Kiro-TV Editor Admits `I'm Tough On People'

Jun 3, 1994

Chuck Taylor

There are conflicting reports out of Broadcast House, the waffle-like building in the shadow of the Space Needle that is home to KIRO Inc., as to the morale of journalists at KIRO-TV (Channel 7).

Depending on whom you talk to, it's never been worse - or morale definitely has been worse and this is merely a natural phase of change.

"We work in an arbitrary and cruel business," said one reporter. "New management takes over and they make new decisions about who they like and don't like. People who were on the top end up on the bottom and people who were on the bottom end up on the top. It's not right, it's not fair, but it's a business."

On the other hand, "There are definitely communications problems with this new regime."

The new regime is Bill Lord, the amiable news director who came to KIRO last year from Nashville's WKRN-TV to clean up after several years of turmoil, and Rick Shenkman, a hard-nosed, Harvard-educated historian and author who worked with Lord at KUTV-TV in Salt Lake City, whom Lord hired to be managing editor.

One thing reporters agree on: Shenkman is a really smart guy. Another point of agreement: His people skills could use some work.

"He has a fine mind and he has some of the best ethics of anyone I've worked with in journalism, and his intentions intellectually are absolutely for the best product on the air," said another reporter. "But I think he's completely baffled as to how to get people there."

This is not news for TV types in town, but the issue became public yesterday with word that reporter Barbara Matt is leaving the station after next week to work for KCAL-TV, an independent station in Los Angeles that fills its prime-time hours with local news.

Matt said she has not felt appreciated at KIRO and is leaving for a station that seems to foster a supportive atmosphere.

What makes this marginally interesting is that Matt was one of six staffers at KIRO to get letters formally outlining deficiencies in performance - an opportunity to improve, but a warning just the same.

"Basically, we're trying to change the place, and for some people that's proving to be a real disruption to their lives, and I'm sorry about that," Shenkman said yesterday. "There's not a person here I don't like. But they hired me to improve the place, and that means making some tough decisions.

"I'm tough on people, that's absolutely true. The way we've organized the newsroom, I'm always the deliverer of bad news," Shenkman said.

"The people here who are doing well, which is the overwhelming majority of the staff, I think they're happy, and I'm happy with them," he said. "And the people who are not doing well are not happy, and I'm sorry about that."

Lord declined to comment except to say of Shenkman and his detractors: "Is it his style or is it his message they are objecting to?"

Meanwhile, Frank Cracher, formerly a 12-year veteran at KGO-TV in San Francisco, joins KIRO in three weeks as a general-assignment reporter and Saturday-morning anchor. Reporter Karen O'Leary, who has been anchoring on Saturday mornings, will devote five days a week to the crime beat.

Broadcast benevolence: One of the bigger good deeds done by local broadcasters happens this weekend with the Children's Miracle Network Telethon to benefit Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle. The broadcast signs on tomorrow at 7 p.m. on KOMO-TV (Channel 4) and continues through Sunday at 4 p.m.

It's part of KOMO's "For Kids' Sake" campaign and the station's 10th year of involvement. Children's spokesman Dean Forbes says the devotion of the station's staff to the fund raiser is immeasurable.

Last year the telethon raised $2.5 million for Children's, money which helps defray the cost of treating kids whose families can't afford to pay.

KOMO personalities will broadcast live from Seattle Center. National portions of the broadcast will originate from Disneyland.

Virtual realty: Some changes of address in the realm of real-estate radio: "Real Estate Today," hosted by Seattle Times columnist Tom Kelly, is now on KIRO-AM-FM (710, 100.7) at 8 a.m. on Sundays. Previously the program was only on the FM station.

If you don't get your fill from KIRO, try "The Real Estate Show" hosted by Michael Martin, who has moved his 11 a.m.-to-1 p.m. Sunday program from KING-AM (1090) to two other stations - KEZX-AM (1150) in Seattle and KAPS-AM (660) in Mount Vernon.