Eight current and Former employees who spoke to The Globe cited a range of factors that drive people to leave, including issues with the quality of the station’s content, overwhelming workloads, pay cuts, and layoffs. And uncertainty over whether private equity owners will keep the lights on. Most spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears of retaliation.
“The atmosphere wasn’t great,” said David Rothstein, a former journalist. Boston 25 Assignment Editor who was laid off in 2021. “I was planning to quit every day.”
Current and former employees say the recent departures are more pronounced now than in years past, and say the station is severely understaffed as employees take on more responsibilities.
“We’re understaffed,” said one reporter at the Dedham-based station. “We’re going into battle every day without enough people.”
Although Boston 25 ranked second among Boston’s five television news stations in at least one Ratings Category in January 2020In recent years, it has struggled to rise above the mid- or lower-end. Boston is crowded. But it still attracts employees who want to work in a top 10 market.
It’s an example of how the audience and ambition of local television news have shrunk in the digital age, as viewers have moved to social media, streaming services and other options, and the advertising revenue that pays for newsgathering has declined with them.
Boston 25 said in a statement that it was proud of its team’s work and noted that the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association named it “a title.” State Station 2023.
“It’s no secret that there has been turmoil in the industry that has put pressure on local television stations, and we are positioning ourselves to operate more effectively as we look to be the television station of the future,” the statement said. “We are committed to providing important news, weather and leading journalism that helps viewers stay informed, safe and protected while fostering a positive and collaborative work environment for our valued employees.”
The decline in viewership hurt all stations, but it affected some more than others, said Matt Ellis, former news director at WBZ-TV (Channel 4) in Boston and WPRI-TV in Providence.
“Is what’s happening at Channel 25 a sign that not all stations will be able to stay the same and do the same thing as before? Yes, I think so,” said Ellis, who now owns a public relations firm.
Two former employees and a current Boston 25 journalist said cost-cutting and increased workloads have affected the quality of the station’s programming.
For example, the station didn’t send a crew to cover the Celtics’ road playoffs until Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a current reporter there said, unlike other Boston stations like WCVB, WHDH And WBZ.
For years, Boston 25 lacked a helicopter, which local stations send to help cover breaking news and provide different perspectives on live coverage. Three former reporters there said that hurt its ability to cover fires, shootings and other breaking news.
Formerly owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., Boston 25 It was traded Cox Media Group in 2014. The station dropped its decades-old name, Fox 25, in 2017 to differentiate itself from the controversial Fox News Channel and boost low ratings.
Boston 25 changed ownership again in 2019, when Cox’s parent company changed hands. Sold Its radio, television and advertising businesses — which retained the name Cox Media Group — were sold to private equity giant Apollo Global Management. Three years later, hedge fund Standard General struck a deal to acquire Boston 25, but that fell through a year later.
Current and former employees have criticized Apollo’s continued ownership, citing cost-cutting measures such as sharply reducing anchor wages and slow replacement of workers who leave. Apollo-owned Cox Media Group has laid off employees this year at other outlets.
“They’re not a company with a history of journalism,” Rothstein said of Apollo. “They’re investors.”
Cox Media Group spokespeople did not respond to a detailed request for comment. A spokesman for Apollo declined to comment.
Boston 25 laid off more than a dozen employees in 2021 and eliminated some newscasts, the Boston Business Journal reported. mentioned On time. The station also laid off some workers in late June, according to former employees.
Discounts and general fragility Current and former employees said the station’s future has all contributed to the staff departures over the past few months.
These challenges come at a time when media outlets across the media industry, especially at the local level, are struggling. Television news remains one of the most important sources of local news, a Latest Pew Research Survey is found Although people are tuning in less since 2018.
“It’s troubling to see any part of the local television infrastructure eroding,” said Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University.
Among those leaving the Boston 25 in recent months are Hopkins, Welch, consumer reporter Jason Law and news director Sarah Burgess.
the Exits means stay Six workers who left in recent years said staffers had to take on a lot of overtime. For example, Rothstein said there were times when he was the only editor working the assignment desk, watching for potential stories and sending staffers out. In earlier times, he would have two or three other colleagues at the desk.
“You can’t do 500 things and have it all work out,” Rothstein said.
Former employees also said there were simply not enough journalists on the air to cover the programs. The 20 anchors and reporters in Boston are about half the number of Boston-based anchors and reporters. 39 was in 2020According to the lists published on the station’s website. The station currently has job opportunities posted. For anchor/reporter, multi-platform producer, digital media manager, and more. It also brought in freelance journalists to help fill the gaps left by departing anchors and reporters.
Boston 25 is discussing expanding its news programming to more hours of the day as a way to cut costs, a current journalist said. Running more news is typically cheaper than paying to run content from other networks, such as “TMZ Live” and “Divorce Court,” which airs after Boston 25’s weekday morning show this month. While that could help the station cut costs, it could also put more pressure on staff.
Staff Departures, Programming Challenges Come as Boston 25 Nears the End The station ranked in the middle or bottom of key ratings metrics in May and June, according to Nielsen data obtained by the Globe. The station ranked third among Boston’s five weekday morning TV news stations in total viewership, which includes live TV and digital views. Meanwhile, it ranked fourth during the evening broadcast hours in May and June.
But in an important demographic that matters to advertisers — viewers ages 25 to 54 — Boston 25 came in last for the two shows that start at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Amid pressure for better ratings, the investigative team was expected to produce stories at a rapid clip that did not allow for long, high-quality investigations, one former employee said.
People who worked on Boston 25 hope the station survives. But they’re concerned about signs pointing in the wrong direction.
“It’s a crucial time for the future of this TV station,” added one current journalist.
Aidan Ryan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him. @aidanfitzryan.
