KOAT

Sexual Discrimination, Racial Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, An Overall Toxic Work Environment

There are constant verbal and physical altercations between staff at KOAT. There’s a director known for slamming his fists on desks when someone in production makes a mistake during a live show. This guy got so upset about two months ago and unleashed on staff. The public altercation gave another staffer a panic attack. Last week, I walked in on the only two assignment desk editors going at each other. There’s also been an ongoing problem with photographers loosing their cool while covering stories—throwing keys at reporters, throwing gear, violently slamming doors. It’s a known thing at KOAT that if you report ANY workplace abuse, management retaliates against the victim.

There aren’t enough people working here for the amount of shows we have. So far management has fired two high paying staffers to make space for cheaper, newly hired staff. There are rumors that they’re preparing to give an anchor spot to a morning show reporter who they hired straight out of college because they know they can take advantage of her—which means several more qualified employees are being cheated. It’s another big problem here at KOAT. Please, send help, but not Hearst corporate because they’ll do nothing!

Negative/Toxic because of those few jerks mentioned above.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

I recently left after so many others in 2019. Some great hard working people there and EVERYONE is miserable. The ND lets his best friend and assistant news director treat people like dirt and she is CLUELESS. The running joke in the newsroom is how Melissa Williams will KNOW there are problems and she leaves early every day. What manager walks out at 4:30 or 5:15 during a newscast? How about helping a producer who had to recently produce 3 dhows in one day? Nope. She does her bare minumum and Greg doesn't care. They will tell you how much you suck at your job. Not quite sure they're employed, especially Melissa. The new GM tells employees she's making changes which actually seems really unprofessional on her part but she's a joke too. More people have left under her watch than in the other 2 years i was here. They added more newscasts, won't hire people with any experience . Everyone is looking to get out and fight contracts if they have to do to it. STAY AWAY until Hearst comes in and brings in a competent GM and people to run the news department.

Hearst corporate Human Resources visited the station and interviewed most employees a few months ago, including me before I left. She asked A LOT - why a new experienced EP hire quit after 3 weeks on the job and why I though the station rarely brings in job candidates even though so many people have applied. Also asked about the overall perception of the new GM , who has allowed the newsroom to suffer all year and as a result, has lost many good people. She added a newscast without any care of how staff was going to put on decent shows all day as more and more people continue to leave. 2020 gonna be worse if they don't get their acts together and start treating the people who actually get the news on the air like they're appreciated.
Pay attention HEARST.

Sexual Discrimination, Racial Discrimination, An Overall Toxic Work Environment

If you want experience you will get it because there is always a lot of crazy breaking news. It's also not hard to get a job there because they're desperate to find employees Cons Tons of people either quit or were fired while I was there, or their contracts ran out and they did not want to stay. There is just too much of a workload for everyone in the newsroom, and it actually did get worse even when you already thought it was ridiculous. Every single person jokes about wanting to be fired just so they could break their contract, photographers always quitting You can find a better job at the competition or at another station in a similar sized market. They constantly lie to you so they can push their agenda. They cut positions and have forced people out because you don’t fit their mold or you stand up to them to defend yourself

Advice to Management

The horrible reputation for working at KOAT is out there and that must be why it's so hard to hire people for any of the positions. Of 20 openings more than 50% are in the newsroom. Treat staff better and maybe they will not quit so often. Stop spreading out so many duties among so few people. Quit abusing your employees who really want to stay.

An Overall Toxic Work Environment

This station has really gone down the drain in the last year. Sunk fast. Greg and his “Assistant” News Director are constantly gone, leaving early, and are nowhere to be found. When they are here, they are the worst at making decisions and it’s almost always the wrong one. We constantly get yelled at for doing our jobs correctly and get yelled at when the those two mess up and want to put the blame on you. They have done a terrible job managing the newsroom. Assistant ND Melissa and ND Greg have really tanked koat. We don’t trust them, and their news judgement is terrible. I have never been to a station where everyone’s goal it is to get out.

Avoid this place like the plague. KOAT used to be a great station to work for. But in the last year, Greg and Melissa both have ruined the reputation. They should not be in management.
The people in who should be in charge are severely mistreated by Greg and Melissa. Sometimes Melissa seems as dumb as a rock, you have to draw things in crayon for her to try and even remotely get her to understand.

Sexual Discrimination, Racial Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, An Overall Toxic Work Environment

KOAT is the most toxic work place I've ever encountered. They do not take your concerns seriously. Employees with allergies are consistently questioned and belittled there, regarding the severity of them. Even though there has been an attempt to alleviate the situation by throwing away a microwave and refrigerator, employees have had to leave the station because of allergic reactions and management have had to step in and complete entire newscasts. The white men in the newsroom are constantly targeted and our concerns go ignored often. Management hasn't taken proper steps to ensure the wellbeing of their employees who suffer from medical conditions.

The issue has gotten so bad, several times, people have walked out mid-shift, leaving the rest of us with more work. It's a problem for months, and the new general manager isn't helping the issue. Save yourself the heartache and drama, and avoid at all costs.