Is HEARST Broadcasting Harassing Employees Now? Posted on March 15, 2024 at 11:17:57 AM by Fuck Head Darrel (Lieze-Adams
Some of you younger reporters and anchors might be surprised to learn that TV talent used to get a "clothing allowance" as part of their contracts.
Talent would get a few thousand bucks from the station to be used on buying outfits to be worn on air,
For the most part, the clothing allowance has gone the way of the dinosaur and is basically extinct.
This brings us to Hearst's newly owned station, WBBH, in Fort Myers, Florida.
Fort Myers is in the 61st TV market, which is not very big and not exactly considered a high-paying market. However, the Fort Myers area does have very high-priced real estate and apartments.
So you can imagine that working in the Ft. Myers market, it can be tough to make ends meet.
With all that being said, check out a portion of a memo obtained by FTVLive and sent to the on-air staff at WBBH.
Are you fucking kidding me?!
If you want your on-air staff to wear higher-end clothes, then WBBH should pay for the clothes or give those people more money.
"Reporters get paid about 35k, rent here is pricey, so we can't afford to buy a "higher quality items" $100-200 dress, which Darrel (Lieze-Adams GM) has mentioned in the past! Buying dresses from our local stores for $20-$40 is all we can afford," a staffer tells FTVLive.
Also, about those station polos that the General Manager is asking the MMJs to wear, a station source says that the staff has to pay for them.
We have more to share about this station and will do so at another time.
But, when the boss is telling staff to buy higher-end clothing but is paying shit money, we thought this story deserved its own post.