Confirmed that star investigative reporter Taylor Mirfendereski and anchor Steve Soliz were let go by King5/Tegna today. Here is Taylor's message on Facebook, followed by Soliz's:
It’s hard to write this. After nearly a decade at KING 5, I am getting laid off. Now, I’m looking for my next opportunity to do what I love.
My career as a multimedia investigative reporter has brought me so much fulfillment and purpose. I’ve exposed injustice and watched my stories lead to meaningful changes in public policy, state law and lives.
Our democracy needs watchdog journalists with my skillset now more than ever — to hold the powerful accountable
The secret is out. I’m leaving @KING5Seattle in March. Our parent company is cutting costs, eliminating my position. It comes as I hit 20 years in broadcast journalism.
What’s next? Not sure yet, but the search for my next adventure is now underway.
Kristin Goodwillie is also listed as an Investigative Reporter.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that photographer hasn’t worked there in… well, nevermind. You knew that, “maven.”
ReplyDeleteKent read… Kent spell… Kent State!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wayne, for putting out your blog. I’d invite those who disagree to move along and stop posting at 3am.
ReplyDeleteI will admit to any errors brought to my attention and will correct them.
ReplyDeleteShameful. Hopefully this is the last of the cuts but I fear not. On another note I watched the noon news on KING today. The anchor mentioned she had a sit down interview with Kristen Welker from Meet the Press. But it wasn’t shown on air. The anchor said it could be viewed on the KING app. Not sure how many people are going to go to another app for this info. I certainly don’t want to. Probably another money grab by tegna but I can’t see how lucrative this will be.
ReplyDeleteThe number of people that get their news from TV has greatly decreased over the past 20 or so years since people now get it on their phones and what not. You may call it a money grab, but that is pretty much an element of how the local stations are making their money. It is sad to see Mirfendereski leave as she just gelled in perfectly with Frame and Ingalls on the Investigators unit after both Lindas (Brill and Byron) retired. I think it may have been one of those "last hired, first fired" decisions, but that is my understanding. Soliz was a good anchor, but he didn't quite have that authoritativeness that his predecessors Mark Wright and Dennis Bounds had. Again, TEGNA's cuts are not surprising. If anything here in Seattle, they will pretty much scale back the number of newscasts cause there is no one going to watch three-and-a-half hours of evening news and the same stories being repeated again and again.
ReplyDeleteTegna wants another shot at selling after the old FCC blocked the sale to Standard Media. They are thinning the herd to improve profit for a buyer. Soliz was the third best anchor on KING after Greg and Jake, and he was not a draw. They are trying to make Castro into Joyce's heir apparent, but not sure there is enough traction yet. Mimi stays put in the morning, they want that team in place.
DeleteHi Wayne, from what research I could find, Joyce was hired in 1987-88 to become Jean's eventual successor, in the event that the Jean retired or even went to NBC. Jean was actually courted by the network to become Jane Pauley's successor on the Today show when Jane was getting ready to leave. Eventually, Jean stayed with KING (perhaps getting a very big boost when it came to contract renewal time) and Debroah Norville got the job. Until Jean's eventual retirement in 2016, every female co-anchor who came and went at KING knew Joyce was the heir to the evening anchor desk. Mimi has been around 2000 and has a nice rapport with her morning co-anchor, Jake Whittenberg and AM numbers are respectable, so management wants to keep it the same. If there are going to be any changes, Rich Marriott is going to retire this year. As for Castro, she has command and a presence on the anchor, but it is still far too early to think of her as Joyce's successor. After all, there is not one anchor here in the Seattle that has their name in bold lettering. Time will tell, but we are still ways out before Joyce retires. Unless TEGNA decides to make any further slashing, Joyce is here to stay. My only nit is KING should try to do more with Christine Pae and on the noon newscast, maybe more in-studio interviewing or perhaps a remote shoot to show more of her reporting. -M.F.
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