Oregon Media Insiders

Grant was PART TIME and he mailed it in, literally. He re-cued the same stories over and over again. How can you all be so shocked? He was producing one story a week and it wasn't new!!! You act like they just let Edward R. Murrow go. Give me a break!

In response to "Grant Not God", maybe you should have had him "mail in" more stuff. It certainly is one of the better segments on our local television. His stories were always refreshing and provided some encouragement to enjoy or outdoors while we can. Seems that for a part time guy, he did a lot better job than a most of the full time "guys". I hope another station picks Grant up soon. It will be a great opportunity for one of the stations to bring new viewers.

There is a very disturbing trend at KATU
In case you haven't noticed, KATU has lost at least a dozen quality veteran employees since the Colleen Brown/John Tamerlano regime began.
You may have your differences and opinions about prior management, but they have all been replaced by cheaper, less capable managers, who are systematically destroying the television station. The performance speaks for itself: Lower ratings, with last May's Nielsen recording some of the lowest news ratings in the station's history. There is also a lower pure advertising revenue share, in spite of a vastly improved ABC Television Network, that even management can't wreck.
When people like Dan Christopher, Julia Radlick, Grant McComie, and respected sales guy, Byron Leeper, leave the station, the management spin is that they "found a new opportunity", or "they were mailing it in", or "we are moving in a new direction, and they were not in our future plans."
JT, what are your future plans? Drive out every well paid employee and save money for your bonus and a few select station PALS. Continue to bring in low paid inexperienced employees at all levels and the station will continue its steady decline.
A revamped news set is just window dressing for a reporting team of mostly strangers. The employees know it and the viewers see it. Grant pulled the mask off JT in the Oregonian article, and now he is shown the door even sooner.
This charade is about to end. CEO Colleen Brown is under fire by major shareholder Mario Gabelli and others for the Bakersfield purchase and other missteps. She and JT will be gone before year's end. Sadly, the damage has already has been done to many people's lives and the on air product.

How is KATU deciding who stays and who goes? It can't just be about salary. They have canned some well-liked people while leaving some veterans who, quite frankly, aren't getting it done. These remaining veterans are probably making nice salaries too.. and not bringing in the viewers. I won't name any names but some of KATU's main on air people have been on Portland TV a long time and their ratings are worse than last year. How do these people get to keep their jobs while others are shown the door?

Who are the "inexperienced employees" you speak of???? Just curious. I think they've made some good hires. Julia left on her own. Reporting team of strangers? Specific examples please.

Exactly. People like you don't even watch KATU anymore, that's why Grant is gone. If his fans aren't watching, why would they keep him around?

I guess you didn't get it: I watched till they took him off the air. Why is that so hard to understand.

Don has a lot of support in the newsroom.

Glad that you like your boss but you do realize that some decisions that the station has been making lately aren't sitting well with viewers.

The Grant decision. Yes. Which other decisions?

Don DOES NOT have a lot of support in the newsroom and he lost a little bit more with these recent firings. They were bad decisions that were handled poorly.

HA! What a joke. Grant was the ONE thing that sets us apart? Yeah right. He hasn't stepped foot in the newsroom in a year and no one know when he stories aired. Don does have a lot of support. There are some lazy people who are afraid of change, but most of us, even those who weren't hired by Don, like him.