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KOMO losses since main anchor Eric Johnson retired in June 2024: Denise Whitaker left, Chris Nguyen left, Lee Stoll left, Hannah Knowles left, Rebecca Stevenson left and now Mary Nam says goodbye at the end of March. Reporters like Mo Haider, Ryan Simms and Paul Rivera also departed. I may be missing a few.
I don't know the specific reasons behind the individual decisions (good or bad, personal or professional), but I don't see 10 comparable talent departures anywhere else in the Seattle market. Add in the KOMO News Director and News Operations Manager, who both retired in December 2024, and you have an even dozen. The photog union isn't happy either these days. BTW, previous and current ND worked previously for Sinclair,in Tulsa and Vegas, respectively. True believers. So, is it the political leanings?
Makes you wonder.
Now, in fairness, I must make mention of budget-cutting Cox in Seattle. Jesse Jones axed, Chris Francis and the entire sports dept. canned, anchor Aaron Wright exited to local radio, Managing Editor Rick Boone gets booted after four months. Photog union problems persist. Perhaps a 'Cox Effect' exists as well?
Thoughts?
Certainly an audience effect, if not on the staff. Haven’t watched a minute of KOMO since Sinclair started its “must run” stories and it’s commentary from Trump goon Boris Epshteyn.
ReplyDeleteThat must run stuff haunts KOMO for sure
DeleteI have no doubt it does. There was a reason KOMO tried to bury some of those on the 4:30am portion of the morning newscast: to fulfill Sinclair's requirements while reducing the risk of angering the vast majority of KOMO's viewership. KOMO did enough damage on that front with the "Seattle is Dying" documentary.
DeleteAs for all of the recent turnover at KOMO, there has been a lot, and there will certainly be more. Hopefully, the revolving door will slow down a bit. There may be a "Sinclair Effect" locally, but I don't get the impression that is necessarily the case nationally. Though with Sinclair owning as many stations as it does, it is really difficult to keep track of who all is coming and going from them.
KING hasn't seen as much turnover lately. There was a period a few years ago where it seemed like KING was having a fair bit of turnover amongst its reporters, but that situation seems to have stabalized. Having said that, Nexstar may come in and change all that if and when their merger with Tegna gets approved, so another big round of turnover may be coming to KING in the not-so-distant future.
KIRO, as you rightly point out, has seen a lot of turnover. A "Cox Effect" may very well exist locally, but, like with Sinclair, it doesn't seem like such an effect is present nationally. Cox's other stations seem to be on more stable footing, except perhaps for WFXT in Boston, which has its own share of problems.
Fox 13 has seen some turnover, but it does seem like the revolving door is slowing down there. Perhaps the station is finally starting to find some degree of stability after several years of turmoil as the station transitioned from Tribune to Nexstar (briefly in 2019 and 2020) to being a Fox O&O. It does feel odd to say that considering all of the changes to newscasts and formats that were made less than a year ago, but from a talent turnover perspective, they have been more stable lately.
On the contrary, KOMO saw a huge viewer RISE thanks to Seattle Is Dying. That was Eric Johnson’s take on the changes in Seattle, and was part of a three part series that began while under Fisher. It had nothing to do with Sinclair.
ReplyDeleteKOMO pays more for reporters and anchors than KING or KIRO, while KCPQ pays the most in town. FOX deeper pockets vs Cox & Tegna trying to pay as little as they can. Sinclair falls between the two extremes.
Everyone you listed either retired, left the business for much better pay and hours than TV offers these days (like for Amazon in Lee’s case), left to follow a partner to another city (Hannah), or had a contract end and was not renewed.
KOMO has a very close newsroom and is generally left alone by Sinclair. Current must runs are the National health reporter and a series celebrating America’s 250th birthday this year. Boris, or anything resembling that partisan vibe, hasn’t been on KOKO for years now.
1. Sinclair owned KOMO for Johnson Doc. Bill Dallman was ND.
ReplyDelete2. You present no proof of ratings improvement because of it. Views maybe, ratings, no. Prove it.
3. As I said in my post, departures can be good or bad, personal or professional, but they got away for whatever reason.
4. KCPQ is non union so I doubt your salary contentions. The other stations are AFTRA with contract minimums.
Why don't you go on the record instead of anonymous? Hiding with no evidence, eh? I laugh.
AFTRA minimum is so low and dated that it is now below the threshold in WA that is allowable and legal to enforce a no-compete. In most cases these days, you can walk from KIRO, KOMO or KING on a Friday and start your anchor-reporter gig at Q on a Monday, and for 30-40% more money. Source: I have two friends that did it. Main anchors are still above that financial line, but it’s creeping closer every time the state ups their limit and tv stations lower their salaries.
ReplyDeleteWishing for the good old days when news was an obligation and considers a public service. The for profit entertainment model seems to be a race to the bottom.
ReplyDeleteRich
Two friends? Quite a trend. And I'm pretty sure I can name the two. I see no parade of people waiting to jump to 13.
ReplyDeleteJust to correct you, Wayne L, the genesis behind the "Seattle Is Dying" doc actually came from Dallman's predecessor and one-time KING5 ND Pat Costello: https://komonews.com/news/local/year-long-project-gives-voices-to-seattles-homeless
ReplyDeleteSo it was Sinclair based, regardless of who's who, and Dallman pushed "Fighting for the Soul of Seattle," another biased, stark-raving mad edition of Sinclair BS.
ReplyDelete