Acceptable registrations in the queue through March 16 at 11:00a ET have now been activated. Enjoy! -M.W.

Terms of Use have been amended effective October 6, 2019. Make sure you are aware of the new rules! Please visit this thread for details: https://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/view ... 16&t=48619

More 25-66 Layoffs

Discussion pertaining to the Tri-Cities, Flint, Mt. Pleasant, and Bad Axe
sinklair
Posts: 2197
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by sinklair » Wed Mar 03, 2021 4:53 pm

The next round of layoffs is hitting at 25-66. Despite Sinclair saying it’s local TV stations have been raking in cash, the horrible timing of its acquisition of the FOX regional sports networks has been a drain on the company. And even though we’ve been through rounds of layoffs, pay freezes, hiring freezes in the past two years, it’s never enough for the corporate Death Star. We already struggle to keep up with 5 & 12, now even less people will make it even more difficult to compete.



Realist
Posts: 976
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:36 pm
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by Realist » Wed Mar 03, 2021 4:54 pm

Who’s getting cut or not having their contract renewed?



sinklair
Posts: 2197
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by sinklair » Wed Mar 03, 2021 9:44 pm

More from Chris the Ripper...

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/media/si ... index.html

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... mic-impact

https://deadline.com/2021/03/sinclair-b ... 234706204/

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/sincla ... 234921376/

https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronaviru ... story.html

Sad that good coworkers lose their jobs while the idiots who make the rules and decide on lame rebranding like “Mid-Michigan NOW!” keep their jobs and get promotions.

Record political advertising... partnership with Bally’s for sports gambling... expansion of digital properties... but we are supposed to believe that the company is losing money? No one believes management. I hope the new Sinclair GM, the ASSistant GM/Promotions Director, the HR Director/Party Planner and the Director of Declining Sales have more than a few sleepless nights for the decisions that have impacted some very good people.



sinklair
Posts: 2197
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by sinklair » Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:37 am

At a time when Sinclair is making massive “workforce reductions”, our CEO Chris the Ripper is seeing his compensation package go up by a factor of five;

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/ ... -employees

This is the guy who is literally running the company into the ground. He says the decision to lay off five percent of the workforce is one of the hardest decisions he’s had to make. But apparently it’s not hard enough for him to cut back his $9.9 million pay, the pay of corporate leaders, the pay of GMs... so they’ll lay off people who literally had nothing to do with the corporate-level merger and acquisitions that got us into this financial predicament.



sdaddy
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:35 pm

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by sdaddy » Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:45 am

Rachelle Spence and several behind the scenes people got the axe on Pierson Road.



whitebalance
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:46 pm

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by whitebalance » Thu Mar 04, 2021 1:43 pm

Covid is a convenient excuse for poor management



Realist
Posts: 976
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:36 pm
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by Realist » Thu Mar 04, 2021 2:43 pm

sdaddy wrote:
Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:45 am
Rachelle Spence and several behind the scenes people got the axe on Pierson Road.
Was wondering why Stephanie was on this morning. Very sad for Rachelle. Hope she can join a competitor in the area very soon



MasterB
Posts: 1388
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:59 pm
Location: Kalamazoo

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by MasterB » Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:45 pm

Sad that some at 25-66 will be layoffs at the station. Going to write a letter to Chris Ripley Sinklair wanting to form a union for the workers of Sinclair TV stations across the country and you can be the head of the union since you want to form a union at 25-66.


Go Pistons, Let's Go Redwings.

Realist
Posts: 976
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:36 pm
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by Realist » Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:30 pm

Sinklair are you still working there?



sinklair
Posts: 2197
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by sinklair » Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:55 pm

Master: here’s the address...

Chris Ripley
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sinclair Broadcast Group
10706 Beaver Dam Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030

Realist: yes, still at 25-66. Not sure that’s a good thing tho. Lots of very unhappy people on Pierson Road.



sinklair
Posts: 2197
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by sinklair » Fri Mar 05, 2021 8:17 am

FTV Live reported that many Sinclair stations are slashing sports departments. I guess they haven’t been watching 25-66... where Jonathan Deutsch has been a one-man sports “team” ever since former sports director Jeanna Trotman exited.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/ ... s-for-cuts

It’s laughable that Sinclair buys up all the Fox Sports Nets then cuts local TV sports departments. Many of the stations that saw cuts in sports are overseen by regional “news” manager and walking corpse Lame Michaelsen who likes to brag about running tv stations into the ground in Atlanta, Washington DC and elsewhere.

But sure, let’s brag about 25-66’s live sports coverage of Cornhole championships and the Flint City Bucks soccer team.

https://nbc25news.com/sports/local-spor ... an-in-2021

It’s Lame, Jenny and Nelly with the race to the bottom...



DAC
Posts: 581
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:43 pm

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by DAC » Sat Mar 06, 2021 12:29 am

sinklair wrote:
Fri Mar 05, 2021 8:17 am
FTV Live reported that many Sinclair stations are slashing sports departments. I guess they haven’t been watching 25-66... where Jonathan Deutsch has been a one-man sports “team” ever since former sports director Jeanna Trotman exited.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2021/ ... s-for-cuts

It’s laughable that Sinclair buys up all the Fox Sports Nets then cuts local TV sports departments. Many of the stations that saw cuts in sports are overseen by regional “news” manager and walking corpse Lame Michaelsen who likes to brag about running tv stations into the ground in Atlanta, Washington DC and elsewhere.

But sure, let’s brag about 25-66’s live sports coverage of Cornhole championships and the Flint City Bucks soccer team.

https://nbc25news.com/sports/local-spor ... an-in-2021

It’s Lame, Jenny and Nelly with the race to the bottom...
I agree that the RSN purchase is laughable, and it's sad that in order to help make up for some of the foolishness of that purchase they had to auction off rights to naming the networks. Maybe they got the money up front for selling the name, but in the long run "Balley" is going to be a very unpopular name with viewers. I predict that many teams will be shopping for new outlets once their current deals run out.



User avatar
MWmetalhead
Site Admin
Posts: 11786
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:23 am

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Mar 06, 2021 7:06 am

Record political advertising... partnership with Bally’s for sports gambling... expansion of digital properties... but we are supposed to believe that the company is losing money? No one believes management.
They overpaid for the RSNs...no question about it.

Regarding financial performance, you don't need to "believe" anything. You do realize their quarterly and annual financial statements are a matter of public record, correct? Anyone with a web browser can pull up their 10-Q and 10-K filings instantly. (Sinclair Broadcast Group is a publicly traded company.)

Local TV stations - or more precisely, their owners - seem to believe local sports coverage is of diminished importance to viewers. WXYZ and WDIV in Detroit each only have two anchors/reporters in their sports department, and in the case of WDIV, the #2 person doubles as a news reporter a few days a week.



sinklair
Posts: 2197
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by sinklair » Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:06 am

Mark: yes you can (and should) read the SEC filings. Found here:

https://sbgi.ir.edgar-online.com/fetchF ... K_20210301

Lots of great information about the incompetence of corporate mis-management.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/ ... al-Results

To say that it’s local TV operations are losing money is false. In the fourth quarter, we had operating revenues of $625-million dollars. The losses are coming from its local sports division (RSNs). The company is hurting one side to pay for the other.

Plus the controlling interest (81%) of the Smith family means they use the company as its personal slush fund... leasing charter jet planes, paying for advertising for its automotive dealerships, million-dollar pay raises for relatives placed in company officer roles, etc.

As you said, it’s all in there.

So forgive me when I say (as do my colleagues) when we don’t believe the company’s lies. As stock holders, during shareholder calls, we hear from Chris the Ripper how well the core business is performing even during a pandemic... only to see the company continue to purchase underperforming segments like the Fox RSNs.

This isn’t about profitability. We as a company are profitable. This is about profit margins. And the company is laying off good employees so it can artificially jack up its profit margins for the 81% (Smith family). Let’s be clear: David Smith doesn’t give a rat’s a** about Rachelle, Jess, Craig, etc. He doesn’t care about you or me. He only cares about increasing those profit margins at the expense of those of us who put in the long hours to build the platforms the Smith family clearly benefits from.



User avatar
MWmetalhead
Site Admin
Posts: 11786
Joined: Sun Oct 31, 2004 11:23 am

Re: More 25-66 Layoffs

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:01 pm

I agree completely, sinklair, that they are robbing peter (i.e. the local TV stations) to pay paul (the RSNs).



Post Reply Previous topicNext topic