KHOU-TV housecleaning?

[Blue Dogs]

With Courtney Zubowski and Katherine Whaley leaving KHOU-TV for "new opportunities". There's been rumors going on that some people don't like the Gannett ownership at KHOU and are leaving the station, changing things such as forcing reporters and others to carry their own stuff to do news reports, kicking out longtime people, who've been at formerly-owned Belo stations for 2 or 3 decades.

There's also the part of demoting weekday or weeknight anchors to sideline reporters, which is considered an insult.

What's y'all take on the ongoing turnover at Gannett stations such as KHOU ?

[intencity77]

Don't know about the talent but hopefully Gannett will finally get rid of 11's horrific station logo.

[Purpledevil]

Have they ditched that ridiculous "KHOU stands for Texas" song yet? Egads and little fishes, that thing makes me cringe.

I'm saving my judgement, Blue Dogs. Gannett is still getting adjusted at their various acquired Belo stations. After a year, we should have a much better idea of their direction with Ch. 11. Right now, yeah, it's become quite the revolving door on Allen Parkway, but I figure that will level off here in the next couple of months.

[FilioScotia]

This sort of thing always happens when a station changes ownership. ALWAYS. New owners come in smiling and telling everybody "we love what you're doing -- just keep it up -- we're gonna go places and do great things."  Uh huh. That's pure BS. 

 

As someone who went through a few radio station ownership changes over more than four decades in news broadcasting, I can tell you when you hear new owners saying all that, it's time to update the audition tape and resume and get ready to move.

 

The first thing they'll do is cut costs to start getting back some of the money they spent buying the place and they do that with lay-offs. Veterans with high salaries are usually the first to go. Then they move middle salary people into positions they don't like, so they will get unhappy enough to quit.

 

Experienced photographers are also a major expense, so stations eliminate that job and turn their reporters into MMJ's -- Multi-Media Journalists. They're a one-man-band and they do it all. They carry their own cameras and gear, cover the story, get interviews for soundbites, shoot B-Roll video, write the story, voice their own script and package it all up for a report to put on the air.

 

This has been common in small and middle markets for years, but it's now spreading to the major markets because it does reduce the size of the payroll. That means it's the way of the future in local TV.

 

Many reporters accustomed to having a photographer doing all their video and heavy lifting regard this as a demotion, and many are leaving. This is happening mostly in Right to Work states where broadcasting unions have little or no power. At stations in states with strong unions there's no way the unions will let a reporter even touch a camera or edit video and audio.

 

Edited July 15, 2014 by FilioScotia

[editor]

 This is happening mostly in Right to Work states where broadcasting unions have little or no power. At stations in states with strong unions there's no way the unions will let a reporter even touch a camera or edit video and audio.

 

That's common sense, but not the reality.  It's happening everywhere.  Even in big, corrupt union markets like Chicago and New York.  There are one man bands at WGN-TV, WFLD, WBBM-TV and more in Chicago.   And those are the lucky ones.  Over at WMAQ-TV a couple of years ago Kabletown blew out the entire newsroom staff and made everyone re-apply for lower-paying jobs as MMJ's.  

 

I'm not sure what happened, but something in the last few years changed and the unions no longer have the power they once did in television.

 

Although I wasn't a fan of Belo when I worked at KHOU, one good thing can be said for that company— It wasn't afraid to spend money chasing news stories.  I don't think the same can be said of Gannett.

[Blue Dogs]

Purple Devil, maybe Ganett should demand KHOU get a new news set, make it virtual and when they do their 10pm newscasts, have the skyline at night instead of the same blue background.

 

 

[Purpledevil]

Well, since Gannett owns KHOU now, I don't think they have to "demand" anything. If they desire a new set, a new set will be built. I seriously doubt that is one of the top priorities for Gannett at this point.

Filio has this pegged, and after all these years in the media, his experience tells the story in itself. I mean, look how cheaply run KIAH's "NewsFix" is. Cameraman shoots video, Grego does voiceovers. Pretty cut and dry, but it's holding its own against 26's live broadcast in the same time slot. I, honestly, was hoping the NewsFix model would fall flat on its face, because with its success, a door opens for every other operation to mirror and adapt it.

Unfortunately, he is dead on about the high salary vets being some of the first ones out the door as well, which leads me to wonder how long it will be before Bob Allen comes into the crosshairs of corporate downsizing.

I agree wholeheartedly with the editor as well. Belo was never the most beautiful contestant in the beauty pageant, but they certainly weren't afraid of doing whatever it took to obtain the story.

[FilioScotia]

It also helps to remember that we're talking about Gannett, the people who created USA Today, the newspaper for people with short attention spans. That paper has never been known for "in depth" reporting. I remember when it first came along, a media critic called its stories the bite size "chicken mcnuggets" of news reporting. That criticism still fits, in print and at Gannett owned TV stations.

[Blue Dogs]

Filio Scotia, it'll be interesting to see how the longtime veterans at KHOU handle Gannett ownership.

I'm wondering how long before Lisa Hernandez decides to move on somewhere else ? The last 2 female predecessors in the primetime weeknight spot, Lisa Foronda (1997-2006) and Lucy Noland (2007-2011) left.