New Haven Independent

WTNH Slashes Workforce

by Paul Bass | December 19, 2008 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

News of the latest layoffs in town didn’t make NewsChannel 8 — even though they occurred right inside the station’s Elm Street studios.

Faced with an auto industry-driven advertising downturn, management eliminated an estimated 22 positions over the past two weeks. Hardest hit were photographers.

Five employees have taken buyouts. Five other full-time union staffers, four managers, and four part-timers have been laid off, according to George Roelofsen, Jr., a news photographer who serves as president of NABET-CWA Local 51014. Five other employees have kept their jobs by slipping into vacant positions or “bumping” less senior workers.

(Math explanation: That adds up to 23 employees, even though 22 positions were eliminated. That’s because the bumping took place in waves: one person whose position was eliminated bumped an employee who then bumped a less-senior person in another job, according to Roelofsen.)

The shake-out, of who will land where, is continuing.

An assistant news editor, Virgina Fisher, was among those laid off. Eight photographer/editor positions (under various job titles) were eliminated, along with some sales jobs, Roelofsen said.

Management informed the staff informed of the job eliminations over the past two weeks, with the biggest batch announced Wednesday. Friday morning the four part-timers were scheduled to get the news, Roelofsen said.

The WTNH job cuts are but the latest workforce cuts in Connecticut amid the recession. They’re also the latest evidence of contraction in newsrooms across the country.

WTNH hasn’t reported on the cuts or issued a press release.

“When the city loses jobs, we run around to interview everybody and tell their story. Now we’re losing our jobs, and management doesn’t want to say anything about it,” said one station employee, who described morale as “terrible.”

WTNH General Manager Jon Hitchcock told the Independent that the cuts are in response to “the general advertising climate.”

Hitchcock declined to discuss details. But he confirmed that management did eliminate jobs and lay off some employees.

A drop in auto advertising “in particular” led to the move, he said.

“We’re trying to re-engineer the way we do business,” Hitchcock said. WTNH has launched a slew of web-only features from blogs to high-school football and basketball sections. On-air personalities regularly steer viewers to the website. The station claims the highest online viewership of any TV station in the state.

The station is owned by Providence-based Lin Television Corp.

The station appears to be moving more quickly than some other Connecticut mainstream news outlets toward the recognition that differentiated “TV” and “newspaper” and “radio” and “online” newsrooms are converging into multi-platform 24-hour web-anchored operations.

As old-style newsrooms evolve, they’re searching for a new revenue model to pay for fact-gathering and publication.

In the short run, that means reporters and editors and photographers across the country are losing their jobs.

The Tribune Co., owner of the New Haven Advocate and Hartford Courant, declared bankruptcy this month. The New Haven Register has been shedding jobs as regularly as snakes shed skin, as its parent company prepares to close two other Connecticut dailies.

One WTNH employee employee wondered aloud about the effect of newsrooms shrinking simultaneously at the station and at the Register, the city’s last daily print newspaper.

“We take so much [news] from the newspaper, and they take so much from us,” he said. “I wonder where the news is going to come from now.”

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Comments

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | December 19, 2008 8:42 AM

I think its more than cars. WTNH is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the local administration. No investigative news, nothing hard hitting. Just happy news, weather, traffic and sports. No reason to watch. At least WVIT does interesting local news tidbits. Probably because they are based in Hartford and have no reason to be in bed with DeStefano.

WTNH is going the way of local newspapers with the same bland content formula. You want viewers? Give us something to watch.

Posted by: Moti Sandman | December 19, 2008 9:13 AM

One WTNH employee employee wondered aloud about the effect of newsrooms shrinking simultaneously at the station and at the Register, the city's last daily print newspaper.

"We take so much [news] from the newspaper, and they take so much from us," he said. "I wonder where the news is going to come from now."

Paul I guess that it is up to you now! I am sure they check you out for the latest stories

Posted by: James | December 19, 2008 9:52 AM

We had a local news station?

Posted by: cedarhillresident | December 19, 2008 10:23 AM

Fedup,
OMG I agree again :)

I watch channel 8 because I think the evening anchor Jocelyn is the best their is :)

But I call it the fluffy news! No real hard hitting scoops anymore. Sure they have the helicopter wahoo! And they even have a link to the NHI on their web site now. But their was a time when reporters were the detective of the people! (Like Paul and crew) making sure that politicians and others stay on thier toes. This is a sad lose that this is happening. Suggestion lose all the thrills and frills and go back to good old fashion reporting!

Posted by: Jim | December 19, 2008 11:54 AM

When they laid off Tricia Taskey, they lost the best person at Channel 8. I think she was the hardest working person there. She did a great job reporting stories and I certainly do miss her style. She is a "true" reporter.

Posted by: Deuce | December 19, 2008 11:59 AM

Please don't touch Storm Team 8!!!

Posted by: Jay | December 19, 2008 1:02 PM

Oh my God they're terrible. Not only do they do insubstantial stories, they completely miss the big stories that will affect their audience in big ways. Moreover, their coverage tends to reflect conservative Republican chamber of commerce country club glad handers who advertise with them, rather than their audience. Then there's that obnoxious blond who's always giving commentary in the guise of "news." Awful, awful. They're getting what they deserve after ABC and the other news worthies created the conventional wisdom that it would be a great idea to let the big 3 go down the tubes. Nice work, everybody. What's going to happen to your ad revenues when Michigan implodes and we add another 10% to the national unemployment figures overnight? Congratulations on a job not done.

Posted by: Jay | December 19, 2008 1:13 PM

Is it even remotely possible to have a thriving democracy without a thriving independent news media? I think not. I am afraid.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | December 19, 2008 1:37 PM

Maybe we can get Dr. Mel to move to NHI?

Posted by: M. Stephen Ross, Esq. | December 19, 2008 1:54 PM

"Maybe we can get Dr. Mel to move to NHI?"
-Fedup

Ha! I think the NHI needs a subpar graphical animation of a helicopter flying out of the screen as well.

Anyway, I don't think it's up for us to determine who should or shouldn't have jobs, even in spite of Channel 8's fluff. By the way, does "hardhitting" broadcast journalism even exist?

Posted by: Hood Rebel | December 19, 2008 2:27 PM

Why would viewers EVER AGAIN consider News Channel 8 a "credible" news outlet when the station covers every layoff in the state except its own? Outrageous!

Posted by: Bill | December 19, 2008 4:28 PM

Does we really need a talking head to explain traffic cameras and two more to read the teleprompter. Cutting reporters and photographers will only make the downward spiral toward oblivion faster.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | December 19, 2008 4:46 PM

I agree bill
I can not handle that happy crap in the AM I have been watching Channel 3 since that traffic lady came on. I really don't give a crap about the dance show the night before and 5 minute of my morning spent on small talk with a girl that should be on ET not the morning news! Once they put her on I lost it. NEWS is the key word not talk show!

Posted by: Ellis Copleland | December 19, 2008 8:11 PM

I've always been embarrassed for the two half intelligent anchors at 8 who have to work with the idiocy around them. The station should be allowed to go bankrupt because it is a disgrace to the business. As to Dr. Mel moving to NHI-- what are you thinking? When has he EVER correctly predicted the weather? He's a hack like the reat of 'em. My favorite 'TNH "exclusive" was in the summer when some kids couldn't have water on a ballfield. How was that news? And do not forget they are sucking up PUBLIC airwaves for this crap.

Posted by: jay | December 20, 2008 4:57 PM

Did Gil Simmons get fired? He hasn't been on since mid-week when the announcement came??? Dr. Mel's been back on in the early am.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | December 21, 2008 11:10 AM

One more thing, I was just watching meet the press and a reporter stated it plainly. We are their to write about the things that people do not want us to write about. Does channel 8 even remotely meet that criteria of reporting?? I have seen crap happing blocks from the news room and channel 8 is the only news source not covering the story?? Why??

Posted by: Beansie's Mom | December 22, 2008 7:11 AM

Maybe one of the three major TV news channels for Connecticut will have to come the NON PROFIT route. Channel 8 doesn't just cover New Haven. It covers the whole state.

Advertising dollars also go to Channel 3-Hartford, Channel 30, orig New Britain wasn't it. There's also channel 61 and what's on COMCAST Channel 6.

It's a tough market for Connecticut stations (media outlets) because parts of the state receive signals from New York City, and Springfield, MA. It''s not as bad as poor little Rhode Island. And I imagine that little Delaware gets swamped by it's larger neighboring states and their market share.

Times are tough. If you want free media, it's paid by either advertisers or watchers/listeners. Pick what you want and financially support it.

That's what will keep our Freedom of Press and Freedom of Speech going in the 2010s.

Posted by: Jon Dough | December 22, 2008 4:07 PM

...They could not have waited til after X-Mas? Gee great Union--a real way to standup for their members.

Posted by: Chris Gray | December 24, 2008 9:02 AM

The world is imploding. The new Greaater Depression is upon us. But our tv stations (all of 'em, really) keep playing, "Happy days are here, again!"

A new Pressident isn't going to solve that.

Thanks, Paul & co., for keeping us informed.

By the way, I'm only a score or so pages into "Murder in the Model City" but, I'm sure glad you and Doug wrote it. (He and his kids were some of my favorite customers at Newsstand#1 back in the early '70s, as Bork was so not so that I changed our hours to avoid him.)

Whomever wrote the cover flap got it wrong! (Not so you guys, of course.) Don was in town, helping watch Mom while I'm out of action, and we laughed at "tanks" parked around the city. 45 tons versus 15 tons (or thereabouts) would have torn our poor infrastructure apart, aside from the tracks as opposed to tires.

Even your news of the past is more accurate than any of our tv, radio, or print media provide. No wonder that they will all be out of business soon.

Posted by: Chris Gray | December 24, 2008 3:34 PM

Now, I have to admit, after years of avoiding the Register and a week avoiding the left over one from my nursing home roomie, I had to glance at the front page and story none of the tv stations nor you people covered, the settlement for the misuse of research funds (at least, I don't remember seeing it here or missed it), so Mary O'Leary proves they are still relevant sometimes.

WTNH Slashes Workforce

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