Howard Beale

Nexstar is known for rock-bottom salaries and Denver is the latest proof. Here’s an example: KDVR/KWGN has a job opening for a part-time production technician with a listed salary of $17.29/hour. Colorado’s minimum wage is $14.42/hour, but in Denver specifically, the minimum wage is $18.29 hour. The job opening was posted prior to the higher wages becoming law, so let’s presume Nexstar hasn’t updated the job post. It’s still further proof of how cheap Nexstar is, because this is a minimum wage salary in a larger-sized market.

FTVLive reports depositions are underway in the discrimination lawsuit filed by former WGCL news anchor Mike Dunston. https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2024/1/2/depositions-being-taken-in-former-atlanta-anchors-lawsuit This lawsuit is from when WANF was Meredith-owned WGCL. The depositions, should they become public, may be an interesting read. WGCL was a hot mess under Meredith's ownership.

The only local TV news broadcaster that might be “good” is the Disney O&O group. Those stations are typically number one in the ratings and have a Disney-backed budget to make things happen. But, as we learned this year from CEO Bob Iger, Disney may eventually get out of linear television. And I’m sure the likes of Perry Sook and Byron Allen will be ready to make an offer. TV news has always been about the money, especially local TV news, regardless of the owners. It’s just that some companies are more open about it, like Nexstar and Sinclair. The other companies — like Gray, Scripps, Tegna, Cox, Graham, Allen, etc. — are all watching the bottom line just as much.

I’d hate to be a TV news director these days. Imagine how stressful it must be to try to recruit people! I see recruiters from Gray and Scripps, among others, who post the same open jobs on LinkedIn almost every day. I’m also aware of some jobs that have been open for months. I’m no longer in the business, so does anyone here have first-hand knowledge of the recruiting crisis in TV news?