Three female anchors sue KMBC

Kelly Eckerman, Peggy Breit and Maria Antonia are suing the station over age and sex discrimination.

http://www.kansascity.com/382/story/890490.html

I'm surprised there aren't more of these types of suits. I grew up watching the station with those women at the helm, and it never made sense when I read about them being replaced or moved around.

 

Yeah, me too...even in "right to work" states you can't let somebody go because of age.

Believe me, I've looked into it.

 

I still remember when Christine Craft brought her lawsuit against that same station about 25 years ago (it just so happens she was the anchorwoman for one of my local affiliates when that was going on.)

You'd think the management at the station would be a little more careful about this sort of thing considering its history. "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it," I believe the saying goes.

 

In fairness, we have no idea whether these women even have a legitimate case at this point.

 

As bad as the print side has it, getting and keeping a TV gig is brutal. I imagine looks had something to do with the women getting the job in the first place (I'm not saying right or wrong, just truth), and it does seem men are judged differently.
I know of a a couple of female anchors who lost their spots because, though they rated high with male viewers, they didn't appeal to female viewers. Quality of their work had little to do with it.

 

anchors usually have contracts so you don't have to fire them once the contract is up

 

I don't know if many TV-side people post here, but I've noticed a big shakeout in local news in the last year or so. I'd say at least a dozen or more new hires, all under-30, on the local stations, even the top station in the market has turned over a lot. Sure the increase in morning coverage is part of it, but I don't think there is a more than 1 or 2 TV reporters in the market over 40.

 

In Louisville, I can think of five TV news reporters that are over 40. All are men.

I can't think of a full-time reporter that's female and over 40. There's still a few anchors, but I can't think of a full-time reporter.

 

It would make sense that in a medium driven by appearance that looks would be a consideration. It's one of those things that you aren't oblivious to when you get into the field. It's like modeling.

 

Many of the tv reporters and anchors I knew made the jump to real estate once they hit their mid to late 30s. Talk about dying industries.

 

I'm in a pretty big market, and off the top of my head I think we have two reporters over 40.

Appearance is part of it, but not all of it. There can be a lot of factors. A lot of stations are now making their reporters shoot video as well, and typically younger reporters will have more applicable experience with that.

A big part of it is the huge turnover in News Directors. My shop has had 5 News Directors in 10 years. A new one typically wants to hire some new reporters to make over the staff and that means somebody's gotta go. There's a good chance that somebody will be the reporter with the biggest salary, and that's likely the one who has been there the longest.

It can be a rough business. Of the five News Directors that have been here, four of them fired the main male anchor and brought in someone new. It's pretty clear we'll be 5 for 5 when this anchor's contract is up.

I know nothing about the situation with the three women in KC, but I will say this: I can't really get too worked up about the injustice when an anchor or News Director gets canned. It's part of the job, and in a decent-sized market they make a lot of money. They know going in that they've got about two years and anything on top of that is gravy.

 

42 is about the limit for a female anchor.