As KOMU makes cuts, staff united

The economic recession is hitting the news station hard.

By Kelsey MacDonald

Published April 30, 2009

KOMU/Channel 8 cut three production personnel, one employee in the news department, a receptionist in the administrative department and hours for morning news anchor Lauren Whitney, moving her from full-time to part-time. The station also laid off one seasonal employee.

"There was one main reason for the layoffs and that was a lack of revenue at the station," News Director Stacey Woelfel said. "KOMU supports itself mainly from ad revenue, and we get no campus or state money, so if nothing's coming in, there's no spending going out."

General Manager Marty Siddall said KOMU is not the only station making cutbacks due to the economic recession.

"I think we're about the last to have reductions in staff," Siddall said. "We have a lower demand right now for some of the services we provide, and so it will not affect our on-air product."

He said the reduction in staff will make KOMU more efficient, but that it was a last resort in lowering spending.

"We've reduced quite a number of our expenses here in the station and would most certainly pursue those options before we would ever seek to reduce our staff," Siddall said. "I feel terrible about it. We're a family here at KOMU."

He said it was one of the most difficult decisions he has had to make in his career.

"I think along with everybody, we are hoping to see a more robust economy sometime in the near future and we'll look to come back up to full staff again if that opportunity presents itself," Siddall said.

Whitney said she hopes to return to full staff as well, and if the station is unable to return her to her full-time hours, she may have to seek employment elsewhere.

Whitney has lost all her benefits, including insurance, vacation time and sick leave. Whitney said she's also getting married soon and hopes to start a family, eventually needing a maternity leave, which the station would be unable to provide her if the situation does not improve.

Whitney said Columbia is her home.

"I went to Mizzou," she said. "I love it. I don't really want to be anywhere else."

Although the layoffs will not affect broadcast students at MU, Whitney worked with them every day.

"I love that it's a teaching mechanism," Whitney said of the station. "It's so much fun to work with students everyday."

Woelfel said the layoffs have changed KOMU's atmosphere.

"Everybody is affected," Woelfel said. "These are people's friends, people they work beside. It's bad news for everybody and the people who are still here are sorry to see these people go. There's a glum mood on everybody."

Woelfel, Siddall and Whitney said they remain hopeful, though.

"I think it is somewhat cyclical, and we will see things pick back up with any luck," Woelfel said.

Whitney said she's incredibly thankful for all the support she is receiving from both viewers and staff.

Whitney said it shows how much the staff cares about her that they're keeping her job.

"I am grateful that they kept me on at all," she said.

Whitney said she has also felt a lot of support from her viewers, some of whom have sent her e-mails.

"That is just the greatest feeling in the world," she said.