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Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Discussion pertaining to the Tri-Cities, Flint, Mt. Pleasant, and Bad Axe
Deleted User 15867

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by Deleted User 15867 » Fri Sep 16, 2022 9:49 pm

25 66 is an absolute joke. Unwatchable. I’m sure advertisers will soon start dropping as well. I heard Hurley was talking about leaving.



sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by sinklair » Fri Sep 16, 2022 11:31 pm

It’s true, Fanny. 25-66 is a joke. However few people are laughing.

The problem is they were actually pretty good for a period of time. WEYI hired people like Drew Moore, Jennifer Profitt, Amanda Chodnicki among others. The station was on top of breaking news and severe weather. It did some great, in depth coverage of the Flint Water Coverage and won awards for its work.

That was at a time when all three stations were doing real journalism. 25-66 was going head to head with 12… when 12 was at its best. That’s why 25-66 never made any traction. Then Sinclair got cheap, laid off a third of its newsroom, gutting some of its best people in front and behind the camera. The rest who survived had to pick up the slack and try (unsuccessfully) to put on newscasts with both hands tied behind their backs.

If the station just went back to the original plan, they could compete against a very poorly run ABC 12.

But instead, 25-66 hires the WNEM News Director who was let go because she oversaw the ratings decline in most dayparts. Now, she’s bringing out her failed TV5 playbook and wondering why people are becoming frustrated and deciding to leave at an alarming pace.

It’s not rocket science or brain surgery, people. You just need people who give a damn and are allowed to do good work.



User avatar
Herm
Posts: 276
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:31 am

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by Herm » Sat Sep 17, 2022 7:31 am

ShempLives wrote:
Fri Sep 16, 2022 1:53 pm
The more things change, the more they stay the same: WEYI for 40+ years has consistently been a run-on-the-cheap operation with high turnover, regardless of who owned the place. When I was a Master Control Switcher at channel 25 from April to November 1980, approximately a third of the staff both on and off air quit. People either went to another market or left the business, as I did. (Is anyone still there from the Jon Bengston era?)
Believe it or not… there are employees there that worked with JB.



Deleted User 15867

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by Deleted User 15867 » Sat Sep 17, 2022 11:42 am

Sinklair you never mentioned Stephanie until now. Hmm



sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by sinklair » Sat Sep 17, 2022 3:24 pm

Fanny, not sure what you’re referring to? I commented on Stephanie’s departure earlier in the post after she made the announcement to her friends, colleagues and former colleagues like me.

However, I have mentioned in several posts about the departure of more 25-66 employees. Stephanie isn’t the last. More are getting ready to resign. It’s sad to see so many good people go. But it’s not surprising either. We’ve been talking about the issues on Pierson Road for more than three years now —under three GMs and just as many news Directors. Nothing significant has been done to fix the problems. I don’t think those in charge have even the basic management or people skills needed to stop the hemorrhaging of talent who are headed out the door.

To bring it back to your comment on Stephanie… go to her professional Facebook page. Her banner shows a photo of her, Dave, Ahmad, and Jonathon. She makes three of the four who have left.

How soon before Dave heads out the door?



OnTopic
Posts: 57
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 5:39 pm

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by OnTopic » Wed Sep 21, 2022 5:16 pm

Add two more to the growing list of those running away. The evening executive producer and a director.



Deleted User 15867

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by Deleted User 15867 » Wed Sep 21, 2022 8:57 pm

Dictator Karen won’t have anyone left. That is what happens when you don’t give a shit about your employees.



MasterB
Posts: 1399
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:59 pm
Location: Kalamazoo

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by MasterB » Thu Sep 22, 2022 11:33 pm

Karen going to have to be the news anchor since everyone is leaving 25/66.


Go Pistons, Let's Go Redwings.

sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by sinklair » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:42 am

Classy sign off tonight by Steph. It’s one of the many reasons why she will be missed.



Deleted User 15867

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by Deleted User 15867 » Fri Sep 23, 2022 4:43 pm

She will be misssd. Now it’s all up to big guy Woolfolk and that bondy ass



organman95
Posts: 583
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 9:49 pm

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by organman95 » Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:53 pm

sinklair wrote:
Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:42 am
Classy sign off tonight by Steph. It’s one of the many reasons why she will be missed.
Missed the newscast... how did she end it?



Deleted User 15867

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by Deleted User 15867 » Fri Sep 23, 2022 9:32 pm

Who gives a shit



sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by sinklair » Sat Sep 24, 2022 12:41 am

Organman: Steph thanked the viewers. Talked about some of the big stories she’s covered through the years. Went on to thank all her coworkers and the importance of local journalism.

Unlike others, she made her last hurrah about the viewers and not herself. I wish more journalists would take that approach when signing off.



Deleted User 15867

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by Deleted User 15867 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 8:27 am

Journalism is dead.



sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Exodus at Pierson Road continues

Post by sinklair » Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:14 am

Fanny, if you truly believe ghat, why are you even posting on this board?

There are a lot of good people who care a lot about doing good journalism. (There are bad ones too…). And as I’ve stated, there are a lot of good journalists (like Stephanie Parkinson) who are just getting out of the business. The reasons they are leaving are pretty universal: bad management, bad pay, bad hours, lack of respect, etc.

All of these issues point squarely back at piss poor management… specifically bad General Managers, bad News Directors, and bad corporate ownership that care only about profits. They don’t care (and won’t fight for) that Stephanie is getting out of the business. Instead, they will go out and hire more inexperienced reporters who they can pay significantly less than what Steph is being paid.

Is journalism dead? No. But people like Becky, Karin, and Sinclair SVP of News Scott Livingston aren’t doing much to improve the quality of our staff who cover our communities.

The sad part is all we can really do to send them a message is to stop watching stations like 25-66. When ratings and revenue go down, maybe they will wake up or a change in leadership will occur.



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