Friday, November 21, 2008

KUSA-TV staff gets buyout offer; layoffs threatened

The Denver NBC affiliate is offering a voluntary severance program to some employees age 55 and up with at least 10 years' service, General Manager Mark Cornetta said in a memo. As is often the case, the deal comes with a warning: "If the voluntary offer does not result in a sufficient number of volunteers, or if business conditions worsen, it may be necessary to consider other expense reductions, including layoffs."

Have any other Gannett TV stations recently offered buyouts? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.

13 comments:

  1. KPNX in Phoenix will be offering the same deal, if you call it a deal in the next day or two.

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  2. WUSA is still "negotiating" with unions, but pay cuts at the very least, some significant are a certainty. I suspect some of our older, more experienced reporters will take severance.

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  3. KARE just got the same letter, word for word, well ok the GM changed his name!

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  4. WCSH/WLBZ got the same letter, different name.

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  5. Same at WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, Fl.

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  6. Gannett has most of its stations with NBC, currently #4 among the Big 4. As NBC has few must-see shows that tends to have a ripple effect on stations' ad rates.

    The fact that Gannett is pushing for layoffs in the entire TV division tells me the big G got way too close to the Peacock.

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  7. Also at WXIA in Atlanta. Hope too many people don't take it since we are bare bones already.

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  8. KPNX got the same memo word for word. 12 people are eligible. This round of buyouts is a better deal than our last. 2 weeks per year with a max of something more than the 26 weeks offered before. I don't know the exact max...but I think it is around 36 weeks.

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  9. WBIR in Knoxville, TN got the memo also.

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  10. No one who received the offer is talking? How long does the employee have to decide?

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  11. Folks at WXIA were given till Dec 1. With the thanksgiving week looming they were essentially given 3 days to decide. Great timing.

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  12. I heard the union at kusa was trying for a better deal? Any comments?

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  13. I heard that at WBIR, all seven of the eligible employees took the buyout, and then the GM went to them and said the station couldn't afford to pay it!!!!!!!!!! So three of them ending up staying.

    Just a thing that makes you go hmmmmmmmmmmm.

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