KIMA

If you want a photog this is not the market for you.
If you want lots of breaking news, many opportunities to go live and quick training across multiple positions this is where you want to be especially if you're fresh out of college.

I learned a lot during the time I was there. The production crew was wonderful to work with, they helped prepare me for the work force.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

I was discriminated with having a learning disability. Jake would tell me all the time I was slow, not going fast enough or not making enough progress. I always felt so targeted. With my hours, I rarely could get my errands done outside of work. I was told to take sick days as needed and was later criticized for that. Jake wouldn't be hard on reporters if they were late on things, but I'd face the brunt of it if the shows didn't go perfect or things never came in. The reporters were mostly easy to deal with but they would get overwhelmed easily if if they had to do a PKG, and multiple VOSOT's a day. Daniel the director was mean and very grouchy. He would make jokes and snarl if the reporters were late, the rest of the Production people were very hypocritical and get angry at me easily. Jake would let them tell me too many things at once they wanted the reporters to hear but not tell them themselves. I felt like people were gossiping against me. I felt like I never truly fit in and I barely heard from anybody at KIMA after I left, in comparison the KEPR people were the ones who cared.

We were a dominant number one, beating the competition combined. I was always proud of the shows that were put together. As the only producer in Yakima, I felt like I did too much with too little help.

It didn't help that we could barely get news if someone was off, we were fine at full staff and had a much harder time if people were off.

If you want to report at KIMA, expect to turn a PKG and up to two VOSOT's a day on Dayside. A PKG and sometimes a VOSOT night-side. Plus a PKG, VOSOT and maybe a VO weekends. As for mornings it varies, but live shots and a mini-pkg or VOSOT or VO for later.

We had half our staff here and half in Tri-Cities. Mornings are Tri-Cities anchored and weather. but have a Yakima reporter. 5 & 6 are all local. 11pm weeknights is partially local, but anchored, and produced out of Tri-Cities with a Yakima reporter. Weekends are all anchored, and produced along with sports in the Tri Cities but there is a weekend Yakima reporter. Sports is Yakima based Mon-Fri but weekends are Tri-Cities.

As for producing, it's all the stuff you're used to but a lot of struggling on your own. Jake would help sometimes but not always. Jake is ND/Anchor and would often ad-lib scripts and sometimes fumble. We also had no local weather (pre-taped) and had to write weather tosses and that would be hard if the weather was boring. The KEPR weather people were a delight and super helpful though.

Unless a reporter volunteers to shoot your live shot you will ALWAYS be a MMJ, there are zero photogs.

Reporters rarely fill-in anchored and never knew how to write scripts to anchor. So I would have to Produce and fill-in as ND those days. There was zero training for reporters to be ready to anchor.

On the good days I loved my job and on the bad days I cried. I was proud of the content and almost always being first. I hated the Sinclair must runs 99% of the time.

The staff at KEPR are a real delight. Easy to deal with and so kind.

Get to know Bill and Kevin and you won't regret it. Bill knows everything and tells great stories. Kevin is kind and funny and a great fill-in director.

It isn't the worst newsroom I've been in but I am happy to be gone. I ended up in the hospital because of the job and management didn't care.

The Station Manager is a hypocrite, he's nice unless somebody lies and he takes their side.

I rarely got praise, a lot of criticism instead. I felt like I put in so much work and hours. My shows had strong and unique content.

I wasn't allowed to talk to the reporters to ask what went wrong in a newscast. I was number two in command but felt like I treated like a three year old.

I would say go to KIMA for the first job only if you have the thickest skin. It's a tough newsroom and you will get burned out at times.

As for Yakima. rent is very expansive overall especially if you want to live the West Valley, which is the safest and most convenient but also far away from the station. It's much harder to get an apartment in Terrace Heights near the station. Yakima has great shopping and food, but zero nightlife.

Make sure you make it to the Tri-Cities to meet the KEPR staff. Seattle and Portland aren't super far and great to visit the if the weather is good.

If you can get past Jake's split personalities, KIMA might be for you, he has decent news judgment and most of the days you'll get to cover what you want.

Sinclair is decent to work for minus the political BS and you get good health, dental and vision insurance after less then 90 days.

KIMA is a decent station, run by idiots who don't understand that staffers are human and that this is a starter market. If you are a reporter at KIMA, you'll probably be fine. If you are the only Yakima producer, good luck, you'll probably need it.

Have fun if the backpacks fail, the live shots die because they aren't being monitored as much as they should.

I miss news sometimes, but not the stress and unnecessary drama KIMA had before I left.

With KIMA I say, may the odds be ever in your favor.