Internal staff departures and uncertain future

Eight current and Former employees who spoke to the Globe cited a range of factors driving people out, including issues with the station’s content quality, overwhelming workloads, pay cuts, and layoffs. But there is uncertainty about whether the private equity owners will continue to operate the project. Most spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

“The atmosphere wasn’t great,” said David Rothstein, a former journalist. Boston 25 Assignment Editor 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 are severely understaffed,” said one reporter at the Dedham-based station. “We are in battle every day and we are understaffed.”

Although Boston 25 has ranked second among Boston’s five television news stations for at least one year, Ratings Category in January 2020It has struggled in recent years to rise above the mid or bottom. Boston is crowded with employees. But it still attracts employees who want to work in one of the top 10 markets.

It’s an example of how the audience and ambitions of local television news have shrunk in the digital age, as viewers move to social media, streaming services and other options, and the advertising revenue that pays for news gathering with them declines.

In a statement, Boston 25 said it was proud of its team’s work and noted that the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association named it State Station of the Year 2023.

“It’s no secret that industry turmoil 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 has hurt all stations, but it’s affecting some stations 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 all stations are not going to 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 Boston 25 employees and a current journalist said cost-cutting and increased workloads have affected the quality of the station’s programming.

For example, the station didn’t send staff to cover Boston Celtics away games until Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a current reporter there said, unlike other Boston stations like WCVP, ravine And wbz.

For years, Boston 25 lacked a helicopter, which local stations send to help cover breaking news and provide different perspectives for live coverage. Three former reporters there said that hurt its ability to cover fires, shootings and other breaking news.

Boston was formerly owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, and was at the time It was traded with Cox Media Group in 2014. The station ditched its decades-old name, Fox 25, in 2017 to differentiate itself from Fox News and boost low ratings.

Boston 25 changed ownership again in 2019, when it became the parent company of Cox. Sold Cox Media Group has spun off its radio, television and advertising businesses — which retain the Cox Media Group name — to private equity giant Apollo Global Management. Three years later, hedge fund Standard General struck a deal to acquire Boston 25, but the deal fell through after just one year.

Current and former employees have criticized Apollo’s continued ownership, citing cost-cutting measures such as sharply cutting presenters’ wages and slow replacement of workers who leave. Apollo-owned Cox Media Group has also laid off staff this year at other outlets.

“They’re not a company with a rich history in 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.

The Boston 25 laid off more than a dozen employees in 2021 and canceled some newscasts, according to the Boston Business Journal. Reported At the time, the station also laid off some workers in late June, according to former employees.

Cuts and the general fragile situation Current and former employees said changes to the station’s future have contributed to the staff exodus over the past few months.

These challenges come at a time when news outlets across the media industry are struggling, especially at the local level. Television news remains one of the most important sources of local news, A recent Pew Research Center poll is found, Although people have been watching TV less since 2018.

“It’s troubling to see any part of the local television infrastructure being eroded,” said Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University.

Among those leaving Boston 25 in recent months are Hopkins, Welch, consumer reporter Jason Law and news director Sarah Burgess.

the Going out means stay Six employees who have left in recent years said staffers have had to take on a lot of extra work. For example, Rothstein said there were times when he was the only editor working on the assignment desk, watching for potential stories and sending staffers out. In earlier times, he had two or three other colleagues in the office with him.

“You can’t do 500 things and have them do their job perfectly,” Rothstein said.

Former employees also said there were barely enough on-air journalists left to cover the programs. The station’s 20 Boston-based anchors and reporters make up about half the staff. 39 was in 2020According to the lists posted on the station’s website. The station currently has vacancies advertised. For anchor/reporter, multi-platform producer, digital media manager, and more. It also brought in freelancers 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 air 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 and programming challenges come as Boston 25 remains close In the mid-to-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 television news stations on weekday mornings in total viewership, which includes live TV and digital views. Meanwhile, it ranked fourth during the evening broadcast hours in both May and June.

But in an important demographic that matters to advertisers — viewers ages 25 to 54 — Boston Channel 25 came in last for the two shows that start at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Amid pressure to get better ratings, the investigative team was expected to produce stories at a rate that did not allow for long, high-quality investigations, according to one former employee.

People who worked at Boston’s 25th Station 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]. You can follow him. @Aidan Fitzerian.