Layoffs at WYTV go into effect

WKBN-TV will start
producing WYTV’s
newscasts Dec. 10.

By DON SHILLING

VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR

Layoffs are to be announced today at WYTV and perhaps next Friday at WKBN-TV.

Union leaders say they don’t know how many jobs will be lost, and managers aren’t giving details.

“We’re living in hope,” said Doug Beach, union vice president at WYTV.

The cuts are coming as the broadcast operations of WYTV Channel 33 are being turned over to WKBN Channel 27, starting Dec. 10.

Corporate owners of the two stations agreed earlier this year that WYTV will pay WKBN to provide its newscasts from WKBN studios. WYTV workers who are retained will report to WKBN’s offices on Sunset Boulevard in Boardman starting Dec. 10.

The only WYTV employees who will remain at its building on Shady Run Road in Youngstown will be senior management and advertising sales representatives.

Notices on the impending layoffs were posted at both stations Thursday.

Beach said union officials have bargained severance pay for workers who are furloughed.

“We did pretty well, but how can you be happy with something that will result in job losses?” Beach asked.

He said union officials haven’t been able to learn how many will be let go.

Workers are to find notices in their paychecks today that tell them if they are being retained.

Workers that are offered positions have until Tuesday to declare if they will accept them.

The attention will then shift to WKBN.

Workers there are to be notified Dec. 7 if their jobs are being retained.

Joe Bell, a shop steward at WKBN, said some workers feel their jobs are secure because of their positions or expertise, but others aren’t so sure.

Union officials have been asking about how many jobs will be cut but haven’t received an answer, he said.

“We don’t know how many, but we expect there might be some,” he said.

On-air personnel, photographers, producers and technicians at both stations are represented by the National Association of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians.

David Coy, WKBN general manager, and David Trabert, WYTV general manager, declined to comment on the number of jobs that will be cut. Both stations employ about 70.

Coy said, however, that viewers won’t notice much of a difference in the WYTV newscasts. They will be separate from WKBN newscasts and will be anchored by separate staffs, he said. The initial plan doesn’t include sharing news reports, he said.

WKBN has been working for months to remodel its studios and upgrade its equipment in order to handle the additional workload and staff, he said.

The changes follow sales of both stations earlier this year.

Parkin Broadcasting of Los Angeles bought WYTV and signed the shared services agreement with WKBN’s new owner, New Vision Television of Atlanta.

Parkin is paying New Vision $750,000 a year to provide the newscasts and other services.

shilling@vindy.com