CBS "BLACKEYE" MONDAY IN LA

CUTBACK AX FALLS AT LOS ANGELES CBS AFFILAITE

(March 13th, 2007 4:00PM PST)

BY ERS NEWS

LIVE, LOCAL AND SEE YOU LATER!

 
Well it looks like the cost cutting at CBS O&O’s around the country has just hit Los Angeles. Reports from the Viacom duopoly in Los Angeles have a round of layoffs (also known as firings back in the old days) hitting the station last night.
 
According to sources, inside and outside the station, those let go are two executive producers, and at least four on air reporters.  Longtime reporters Jaime Garza, Jennifer Sabih, Jennifer Davis and inland empire reporter Greg Phillips.  Other cost cutting measures have also been put in place, cutting back part time freelance employees known as "per diems".

Unconfirmed reports and insiders have told ERS longtime and well known anchors Harold Green and Ann Martin may also be heading out the door, if they have not been asked to leave already. Both anchors have expressed interest in possibly retiring at the end of their current contracts.  Although the bios of the reporters involved have been removed from the stations website, both Green’s and Martin's picture and bios remain on the site.

Both station unions, IBEW and WGA have been notified of potential cuts of up to thirty percent.

CBS is also busy cutting at the network. Three of the western bureaus for their syndication service, Newspath, were closed in Salt Lake City, Denver and Dallas. There are also some cuts at Morning News.

The venerable granddaddy of information about the television news business, web based “TV Shoptalk” and its companion discussion website the "TV Watercolor"  is abuzz with chatter and discussion over the changes being made at the station. One poster known by the moniker "tv3” had this to say "What's really sad about it is... talented veterans were cut and bimbos remain. That's what Corsini has done to the duopoly. He'd rather put the T&A crowd on the air over journalists. And guess what... it's not working!!! No one's watching. News Flash... people turn on the news to get the news, not boobs. Helloooooo!” 

ERS News reported extensively on KCBS and the LA market “Babe Wars” late last year.  You can view those stories here:

 

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