WCAX Channel 3 Lays Off Some Employees

[Henry]

Marcelus Parsons was very emotional tonight and choked up as he announced the following:

"Channel 3 made some reductions in personnel this week and cut some expenses.

Like many companies, we are seeing declining revenues in the current economic crisis. Consequently, we have had to lay off several employees-- some of them familiar faces to you, and friends to us.

The company regrets these layoffs but felt they were unavoidable. Out of respect for their privacy we are not identifying those affected, but we shall miss them, and wish them all the best of luck."

The Burlington Free Press also reported that Gannett will be laying off 10% of their employees - Their revenue is very evident as you see the size of the paper and the ads in it:

Television station WCAX-TV has laid off three employees and cut two vacant jobs this week, owner Peter Martin said Tuesday.

Martin and News Director Marselis Parsons declined to identify the laid-off employees, but Parsons said they include on-air and behind-the-scenes personnel.

“It’s the first time in my 41 years here we’ve had to do this,” Parsons said. “It is extraordinarily painful.”

WCAX has a staff of about 100 full- and part-time employees, Parsons said. The station also made cuts in expenses that will affect all employees, he said.

The South Burlington-based station, like media outlets throughout the country, is facing declining advertising revenues brought on by changes in technology and the recession, Martin said.

Gannett Corp., which owns The Burlington Free Press, announced in October that it plans a 10 percent cut in personnel by early December.

[MikeF9]

I just checked WCAX's staff biography page, and from what I can see, no one's bio is missing.
Not yet, anyway.

[Kathleen]

This morning, they announced that Shanna (morning sports commentator) was part of the lay offs and then proceeded to run a taped version of the sports from the previous night's news.  Actually, I think maybe her name is Shawna, but I'm sure everyone who watches, knows who I'm referring to.

[Loctavious]

AHHHHH MAN! 

[MikeF9]

Shawna Lidsky. She's been there a long while.
That's too bad.

[MikeF9]

I just checked the WCAX bios site. Shawna's bio is gone, as is Rachel Morrow's bio. The third one may be a camera person or someone else behind the scenes.

[Jason Elledge]

Hopefully Shawna's brownie company will do well for her.  She will be missed.

http://www.vermontbrowniecompany.com/our-story.html