The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Jim Berman, the president and general manager of WVEC-TV, has been fired.
His last day at Channel 13 will be Friday, he said Tuesday night.
“We talked about the future, and the company felt a change needed to be made,” said Berman, who joined the station in August. “And I accept their decision.”
WVEC, an ABC affiliate, is owned by Belo Corp. of Dallas. A spokeswoman for Belo did not return two messages seeking comment Tuesday.
The station, like many others in the industry, has suffered a slump in advertising with the economic downturn. Earlier this month, Berman said WVEC had gone through its third round of layoffs in six months. He declined to say how many people were let go.
In December, Channel 13 dropped a 17-year-old weekly news talk show, “On the Record,” hosted by former TV reporter Joel Rubin.
WVEC generally has fallen in the middle of the pack in news ratings, below the regional leader, WAVY (Channel 10), and above WTKR (Channel 3).
Amid the cuts, Berman said, “We’ve laid the groundwork for success. I predict big things coming for WVEC in the future.”
He praised Belo and his colleagues at Channel 13: “WVEC is a terrific TV station. Some of the finest people I’ve ever had the privilege of working with are right here.”
Berman, 49, declined to comment on his plans. He has more than 25 years of experience in the TV industry and worked as general manager for stations in Harrisburg, Pa.; Savannah, Ga., and Elmira, N.Y.
At WVEC, he succeeded Nick Nicholson, who moved to Phoenix.
Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com
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sorry
I just can't watch wvec, sorry.
Not the 80's anymore
I miss Cynthia Lima. Such a hottie. I wonder if she hit the wall yet?
Well the beautiful Cynthia
Well the beautiful Cynthia Lima Married a Lt. Commander from Norfolk when he got orders to San Diego that's when she left. She was awesome to watch with her effervescent smile and great reporting, it keep a lot of viewers for Chanel 13.
But these Dweebs didn't know a good thing when they had Lindsey Roberts, She would have done the same of they only moved her into the Anchor chair, But Nooooo can't do that....for reasons I can't say here.
I really hope Lindsey Roberts gets hired on by another station around here.
She would look great in HD which is another reason Chanel 13 ratings are so bad, they have HD weather but broadcast in digital ?? WTH kind of sense does that make?
local news isn't so bad
I've lived in a few different towns around the U.S. and this market is very well served by its news media, and I mean print, broadcast, and online. I have no trouble finding out what is going on around here, and I actually want to know about it when someone is murdered.
Yes I have complaints and yes I see areas where things need to improve, but I cannot agree with many of the dismissive comments on here.
This is a tough time for a lot of industries, especially those which depend on advertising. The newspaper, you may have heard, has had its share of layoffs as well. No surprise TV stations are getting hit too. Things will improve, and thank goodness for it because these companies are good for the community and are economic engines which help other businesses grow with advertising, so lighten up on the news media. They are important, and things could be a lot worse.
Local TV News.....
...has been reduced to only being the Police Blotter. Why they think that reporting every murder, robbery and break in and car wreck in all of Hampton Roads constitutes the NEWS is beyond me. It's boring and non informative and repetitive. I'm surprised it's continued this long.
Permanent Downsizing
I worked in TV for 11 years, and am glad I went back to school and became a programmer. I worked with Jeff Lawson in Richmond. He was liked and respected by everybody at the station.
I feel sorry for the station manager and the others who lost their jobs. I recommend they go back to school or retrain for careers in another field, because the competition from cable and the internet may make the downsizing permanent.
WVEC has the best news
WVEC has the best news coverage in Hampton Roads, but that's not saying much. TV news, as a rule, is terrible, and our local news is below the standard of many other cities.
Max Headroom + Twitter =
Max Headroom + Twitter = News Anchor of the Future.
No denying the people at VEC
The people at WVEC are what make the place run. They are the heart beat and hard workers that bring it all together. Not just those in front of the camera but those behind the scenes as well. The issue is that Mr. Berman was the "fall-guy" for a corporation that has been mistreating people for several years. Their health care benefits are an insult and while they have been cutting benefits and personnel their President last year received a $300,000. raise for cutting the bottom line. An organization is only as good as the way they treat their people. BELO is just as bad as ENRON, or any other organization who puts the very people last who get them the awards and keep them on the air, and rewards their execs for "axing" those who really deserve the fruits of the rewards. $300,000.00 would have saved an awful lot of jobs. It's a shame about Mr. Berman, but he has become a casualty himself of the very system that asked him to do what they have just done. Welcome to "Bottom Line" ethics.
Clean House
Jeff Lawson, the "chief weatherman" should go as well. Maybe the next GM will get rid of him.