KREM's chief weather man Jeremy Lagoo says his time is over at the rapidly disintegrating KREM in Spokane. Met Thomas Patrick just bailed as well.
"Never stop fighting for what is right.
I loved my job. My career was a dream.
I am heartbroken. If you watched it live, the tears were real. The pain is real.
For a long time, I was a vagabond. I didn’t belong. Somewhere along the way, sharing my love of weather not only got me paid, but gave me purpose.
I cannot express my gratitude for you accepting me and trusting me. It means the world to me. Thank you.
I will be staying in Spokane. The Inland Northwest is my home. The outdoors drew me in, the people kept me.
My love for weather will never fade. I will always love talking the forecast or even some weird clouds you saw last week.
Nicole and I will be getting married at the end of May. I feel blessed to have found my soulmate. I promise to never take that for granted and to cherish every moment together.
I will always care about my community and will work to make it better. For everyone.
It’s not goodbye.
It’s see you around.
Be good,
Jeremy"
Boy, this is such a sad state for local news. Best to join forces (like the newspapers had to do) to get a couple of stronger stations rather than 4 limping along in each market.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to him. People leaving TV face a challenging economy, but should feel good about their chances. News gives you some great training for any kind of career: you work under deadlines, function as a team, have to make quick decisions and have no place to “hide” your work in some nebulous process or corporate labyrinth — it’s pretty obvious to all who’s a real performer or not. So, take heart, those who are making a career transition: your time in a newsroom has prepare you for what’s next.
ReplyDeleteCurious Wayne if this may be a sign of Nexstar perhaps looking to hub some elements of the Spokane news broadcasts at KING (i.e. using KING weather people to handle Spokane forecasts for KREM)
ReplyDeleteI think it's a possibility. But their newscasts are often airing at the same time, so the Spokane weather might have to pre-taped when the King studio is open before showtime. On the other hand KUSA Denver in the Mountain zone could do them live. I think KUSA was hubbing weekend weather a while but not sure.
DeleteIt was indeed KUSA that was doing KREM's weekend weather. The arranagement lasted all of six months before weekend weather was brought back in house.
DeleteBest of luck to Lagoo and Patrick on their future endeavors. KREM's weather team has been greatly diminished with their departures. I hope Nexstar will rebuild it, but I share Rhett's concern that some parts of KREM's newscasts, namely weather, could be hubbed out to KING. If this happens, it would be yet another major blow to local television news in Eastern Washington. They've suffered enough lately!
ReplyDeleteJeremy left for a job making videos for a start up in Spokane. He quit over a weekend and said he needed to leave right away I guess. I was in the newsroom when he told the staff. He apologized for being selfish and said he was leaving KREM. I really liked working with him but he’s pretending that KREM fired him and letting theories go around that he was forced out because of something he said. The timing of the “stand up for what is right” was oddly timed because he quit before the Nexstar news came out. It makes me upset however that he’s hurting all of us he called his friends take the heat for him quitting. I get calls daily demanding I tell them why Jeremy was fired. The truth is he quit.
ReplyDeleteI'm appalled that he is pretending that he was forced out when he actually just left for another job! I'm sorry that you're having to deal with the backlash for angey viewers who have been lied to. I hope thst the viewrrs will forgive KREM once they know the truth. The station shouldn't have to suffer because of his lie.
DeleteLong ago, I remember an RTNDA newsletter with an article titled “Everybody Leaves Mad” — sadly, kinda true whether you’re talking TV or not, quit, fired or laid off.
ReplyDeleteI can relate. Happened to me six straight jobs.
ReplyDelete