Just days after WYTV/33 news director Pat Livingston announced his move to Toledo’s WNWO/24 – in the wake of pending changes at the Youngstown ABC affiliate that could decimate that station’s newsroom – two other bombshells have dropped.
If CBS affiliate WKBN-TV/27 begins producting news content for WYTV in that FCC-tipped “shared services agreement” filed by new WYTV owner Parkin Broadcasting, you won’t be seeing “27 First News” mainstays Robb Schmidt and Sarah Eisler on 33.
You won’t even see them on WKBN or sister FOX outlet WYFX, either, because the anchors are both on their way out the door, period.
The Youngstown Business Journal’s Andrea Wood reports that Schmidt announced his resignation late Wednesday, and will anchor his final newscasts on April 6th. Eisler put in her own resignation earlier, and will leave the “First News” main anchor team on March 30th.
One almost pictures the two anchors running out the door with their hair on fire.
We’re talking two unusual operators here, after all.
New Vision Television, the new owners of WKBN-TV and sister FOX outlet WYFX “FOX 17/62”, has owned stations in other markets, and our impression is that they didn’t exactly spend money. And Parkin will not likely be running its own newsroom when it takes over WYTV.
If you’re expecting a large newsroom with “the best of WKBN and WYTV” when all this is done, you’re probably an optimist.
Careful…if you walk by either WKBN/WYFX or WYTV, you’re likely to be hit by dozens of flying resumes and videotapes…
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