Post by bigtime on Dec 19, 2009 9:43:58 GMT -5
BTVN.net proclaiming Randy Price moving to WCVB as the "story of the year" reflects the "one way" nature of the board, perhaps reminding me that this is a fan site, not the Boston version of TVSpy.
The story of the year, indisputably, is the MASSIVE downsizing (and in NECN's case, consolidation with CSN) of every station in the market.
By now, WFXT has laid off more than 25% of its staff (and that's a low estimate on my end) - reporters are refusing pay cuts and leaving - and with the union effort there foolishly voted down and an automated control room on the way, a whole new wave of layoffs are coming (and I haven't even mentioned Butch). This by the way, is not just a Boston thing, it's happening across the board at FOX O&O's.
WBZ gutted its staff at the beginning of the year, laying off nearly 100 people - and both BZ and FOX have entered into a news sharing agreement that once they truly nail the logistics for, will inevitably lead to more cuts. And don't think the WBZ consolidation deal between TV and the two radio stations won't lead to more cutbacks (although probably on the radio side).
WHDH lost Randy Price and didn't hire a new body to replace him (if my math is right, Randy, Rudat Greenberg left, only Kartunen came in). It took them almost a year to replace Julie Donaldson in sports. Jay Leno is killing them in the ratings at 11 and they are still floundering at 10. Yes, the demos are OK (but not the best) - how long do you think Ed Ansin will be content to sit back and lose money?
CVB bought out dozens of old timers (most notably Jim Boyd) and gently nudged Dick Albert into retirement. Open positions are not always filled, and yet everybody there (and this holds true for every station now) is being asked to do way more than they have in the past, especially when it comes to the web.
It's amazing to me that the only place that IS expanding is Comcast Sports Net - and I don't doubt for one second that when the local teams start sliding into mediocrity, even Comcast's mighty subscriber base won't ward off cuts.
Ask the radio guys, and they will always bring up the early 90's, when companies like ClearChannel started gobbling up stations and consolidating operations. The industry was literally sliced in half for the sake of efficiency and profits.
2009 is that year for television, both nationally and locally. The drive to deliver content on the web first, before even making it to TV, is stronger than ever. We're more focused on social media like Facebook and Twitter than we are on our teases for the 11 o'clock news. Instead of travelling to the big story, we beg a closer affiliate to cover it for us.
These are the new ways of doing things brought on by developing technologies, changes in viewer habits, and more importantly, crumbling ad revenues.
That's why the story of the year is not Randy Price coming back to work - it's the economy stupid.
The story of the year, indisputably, is the MASSIVE downsizing (and in NECN's case, consolidation with CSN) of every station in the market.
By now, WFXT has laid off more than 25% of its staff (and that's a low estimate on my end) - reporters are refusing pay cuts and leaving - and with the union effort there foolishly voted down and an automated control room on the way, a whole new wave of layoffs are coming (and I haven't even mentioned Butch). This by the way, is not just a Boston thing, it's happening across the board at FOX O&O's.
WBZ gutted its staff at the beginning of the year, laying off nearly 100 people - and both BZ and FOX have entered into a news sharing agreement that once they truly nail the logistics for, will inevitably lead to more cuts. And don't think the WBZ consolidation deal between TV and the two radio stations won't lead to more cutbacks (although probably on the radio side).
WHDH lost Randy Price and didn't hire a new body to replace him (if my math is right, Randy, Rudat Greenberg left, only Kartunen came in). It took them almost a year to replace Julie Donaldson in sports. Jay Leno is killing them in the ratings at 11 and they are still floundering at 10. Yes, the demos are OK (but not the best) - how long do you think Ed Ansin will be content to sit back and lose money?
CVB bought out dozens of old timers (most notably Jim Boyd) and gently nudged Dick Albert into retirement. Open positions are not always filled, and yet everybody there (and this holds true for every station now) is being asked to do way more than they have in the past, especially when it comes to the web.
It's amazing to me that the only place that IS expanding is Comcast Sports Net - and I don't doubt for one second that when the local teams start sliding into mediocrity, even Comcast's mighty subscriber base won't ward off cuts.
Ask the radio guys, and they will always bring up the early 90's, when companies like ClearChannel started gobbling up stations and consolidating operations. The industry was literally sliced in half for the sake of efficiency and profits.
2009 is that year for television, both nationally and locally. The drive to deliver content on the web first, before even making it to TV, is stronger than ever. We're more focused on social media like Facebook and Twitter than we are on our teases for the 11 o'clock news. Instead of travelling to the big story, we beg a closer affiliate to cover it for us.
These are the new ways of doing things brought on by developing technologies, changes in viewer habits, and more importantly, crumbling ad revenues.
That's why the story of the year is not Randy Price coming back to work - it's the economy stupid.
