WFSB makes staffing cuts, citing COVID-19 pandemic
WFSB-TV made cuts to staff Thursday in an effort, company officials said, to address the impact of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.
The cuts come about two weeks after longtime anchor Dennis House announced that he was leaving the station.
“Today, [WFSB parent company] Meredith [Corp.3/8 announced initiatives to address the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and position our business for future growth,” Dana Neves, WFSB’s general manager, said, in a wirtten statement. “They include cost-control measures as well as a reallocation of resources to higher-growth areas. These decisions are always difficult to make, and we will miss our colleagues. We are appreciative of their contributions to WFSB and our Connecticut viewers and wish them well in the future.”
Neves declined to say Thursday how many people had been let go from the station. Eric Parker, a morning anchor and the station’s chief investigative reporter, confirmed he was among the group, but declined to comment further.
Meredith Corp. owns 15 TV stations across the United States, including WFSB-TV in Rocky Hill. It is unclear if similar cuts were made at other stations.
The company reported a 22% loss in revenue in the fourth quarter of the recently completed fiscal year, attributed, leaders said, to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to materially impact our business, we saw continued strong consumer engagement along with improvement in advertising revenue performance during the course of the fourth quarter, particularly for our digital and broadcast properties,” Meredith CEO Tom Harty said in an Aug. 13 earnings announcement. “Additionally, we continue to take proactive action to maximize free cash flow, ensure ample liquidity, and enhance our financial flexibility.”
Media companies in Connecticut and across the country have enacted cost-saving measures including furloughs and pay cuts to address declines in advertising revenue during the pandemic.
Nicholas Rondinone can be reached at nrondinone@courant.com.
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