Oregon Media Insiders

Maybe it will happen---but it's not what the competition is hearing. I think they *may* even be on the verge of filling some vacancies.

Cambra kicks butt.(in a good way) Hope she does well with Newport TV.

That'd be too bad if it's true. Not just for my friends who work there, but for the fact that they're just starting to claim number two. Man.

Once upon a time KMTR was the lowest paying station in the area, they hardly have any staff to fire given these rumors. If anyone has ever seen most of their field reporters then one would wonder where most of them received their training because they are really bad.

What is really sad is despite how bad those who work at KMTR are they are not as bad as those who take up space at KEZI or KVAL.

Once upon a time those 2 stations made efforts to put on quality newscasts but those days are long gone.

KVAL is number 1, KMTR is number 2 and poor, sad little KEZI is a paltry 3rd.

Since the new news director, gutting of staff/mass exodus and one-person bands, KEZI quality and ratings have plummeted.

But I guess is sounds KMTR is going the same way now...

I am sorry but anyone who considers what any of the 3 Eugene stations as putting out calling it news as a quality newscast has not gotten to see what a real newscast looks like.

Kezi has as others have noted gotten rid of, have had quit or whatever what was their quality reporters and replaced them with bland inexperienced or lacking in personality reporters.

Kval appears to be going for as someone mentioned the PYTs only they lack the "P"

KMTR is basically as others put it anchor heavy.

What really gets me is how poorly they put up their staffs together.

Really do Eugene Stations need to have 3-4 weather persons at each station?

Just as many "sports" reporters?

Just wish someone with some common sense would realize that "less can be more"

Invest in some actual talent instead of pretending to have perky little girls.

Teach them to report not just smile as they report on a fatal car wreck.

Teach them how to dress and/or use makeup.

And please knock off the attempts to look sexy, just report the news in a neutral manner.

As for the person who accused KEZI of purchasing material for the recent sweeps. I really doubt it to be true because that would have meant KEZI actually spent money on their station instead filling up a Chambers pocket

Between Scott Chambers fear of success (why else fire Erin Bruce and Marc Toy?) and Mark Hatfield's need to purge anyone he can't intimidate KEZI is down to young, scared talent who won't blossom until they move on.

Yes, John Fischer's still there but word is he won't sign another contract as long as Hatfield remains---that means he's gone as of early next year.

The entire KEZI building is nearly empty. What's left of the staff could easily fit into a facility 1/5th the size of Scott's palace. Trying to spread them around to "improve appearances" doesn't work any better than a combover would take away Jessie Ventura's baldness.

Mark Larson, Dennis Schrag, Joe Giansante, Caroline Howe, Al Peterson, Marc Toy, Erin Bruce, Tim Gordon, Carrie Stewart. All nice people with talent. All fired. Is there any way to explain that other than freaky men bent on paranoide purging? Sort of a Stalin thing I guess.

KEZI folks, learn what you can and do what you need to do to get a better job. Your tapes won't be getting much better.

KVAL don't get complacent. KMTR probably *won't* be self destructing and management there isn't afraid to succeed.

I wouldn't go so far as to call Kerri Stewart "talented".

I find it sort of laughable that you folks think it's sooooo bad in Eugene. I've been out of the market, working in a top 20 for well over a year, and I'm here to tell you...it's SSDD at every other shop in the world, sans a few. All this crap you all complain about is present everywhere in this business. Get over it or get out.

As I read the number of comments regarding KMTR and other Eugene news stations I don't know who to believe. As all of the posts are anonymous, I don't know if people are speaking from first hand experience or hearsay.

As any good journalist knows, rumor and hearsay are worthless and usually wrong. I don't know how much weight my comments carry, I'm probably lumped in with the "really bad field reporters" or the Overpaid (slave driving) anchors, or the glut of weather people. I call that the trifecta. (Take that anonymous!)

I really wanted to post this to clear something up and that's regarding a post by "anonymous" accusing KMTR anchors as having a "Slave owner mentality." Wow! beyond being incredibly tacky it's also incredibly wrong. As I work side by side with Matt Templeman and Renee McCullough, it's all we reporters can do to keep up with them. They demand a lot from us, simply because they demand so much from themselves. Matt and Renee are not only hard working but are two of the nicest most genuine people you will ever meet. It matters not whether you like their on-air performance, that's subjective, but don't ever criticize their character because that is unquestionable. I believe they are worth every penny.

I don't mind the criticism of the quality of news product in Eugene. We work in market 122 and our ranks are filled with young journalists trying to make their mark in this business. Some succeed, some do not. We work with small staffs and smaller budgets, but I can speak for those I work with, we still take pride in our work, even on our off days, which at times are many.

The personal attacks bother me. That's usually a sign of high insecurity and self doubt from the attacker. They are bitter and meant to insult and injure. And worse they are made by those who have little or no relationship with the target. I'm astonished at the hostility found in these posts and wonder what generates it.

I for one do what I love and simply try to make a living for me and my family, which includes those at KMTR. Unlike any other newsroom I've worked in, this one is filled with camaraderie and kindness from the interns to the General Manager.

We're not obsessed with being number one, but being good people. And that's why this place is so special.

Just ask those who work with me on the weekends, that is, once I let them out of their cages.

I hope that people take this post with more sincerity since it is backed with real knowledge from a first hand witness, and not the brazen bumblings of an anonymous post.

I think the obvious answer with respect to a weather reporter glut is that stations everywhere find weather a cheap and easy solution when it comes to filling time in a newscast.