Managers at the South Burlington-based CBS affiliate informed staffers Tuesday that its production department would face deep cuts in the coming weeks. The department, which currently includes 13 full-time and seven part-time employees, will be reduced to roughly 10 full-time equivalent positions, according to WCAX vice president and general manager Jay Barton.
“We as an organization have been going through a massive amount of change,” he said.
Barton attributed the staff reduction to a recent investment in automated equipment, including new television cameras. Over the next six weeks, he said, behind-the-scenes positions would be combined and existing employees would be retrained and evaluated. Some would then be let go, Barton said.
“Ultimately, there will be some jobs that are separated,” he said.
The Burlington Free Press first reported news of the looming layoffs earlier Wednesday.
WCAX was owned by the Vermont-based Martin family from its establishment in 1954 until August 2017, when the Martins sold the station to Atlanta-based Gray Television. Last month, Gray announced that it would buy Alabama-based Raycom Media for $3.65 billion, a deal that would create the third-largest broadcasting company in the country.
Last December, according to Barton, WCAX laid off all three staffers at its Mount Mansfield transmission facility. In April, it laid off six employees, including three photographers.
Barton said that no newsroom staff would lose their jobs in the current round of cuts, and he did not expect additional layoffs in the foreseeable future.
“There are no other changes that are really possible at the station in terms of personnel,” he said.
Disclosure: WCAX and Seven Days are media partners.
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Cool, so the recent decline in the quality of their work should continue. Good to know.
More media consolidation means less truth, more corporate/capitalist spin and propaganda and nationalistic BS. Gray will most likely sell out to yet a bigger conglomerate .
Last call for alcohol . . last call for Freedom of Speech . . drink up, Happy Hour is now enforced by law.
WCAX has become the worst station in New England. All their seasoned staff are gone, replaced with 18 yr. old interns.
Sad to watch the decline., but it mirrors the rest of our general dysfunction.
Wonder who the REAL BUYER is behind this, give you 3 guesses first 2 don’t count.. here’s a hint, it’s a billionaire. and he’s not an American. WCAX has become a bias station, you can tell by the action and speech.. Long gone the honest WCAX and reporters.. It’s really sad when you can’t even trust your own local news station..
“Ultimately, there will be some jobs that are separated,” he said. Corporate jargon for being separated from your paycheck. At least call it what it is – layoffs.
The ghosts of Richard Gallagher and Stuart Hall are probably weeping about what the once respectable WCAX continues to decline into.