SCRIPPS’ DEFENESTRATION OF THE OLD TV STATION MODEL HEATS UP

Scripps continues to toss out the window the traditional methods of running and staffing a television station and the newsrooms therein.

Anchorless newscasts formatted by computer program, newsroom consolidation and personnel cuts in virtually ever department led the way.

Now as we reach the end of the year, it is the turn of the general managers who spent the year overseeing a lot of this.

General managers are giving way to station managers – less authority, wearing two hats (running the station AND a department) and answering to a regional VP.

And less expensive

At least TWO of those departing GMs are former news directors, Matt Brown in Tallahassee and Ed Chapuis in San Luis Obispo.

And, as we recently reported, Ryan Scott, ND at WGBA in Green Bay, has assumed additional duties as a station manager.

We are hearing that as many as 14 of Scripps’ approximately 40 stations are operating under this new model.

And Tulsa GM Amy Calvert perhaps speaks for all of those departing.

Questions we have: All of the cost-saving we are certain brings a glow to the cherubic cheeks of Scripps executives and shareholders.

But are viewers all that eager to accept anchorless newscasts featuring essentially faceless MMJs doing stories?

And how does the absence of a GM, the corporate face of the station in the local community, square with that community?

We wonder how long-term this will be?