Roslyn Jiminez has announced her departure from KOMO after a 2.6 year run. Per social media she also says she's leaving the TV news biz for good after more than eight years. The UW grad adds she will soon share what's next.
"I am no longer at Komo 4." Thanks. Longtime Weather Anchor Rebecca Stevenson confirms that she left the station just before Christmas. Her last Facebook posts are 12/17. She has the Seattle station Quintafecta, having worked at the old NWCN, KING, KIRO, KCPQ and KOMO. Looks like her decision. Wants a new chapter. She was doing mainly weekend evenings for KOMO. Perhaps Stella Sun will move there. She has been sharing weekend mornings with Theron Zahn.
Best of luck to Roslyn on her future endeavors. Judging from the smiling faces of her colleagues, she will be missed by many in the KOMO newsroom.
ReplyDeleteThey do that in every single photograph when someone is leaving. Very cliche.
ReplyDeleteKOMO always plays how much of a family it is. 2.6 years is a cup a coffee. Hello, goodbye. Not long enough for tears and smileys. Not a true player, just passing through
ReplyDeleteHaving worked at multiple Seattle stations, I can attest to KOMO having a friendly and inclusive, cohesive vibe. But a nice place to work can’t compete with better hours and better pay that adjacent industries offer.
DeleteProducer turnover is even higher than reporters in our industry. Too low of a paycheck for working bad hours and countless holidays. In the old days, you knew if you put in your time, you’d be rewarded with a better schedule and much better pay. There are no guarantees of that now, so people bail when something with normal working hours and better money comes along.
ReplyDeleteYou can't blame them for doing so. Working less than desirable shifts (early mornings, late nights, weekends, holidays) for years on end with no assurance that it will lead to a better assignment and salary is not a situation that anyone should be in. And yet, its perfectly normal in this industry.
DeleteTV News is not known for its generosity. Its hard to get in and harder to maintain a toe hold. You need to have a thick skin to work in such a profession like journalism. Whether you are in print or broadcast, the younger folks don't seem to get the reality of such which is why you see so many leaving after 2-3 years in contrast to those "older" vets who have done this after 20, 30 or even 40 years. They may have that hunger, but their drive quickly fizzles. Working weekends? Need a live shot for the morning newscast? As one News Director put it awhile back and this is a direct quote: "I like to hire winners, not whiners."
ReplyDeleteMany younger people (early 30s and below) are vocal and obvious about not wanting to work their assigned weekend shifts and acting like it’s some major imposition on their life.
DeleteWorking weekends is how all of the veterans eventually jumped to weekdays. It’s how the current greener employees will move up, too.
This is Seattle. It’s a big market. If you’d also like to work weekdays in a big market some day, you put in your weekend time.
Managers DO notice who is willing to do what they did, and who is not.
Those who put in their weekend and holiday time will be rewarded with a desirable weekday shift. Those who don't simply won't make it in this industry. News doesn't take a day off. Weekends may be slower than weekdays, but there is still a need for weekend news coverage. And with that comes a need for weekend producers.
DeleteProducers at the Seattle stations are disproportionately being told to do more with less when compared to other news positions. The turnover at all the stations is crazy. And because of the state of the industry and the pay that gets lower and lower every year, they’re hiring people fresh out of college now instead of people who have several years experience under their belts. Producers are the heart and soul of the newsroom and are treated like an afterthought.
ReplyDeleteI beg to differ, but assignment desk editors are the heart and soul of any newsroom. By the way, working weekends does not guarantee anyone a weekday shift. The news cycle never sleeps. Unless you have a Hollywood agent or have a clause in your contract specifically saying you are exempt from working weekends, unless its a medical issue, good luck bringing that in your next renewal meeting.
DeleteWorking weekends doesn’t guarantee a future weekday job.
DeleteBut refusing to work them or being difficult about working them nearly guarantees you WON’T get that future weekday spot.
Disagree with the “compared to other news positions” part. We are ALL being asked to do more. Just when you think you can’t possibly be on the air any more than you already are, corporate will announce that you’ve got a new sidecar station or YouTube duties to fill time on. Or you’re asked to cover weather remotely for the Spokane sister station until they “find someone in a month” and a month becomes 6 months.
DeleteThe New World for sure.
DeleteYou are spot on and that's why Tegna started its Producer in Residence program. The former News DIrector at KREM runs the project visiting college campuses for young people who want to be newscast producers. The producer job is a true grind, like never before, even though there is a lot of drop and drag among shows. The job is not for the faint of heart.
ReplyDeletePlus they get blamed... Not the talent
DeleteAs someone who knew her well and her situation there, the ND was pulling a sudden and drastic change in her schedule. While it was still m-f, there was no real reason for the move. She did the right thing and left for another employer that will respect her as a person and team member with more pay. Good for her, for standing up for herself and knowing her worth
ReplyDelete