owned station. However; if the can't handle the criticism, maybe they should not be in management.

[MWmetalhead]

Not one story about the Pride Festival on 13's web site, yet everyone is bagging on channel 8.

[whitebalance]

The Amy Fox memo triggered the investigation by Nexstar. Maybe 13 is just following the policy of Tenga to exclude stories that might upset the hate filled West Michigan Republicans.

[OneBigFan]

After the memo was leaked and Michele DeSelms was quoted, she was conspicuously absent from the Thursday and Friday night editions of The 7:00 with Susan Shaw and Brian Sterling each taking the her place as anchor.

The Ellen Bacca's tweet was also strongly worded and quoted in an article that was briefly on the GR Press MLive website.
DeSelms has some tenure in the GR market but having the station's relatively newly named Chief Meteorologist speaking out seems to be a big deal.

Now it's reached some national media and NexStar higher-ups are involved. Does Stanton Tang survive the firestorm his memo started?

[whitebalance]

Nexstar is doing an investigation. It appears Tang and Fox can't stand the heat. As news management, you are going to get complaints about a lot of things. You have to deal with it. It appears they are not in line with Nexstar.

[Localnewsisdead]

Not one story about the Pride Festival on 13's web site, yet everyone is bagging on channel 8.

13 has covered Pride extensively with live hits and stories from Muskegon and Grand Haven pride. I would assume they'll do the same with GR Pride. I was pleasantly surprised with the extensive resources WZZM has dedicated to 2023 Pride. I'm sure that they are taking heat from some of their conservative viewers. To their credit they have maintained the course. I can't believe that I'm saying this...but...way to go WZZM! #ProudAlly

Sent from my SM-A136U using Tapatalk

[TC Talks]

Grand Rapids has gone blue politically and there is no downside to support Pride activities.

[sinklair]

What a sh*tshow.

The problems at WOOD with News Director Stanton Tang go well beyond “the memo”…
https://thedesk.net/2023/06/stanton-tan ... o-wood-tv/

There is no way Stanton can survive this. He’s lost all respect by the staff. Every day he remains also leads to the staff questioning the values of GM Julie Brinks and Nexstar corporate.

[MWmetalhead]

So, the issues with Tang's interference attempts run deep, and this episode was hardly the first incident. I suspected that might be the case.

Good find, Sinklair. Thanks for posting that info.

I agree he probably won't survive this. He certainly shouldn't survive this if the reporting of his workplace behavior is accurate. Ironically, I've noticed no right wing bias of any kind with regard to the station's actual reporting. That said, Tang sounds like a complete and utter dick. (I wonder if he has a sister named Poon? LOL)

I wonder if 17 will try to capitalize by hiring away folks from 8. Isn't their current ND Tang's predecessor?

I wonder what ZZM's newsroom thinks of him? He used to be ND there.

[MWmetalhead]

13 has covered Pride extensively with live hits and stories from Muskegon and Grand Haven pride. I would assume they'll do the same with GR Pride.

Didn't the GR event take place on Saturday?

[whitebalance]

GM Brinks should have never let Tang run the newsroom like Trump. Maybe Julie needs to retire. Tang might be happier at a Sinclair station like 7&4 in Traverse City known as Upnorthlive. You are always going to get heat in the newsroom. You need to deal with it.
In my opinion, Fox and Tang do not belong at Nexstar. Sinclair is more in line with their narrow mindedness.

[Localnewsisdead]

So, the issues with Tang's interference attempts run deep, and this episode was hardly the first incident. I suspected that might be the case.

Good find, Sinklair. Thanks for posting that info.

I agree he probably won't survive this. He certainly shouldn't survive this if the reporting of his workplace behavior is accurate. Ironically, I've noticed no right wing bias of any kind with regard to the station's actual reporting. That said, Tang sounds like a complete and utter dick. (I wonder if he has a sister named Poon? LOL)

I wonder if 17 will try to capitalize by hiring away folks from 8. Isn't their current ND Tang's predecessor?

I wonder what ZZM's newsroom thinks of him? He used to be ND there.

I worked under Tanger Banger at WZZM for two years. He is an awful little man. More to follow (I'm on the road)...

Sent from my SM-A136U using Tapatalk

[sinklair]

More fall-out… Tang is now being accused of discouraging news staffers from voting under the guise that hypothetically someone could determine which party in a primary you participated in.

https://thedesk.net/2023/06/stanton-tan ... r-wood-tv/

I’m more and more convinced that Tang’s undoing will be death by a thousand cuts. I just don’t see how he survives this — after losing the trust of his news team.

Wonder if Nexstar will bring over the News Director from Lansing to take over after Tang is eventually let go?

[MasterB]

Tang should be fired as ND at Wood TV I don't think he will make it, it seems that the staff wants the GM to get some training I believe Tang made Amy Fox the fall person for the memo and should've pushed back on Tang. FTVLive had another article about a former reporter/anchor that was promoted and then was let go under a paywall. FTVLive said what TheDesk said which TheDesk had more details than Scott Jones had when he had updated on what was happening at Wood TV.

It seems that FTVLive doesn't talk much about the West Michigan TV stations every few months. Nexstar doesn't do anything unless a story gets picked up on the national press like FTVLive TheDesk etc, then they fire someone or get suspended.

[sinklair]

Sounds like Nexstar corporate VPs and HR stopped by WOOD today.

More info about the complaints filed against Tang for creating a hostile work environment:
https://thedesk.net/2023/06/wood-tv-sta ... s-nexstar/

Nexstar is a quirky company. Owner Perry Sook has a no-swearing rule at his stations and has exercised that power at other stations.

He’s very conservative, but has hired people like Chris Cuomo at NewsNation.