But because Altice had already been sued once for large staff layoffs, sources say the company is instead forcing pricey personnel to leave of their own volition through unfair, harsh treatment. 12NEWS.com is the official website for KPNX-TV, your trusted source for breaking news, weather and sports in Phoenix, AZ . Shortly afterward, Keith Bowen, president of news and advertising at Altice USA, wrote an email to News 12 employees, obtained by TVNewsCheck, in which he said an internal investigation would be pending. A new multimillion-dollar newsroom complex in Bethpage, which will include five studios and an expansive newsroom, is under construction. Elizabeth Hashagen is a well-known reporter for News 12 in Long Island, New York. After the takeover we couldnt imagine it get worse. In addition, she currently coaches a young ladies' childhood b-ball group. The question, like with everything else, is always in the implementation, the source says. She is co-leader of her daughter's Girl Scout Troop and volunteers for the Parent Teachers Organization at her daughter's school. . The sponsorship of stories. Brand exposure had become paramount. Join Carissa Lawson, Kristina Behr, James Gregorio, and Don Smith for the latest headlines, breaking news from overnight, traffic and weather information for all . This, too, is all part of the Altice effort to cut costly staff, sources believe. And so what I think is, Altice made changes based on economics, but beyond that, I couldnt comment. WM: Do you believe contemporary journalists have had a responsibility shift from journalists of old? Dont you guys have more serious crimes to report than humiliating this woman? read one comment. These sources also say employee safety has been compromised across News 12, and they liken their work experience at the company to that of a traumatic event. It's one destination for everything you need to know to start your day. TV, News, Fox News, Celebrities, Media. But radio is a wonderful way to reach people. The effect of Natzs draconian changes, as one former staffer calls them, made life difficult for News 12 personnel, particularly the old guard who commanded the highest salaries because, sources speculate, Altice harbored a desire to save money on staff salary cuts. They dont exist, and sources say this fact underscores the station groups forced efforts to air branded content and overhype weather events. They are proven performers, passionate and knowledgeable. I stopped looking at the Facebook page; I stopped looking at the comments, says one former staffer. The Fourth Estate is really important. So Cablevision saw the opportunity to reach out into the suburbs and provide the local news that everyone wanted. The threats occurred in public and on social media. Jackie Lukas is a television journalist, anchor, and reporter from the United States. Im hoping to do more radio and/or television. But some weeks, its more locally focused. Keep a pulse on local food, art, and entertainment content when you join our Westchester newsletter. Lawson is the mother of a wonderful little girl who keeps her Mommy busy! Former Wxii 12 News Anchor Denise Franklin Dies At Age 59 .. Oct 24, 2019 Long Time Board Director & News Director Dies. One particular piece of sponsored content from 2019 that staffers found in poor taste revolved around Jon Steinberg, CEO of Cheddar, a News 12 sister news brand, delivering Dunkin Donuts to a News 12 set. The 10 p.m. anchor said the ABC affiliate opted not renew her contract, adding that her last day on air was July 12. Dont expect that youre going to be the next Katie Couric or Megyn Kelly. We have to know how to tell people stories that mean something to them. They just fired her for no reason?" KCRG in Cedar Rapids Promotes Kristin Rogers to Morning Anchor. Before moving to Oregon, there were many places Ana once called "home." She was born and raised in Denver, Colorado before moving to Texas in 2014. Now we have it on record, its on record. JR: Thank you. . Of course, sponsored content has become a commonplace for local TV news in the past decade. "@ksatnews What happened to Isis Romero?? In comments underneath a News 12 Facebook post promoting the story, a platform user posted a link to an article from another Long Island news source about four people who were arrested for illegal gun possession. People at home dont give a shit how long my cold open is, says one former newsroom staffer. Ive never seen it like this, says the source, commenting on the industrys labor problems. The move of news into marketing. But two other media buyers say, regardless of the new programming approach, theyve heard no negativity about News 12s reputation with advertisers since the changes began. Select News 12 newsrooms have also recently expanded the areas they cover, according to Altice. But departed personnel say they had to eat maskless in that space because staff cuts enacted by Natz forced them to work through meal breaks. Even minor chances of rain have fallen under the purview of the channels Storm Watchers, network weather forecasts whose branding on air and across digital channels include what sources say are hyperbolic graphics and animations intended to flag severe weather even when there is none. . News. I feel blessed. Conspicuous ads were increasingly embedded into newscasts. 2:47 Feb 21, 2023 Malibu, CA. I enjoyed anchoring San Antonio's #1 newscast for the past decade, and I especially took pride in representing my culture and community as the city's most tenured Latina news anchor currently on English-language TV.". Daily impressions in the 25-54 demographic in those same time ranges also climbed to 208,000 from 172,000. In addition to the notes about ratings increases and a boost in distribution channels, the spokesperson says Altice has invested millions in the News 12 brand, with an updated logo, modern graphics, as well as studio and set upgrades. He required multiple stitches in his face. 673,057 people like this. This person laments that, when such content is included in a hyperlocal news broadcast, the more you water it down, the more useless it is.. Police responded just after 9 p.m. on Feb. 25 to . She is a New York City native who grew up in Queens. JR: I actually started as a customer service rep with Cablevision, but then quickly, within a couple years, moved into the production department. One former Long Island employee says, We were told [by upper-level managers] several times, Look, were the only product on Long Island; people are gonna watch us no matter what.. Patsy Carter, Morning and Noon Anchor/Reporter. Not long after Altice took over News 12 in 2016, however, according to multiple sources Dolan was demoted from his position as president of News 12 Networks. Furthermore, sources say action plans were also generated, outlining required steps these supposedly poor-performing employees needed to take or else theyd be terminated. Leadership instead wanted stories rife with shock value that would garner web clicks, and they inadvertently got one on May 14, 2020. Part of the reason, sources say, is the attached Ford branding. Kevin Vesey at a Long Island protest of state-issued mask mandates. These former staffers also take umbrage with claims by News 12 upper managers that their team members are leaving the network en masse because they cant handle the grind of news any longer. Bill O'Reilly was ousted from his long-running, top-rated primetime show on Fox News in April 2017 after being accused of sexual harassment. The recruiter observes that workplace issues like these emanating from the News 12 group exist to some extent across much of the industry, and News 12 isnt entirely an outlier. This act and others meant that Altice had failed to maintain the legacy and quality of News 12, according to the Dolan complaint. Ana Orsini joined the NewsWatch 12 team as an anchor and producer in May 2020. While sources say many stations have similar weather forecasting tools, and that they understand such a vehicle can be useful in certain weather events, the Thunderbolt has become a must-see in weather stories, often without justification. Though Radzius was reporting for the all-news WINS-AM New York at the time, the assault hit close to home for News 12 workers. Several follow-up segments on the Vesey episode were ordered up by management and, later, more stories about Veseys personal experiences turned up on newscasts, too. Exiting workers were told that they were beloved, and the company wanted to invest in them if they chose to stick around. Lukas. They say the station group has clearly deprioritized local stories in favor of sponsored content and generic, general interest segments produced for all seven News 12 markets in the Tri-State area. News 12 Network News Anchors and Reporters Coverage: NY/NJ/CT/LI/The Bronx Affiliation: Annalisa Klebers News 12 - Connecticut: Shosh Bedrosian News 12 Reporter - Connecticut: Lauren Fabrizi News 12 Reporter - Connecticut: Michele Powers News 12 Meteorologist - New Jersey & Connecticut: Tina Redwine But, one source adds, rarely can they get the big bosses to care about the people. Oops! We are in, certainly, with the concerns about terrorism, with the concerns about our safety, its an uneasy period were in right now, and I think thats why journalism is so important. When News 12 Westchester announced in 2016 that it was moving the bulk of its production facilities from Yonkers to Long Island, several bastions of local news, including Emmy-winning anchor and political correspondent . It promoted two brands in a single spot, and one source says content like that was corny and it delegitimized us. The source thought to themself at the time, Are we journalists or shills?. Kristin Malaspina was hired by Steinberg as the marketing director and instituted the majority of changes that plague news 12 to this day. Words like respect and trust are tossed around with regularity in descriptions of the News 12 newsroom culture under the previous regime. Accompanying web copy and station tweets spotlighted the threat against Vesey, not the protest. Changes were made for, as you mentioned earlier, economic reasons. Word of News 12 workplace problems has crept beyond network newsroom walls. I take pride in what we did and what we accomplished. The response to Veseys scenario told our viewing audience we accepted the confrontation. When is news 12 finally going to be taken off the air., When a group of on-air talent left News 12 Long Island in January, multiple Facebook users criticized the channel and its parent company for a decline in quality, and after News 12 Long Island recently posted an image on Instagram promoting a story about energy reducing tips, one user commented with a tip of their own: dont believe anything #new12 spews [sic]., Last month, News 12 Long Island produced a story about two dresses that were returned to their owner after she lost them on a local train. The Amy Waldman hire was very unsettling for staffers, says one News 12 source. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. WOAI-TV's chief anchorwoman Evy Ramos said she was abruptly fired today. Today, journalism is a lot harder to get into, as you said. The ouster came 13 years after an accuser . Lawson has won an Associated Press Award for feature reporting. Holmes has been with ABC News since 2014 and has co-anchored GMA3 since 2020. You might want to be a news producer, you might want to be a cameraman. The number of News 12 distribution channels and brand exposure may have broadened of late, but the integrity of the organizations reported content has been called into question by current and former employees. But it was clear to the staff that she wasnt being supported by upper management. A few days later, he and his family sued the company, claiming in court filings that Altice had breached its sales agreement by laying off a large number of workers. I have to give Chuck Dolan, who was the owner and CEO of Cablevision, who had that vision for niche programming, and he saw the importance of local news, and then Pat Dolan, his son, became president of the News 12 operations. KSAT audiences took to Twitter to express their thoughts on Romero's departure from the network. It does, and there will always be times in the country when theres political unrest. JR: Yeah, I will tell you, Im loving this radio show. WM: Your guest, Vince, called in and said, Change is not always good. So far, has this worked out for you? Altice last October also announced plans to relocate News 12 Connecticut's anchor studio to its News 12 New Jersey facility in Edison, N.J., while keeping a crew of local reporters and video . When TVNewsCheck presented Altice with the charges raised against the company in this story, brought forth by the 14 current and former News 12 newsroom sources, a company spokesperson responded with the following statement: Altice USA is very proud of News 12s ongoing achievements and continued success, including growth in ratings and digital viewership as well as the receipt last month of 80 New York Emmy nominations, more than any other network in the tri-state, all of which underscore the high-quality hyperlocal journalism News 12 provides. (Ultimately, the hurricane claimed the lives of at least 16 New York State residents.). 12 has replaced its lead news anchors of the past six years, Reg Miller and Laurel Sauer. Ana started college at the University of Arizona but ultimately graduated from Texas A&M in 2018. Sources also believe the companys upper management purposely includes trumped up charges of poor performance in employee reviews to make cases for their firings, keeping Altice in compliance with the Dolan sales agreement. Anchors and reporters were going to get let go, that wasn't a secret. Upon graduation from NYU, Lawson earned the James Fenimore Cooper Memorial Prize, which is presented annually to the most outstanding undergraduate student of journalism. Sources say at News 12, Waldman has also mimicked her behavior toward Evseroff from her days at WPIX. I'm not going to lie, I was a little shocked when I heard that the kake news anchor had been fired. Commenting on News 12 upper managements treatment of its employees over the past several years, another former staffer says, Cruelty was the point.. Halfway through the segment, Vesey fixes his camera on himself as unmasked protesters invade his personal space and shout at him a scenario familiar to many journalists. Initially, some in the company retained an open mind toward Natzs ideas, observing that anytime theres management turnover, change is a certainty. Well, Rose is back and smelling as sweet as ever, this time as the host of her own radio show WVOX. 728,429 people follow this. Employees pulled lengthy shifts and reporting crews braved what multiple sources say were unpredictable, violent and horrifying weather conditions. "I don't think anybody's happy with the way this has played out," the source told the San Antonio Current. 2. And I said this to all the interns Ive worked with over the years and all my employees that I brought in. LONG ISLAND, NY Another award-winning veteran anchor and reporter, Danielle Campbell, has reportedly joined a lawsuit regarding staffing cuts at News 12. She told the HR head to do so, even while those statements had already been investigated and completely discredited. (Per one source, supported by his social media accounts, Evseroff has since been hired back by WPIX.). In court documents supplied to TVNewsCheck by a source, Waldman is labeled by Evseroffs attorney as a properly named defendant in the case because she was one of two co-conspirators in the hostile work environment Evseroff experienced. Local news, weather, traffic, sports events and more from 12NEWS KPNX in Phoenix, Arizona another exclaimed. But one source asks, Does it need to be multiple spots in every show or airing every hour?. She announced her termination from the station on July 27, 2021. They surmise that Altice wishes to see such workers leave the company permanently so they can be replaced by inexperienced, inexpensive personnel. A Westchester Assemblyman, Tom Abinanti, even drew up legislation requiring cable providers to each produce hyperlocal coverage as part of its licensing agreement with New York State. He remained a senior network advisor for some months afterward, but was forced to move out of his office in the Long Island newsroom into a tiny corner space located in an administrative wing of the grounds. Altice was the reason I left News 12, says another. I think the Internet has opened up a whole other area that has to be explored, because I think thats where journalists can get in trouble. Since acquiring News 12, we have invested in the network with the goal of growing its audience and viewership and so they can provide the news and information to our local communities across the tri-state.. All of these changes eroded morale throughout the companys newsrooms, sources say. Meteorologist (1986-) unknown episodes . Because once its out there, you cant pull it back. And I say, whatever you do in life, as long as you have a passion for that, youre going to be great at it. Its part of how companies pay employee salaries. A few weeks later, Altice fired Natz as GM. Bob Thompson, First Station News Announcer. Fourteen former and current employees from three additional News 12 markets tell TVNewsCheck the workplace culture in newsrooms throughout the company had become unbearably noxious under the problematic leadership of Natz, Assistant GM and VP of News Audrey Gruber and other managers hired by Altice. Sources at News 12 say Waldman regularly berates editorial team members and, like Natz and Gruber, judges their output with uncivil intensity, coming down hardest on veterans who earn the most money. (KTLA) KTLA-TV Channel 5 fired news anchor Mark Mester Thursday afternoon, days after he was suspended following an off-script segment in which he criticized the station's handling of his co-anchor Lynette Romero's abrupt departure . Altice also says that News 12 remains home to a number of long-time anchors and reporters who are mainstays of our local communities while also bringing in new talent who are quickly becoming familiar faces to viewers. Around 40% of News 12s full-time employees have been with the network for more than 10 years, the company adds. They note that news does not pay workers at a high rate compared to other industries to begin with, and this approach by News 12 creates recruiting challenges for the small group. A graphic that was incorrectly formatted and flashed momentarily during a broadcast, for example, could prompt a fiery Waldman tirade about an employees apparent ineptitude. A disconnect in station leadership was partly to blame, say sources close to the situation. The stunning agreement between rivals drew howls of protest from area politicians, wrote the USA Today local news site lohud. Over the years she's shared the desk with Melba Tolliver, Bill Zimmerman, Lea Tyrrell and Stone Grissom. Staffers also say the signal emanating from the truck is inconsistent, leading to newscast disruptions, though perhaps the biggest problem they have with the Thunderbolt is its name. Annette [Stellato] did everything she could to help her staff, the source continues, which included many young reporters and photographers on the most terrifying night of their lives. Sources say Altices sole focus on profits has been to the detriment of both its workforce and its brand. 59K views, 594 likes, 62 loves, 924 comments, 2.6K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Dan Thomas: I was fired because I can't get the shot. 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