Heather Burns Fired
Gary Heston
>Heather Burns and several others were unceremoniously terminated from
>WAAY today. 14 years down the drain.
Anybody have any idea why? I know that TV and radio tends to be a
venue of sudden dismissal, but usually there's a change of management
involved, or something of that nature. WAAY down in the ratings this
week, or something?
Gary
--
Gary Heston ghe...@ro.com spamfodder: root@localhost pres...@whitehouse.gov
sync@localhost daemon@localhost lp@localhost mail@localhost news@localhost
All the world's a stage, and the stage crew is drunk.
Unknown
Lewis Edwards
>Anybody have any idea why? I know that TV and radio tends to be a
>venue of sudden dismissal, but usually there's a change of management
>involved, or something of that nature. WAAY down in the ratings this
>week, or something?
I think there's an article in tonight's paper about it. The reason
I've heard is poor ratings. Renee Cohn and Miya Shay are two of the
other recently unemployed members of the WAAY family.
andyw...@aol.com
Well, ratings is the logical reason. This is the time of the year that the
most important ratings come in - the ones that set ad rates for the year -
and August is generally a big month for staff turnover for radio and TV
personalities. If any local radio stations change format this month, you now
know why!
A.
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum
T.
>
> On 25 Aug 1998 23:14:46 -0500, ghe...@ro.com (Gary Heston) wrote:
>
> >Anybody have any idea why? I know that TV and radio tends to be a
> >venue of sudden dismissal, but usually there's a change of management
> >involved, or something of that nature. WAAY down in the ratings this
> >week, or something?
>
> I think there's an article in tonight's paper about it. The reason
> I've heard is poor ratings. Renee Cohn and Miya Shay are two of the
> other recently unemployed members of the WAAY family.
This was sad to read. I liked Renee and Heather. Granted Heather
couldn't carry a complete sentence without the teleprompter, but she
didn't studder or stammer around like Don Phelps. At least Heather
looked sincere when she talked about a news story unlike Don who looks
so fake. That's my opinion anyway and not everyone will agree. Why the
prominent females fired?
T.
Unknown
wrote:
Someone NEEDS to get rid of the big problem at 31, M.D. Smith.
Travis Hardison
OK, here's a disgruntled ex-employee tale about M.D., not IV but III,
from my days there. We were both in the mens' room at the same time and I
saw a paper towel on the floor. Thinking to impress the old man with my
team spirit, I bent to pick it up and he growled at me, "Leave that there.
I've got niggers to do that."
I was also unceremoniously allowed to pursue other job opportunities,
but the station staff threw me a farewell party with cake. And gruff Dick
Van Valkenburg, who you wouldn't think would be emotional, having seen
everything at least once, came up to me and said, "Hell, I liked you."
Any "family" at 31 is named Smith. Everybody else is an employee.
Hardison - out of TV
Beth
>
> Lewis Edwards wrote:
> > I think there's an article in tonight's paper about it. The reason
> > I've heard is poor ratings. Renee Cohn and Miya Shay are two of the
> > other recently unemployed members of the WAAY family.
>
> This was sad to read. I liked Renee and Heather. Granted Heather
> couldn't carry a complete sentence without the teleprompter, but she
> didn't studder or stammer around like Don Phelps. At least Heather
> looked sincere when she talked about a news story unlike Don who looks
> so fake. That's my opinion anyway and not everyone will agree. Why the
> prominent females fired?
Generally, in the TV news business, there's a high emphasis made on
the "appearance" of the female anchors/reporters; the male talent
are judged more on their perceived competence and trustworthy image.
There have been many cases where a female newsperson has been
seriously criticized by both viewers and industry critics due
to changing her hairstyle or wearing the "wrong" dress (Dianne
Sawyer had a horrific story about this).
It's possible that TBTB at the station decided that Heather was
starting to look too "old" to appeal to certain demographics,
and they hope to "shake things up" in the ratings by replacing her.
I think that calling her "too old" is ridiculous! How old is
she? Thirties? Maybe 40? And how old is Don Phelps?
Several years ago, I thought 31 had the *best* news in the area
and felt they were far beyond the stumbling, awkward presentations
of the other stations. It seems in the last few years, 31 has staged
several Stalin-esque purges of personnel (in-front and behind camera
people), and the quality of their news had dramatically declined.
The other 2 stations seem to have steadily improved at the same time.
perhaps there's a lesson to be learned here?
Kim
fired and sued the station . . . Life really ISN'T fair, is it? No
matter that you are competent and conscientious, you have to look
perpetually 25 . . .
Kim
Benny wrote:
> Heather Burns and several others were unceremoniously terminated from
> WAAY today. 14 years down the drain.
--
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"Inquiring gnomes want to mine!"
Moe & Melissa
My understanding is that they are in last place and have been for some
time. The people I know at WAAY blame it on the news director Terry
Heaton. Apparently M.D. Smith can't admit he's made a mistake in hiring
him. I have also heard from a very reliable source that if you are a
female and unwilling to "entertain" Heaton, you are on his list. The
broadcast business is pretty screwy.
Melissa
***********************************************************************
* From the rain forests of New Guinea to the wilds of my living room. *
* New Guinea Singing Dogs... A rare breed indeed. *
* Visit: http://www.CanineWorld.com/NGSDCS/index.htm *
* My Singer: http://ro.com/~moe/roux.htm *
***********************************************************************
Terry Ann
>Date: Wed, Aug 26, 1998 18:53 EDT
>Message-id: <35E49213...@att.net>
>
>This situation reminds me of an Ally McBeal show where a lady anchor was
>fired and sued the station . . . Life really ISN'T fair, is it? No
>matter that you are competent and conscientious, you have to look
>perpetually 25 . . .
>
> Kim
Isn't that what happened to Joan Lunden on ABC? It reminds me of the many
movies with older leading men, but very young women. <sigh>
--Terry
NOTE: Please address e-mail to my other screen name of terr...@aol.com if you
want to reach me directly. Visit my Web site at
http://members.aol.com/terryann2/fhcinal.htm to learn more about doing
genealogy.
andyw...@aol.com
terr...@aol.com (Terry Ann) wrote:
> >From: Kim <kdol...@att.net>
> >Date: Wed, Aug 26, 1998 18:53 EDT
> >Message-id: <35E49213...@att.net>
> >
> >This situation reminds me of an Ally McBeal show where a lady anchor was
> >fired and sued the station . . . Life really ISN'T fair, is it? No
> >matter that you are competent and conscientious, you have to look
> >perpetually 25 . . .
> >
> > Kim
>
> Isn't that what happened to Joan Lunden on ABC? It reminds me of the many
> movies with older leading men, but very young women. <sigh>
>
> --Terry
You know, if these newsreaders were hired on the criteria of their
journalistic abilities a many of the pretty ones - both male and female -
would have never been fired in the first place. You are hired for your
appearance, and once the audience (more likely: some media consultant) decides
they're tired of your face or your voice (as in radio), you're out of there.
And men are hired for their looks, too. It's not necessarily a bias against
women - men just tend to look better with age and women tend not to. If Sonte
Phillips were to go suddenly bald - you think they would keep him on the air?
How much of Robert Urich did you see when he went bald from chemotherapy?
There's a good reason for that.
;-)
Moe & Melissa
Im not saying that they are not talented and don't do a credible job,
but just based on appearances, I can't see that any of them have that
feather in their cap. Women on the other hand are held to a much higher
appearance standard in this market than their male counterparts.
Melissa
Richard Trice
:>
:> --Terry
: You know, if these newsreaders were hired on the criteria of their
: journalistic abilities a many of the pretty ones - both male and female -
: would have never been fired in the first place. You are hired for your
: appearance, and once the audience (more likely: some media consultant) decides
: they're tired of your face or your voice (as in radio), you're out of there.
: And men are hired for their looks, too. It's not necessarily a bias against
: women - men just tend to look better with age and women tend not to. If Sonte
: Phillips were to go suddenly bald - you think they would keep him on the air?
: How much of Robert Urich did you see when he went bald from chemotherapy?
: There's a good reason for that.
Reminds me of the kennedy Nixon debate. Nixon was pale and had a heavy
5 o'clock shadow, Kennedy had a great tan and was looking great. All
across the country, those who listened to the debate on the Radio thought
that Nixon was clearly the victor, but those who watched the debate thought
that Kennedy was. If people didn't care what the people looked like that
they were watching, then the world would be a much different place.
Rich ----singing "video killed the radio star, in my mind and in my car...."
Jesse
Blue and then brought it back when the show's ratings soared; they lost my
respect.
What about Ch. 19? What happened to Wendy Howell? She started wearing
her glasses all the time and then got a Heavens Gate hair cut and then
claimed she was leaving her life long dream of meteorology to go into
teaching. What about Lisa Douglas? After it was discovered she owned a
topless club in TN she was gone exacly one year after that event (so it
would not look like she got canned for that). And what about the lady (I
can't remember her name) who was the olympic athlete that they spent
months of advertising her arrival only to have her disappear after a
month...
19 had a bunch of good reporters a few years ago and they are all gone now.
Whatever the turnover rate is at 31, it's twice as high at 19.
Gary Heston
Jesse <jess...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>31 has gone down hill since they lost Liz Hurley. When they banned NYPD
>Blue and then brought it back when the show's ratings soared; they lost my
>respect.
Wouldn't know; I don't watch news on 31.
>What about Ch. 19? What happened to Wendy Howell? She started wearing
>her glasses all the time and then got a Heavens Gate hair cut and then
>claimed she was leaving her life long dream of meteorology to go into
>teaching.
She also got married, and I believe teaching was her life-long dream, not
meterology. She's now Wendy Howell-Nations, and was well before she left
channel 19.
> What about Lisa Douglas? After it was discovered she owned a
>topless club in TN she was gone exacly one year after that event (so it
>would not look like she got canned for that).
Her fiance got a job in Florida, and she followed him. What's unusual
about that? I don't think it had anything to do with the Tennessee stuff.
> And what about the lady (I
>can't remember her name) who was the olympic athlete that they spent
>months of advertising her arrival only to have her disappear after a
>month...
Rebecca Mesa. In her case, I have no idea what happened. I think she
ended up going back to Arizona, but I'm not sure. I don't know if she
didn't fit in at 19, or if the station in Yuma made a nice big offer
to get her back, assuming she went to the same station.
>19 had a bunch of good reporters a few years ago and they are all gone now.
I really don't think there's any big conspiracy going on here. There's
periods of turnover, and periods of stability, in just about any working
environment. It's just more noticable in broadcast.
>Whatever the turnover rate is at 31, it's twice as high at 19.
Ah, but at 19, it's voluntary.
:-)
Gary Heston
Jesse <jess...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Well it looks fishy to me. Too fishy. I have Wendy on tape someplace
>where she says meteorology was her life long dream. If it wasn't, why
>would she spend years on getting the degree, go through the trouble of
>getting certified, and enter one of the most unforgiving businesses there
>is? Why not skip all that and go through the teaching route first?
I don't recall her having a degree in meterology. As for doing that first
instead of teaching, it might have to do with a minor issue called "paying
bills".
>Anyway I thought she was better than what's on there now. After she left
>I pretty much stopped watching 19. I watch 48 for prime time stuff, 48
>for local news, CNN for national news, and the Weather Channel for
>weather.
Since I'm too cheap to pay for cable, I just watch 19 for news/weather. For
shows of interest, it's whichever station has it.
Jesse
where she says meteorology was her life long dream. If it wasn't, why
would she spend years on getting the degree, go through the trouble of
getting certified, and enter one of the most unforgiving businesses there
is? Why not skip all that and go through the teaching route first?
I pretty much stopped watching 19. I watch 48 for prime time stuff, 48
for local news, CNN for national news, and the Weather Channel for
weather.
-J-
> I really don't think there's any big conspiracy going on here. There's
> periods of turnover, and periods of stability, in just about any working
> environment. It's just more noticable in broadcast.
> Gary