Station's Ratings
News Dirctors
The ND I worked under is Staci-Lynn. I’ll preface by saying that nobody is perfect. I can image anyone in a ND role is under immense pressure. Unfortunately, I do have some negative notes on her leadership. She has a habit of coming to agreements with people and then when the time came to fulfill these agreements, she would look you in the eye and tell you, “I never said that.” I used to always advise newcomers to get things in writing with her which is difficult because she is more of a in-person meeting type of manager, a habit I think she’s uses to her advantage so she can walk back on her word.
If you ever set a work boundary with her, you’re suddenly no longer a “team player.” I saw it happen again and again with almost every single person who did not smile and agree with her plans and ideas. She becomes unfriendly and cold, which is fine, she is a manager and it’s not her job to be besties with anyone, but don’t try to come on as a “friendly” individual if you can’t keep things “friendly” when people tell you “no.”
Once you end up on her “not-a-team player” list, she WILL speak badly about you to others. I truly believe that she thinks all of us under her leadership don’t talk to each other about what is said behind closed doors. She has worked in a newsroom as a reporter before, how could she believe that we all don’t talk to each other in confidence about the job? Her and the GM are always saying the most out-of-pocket things about people to other people, thinking it won’t get back to them. It does.
When I first started there I was hopeful and excited to work under a female ND, as the time passed my excitement turned into disappointment. I still hear about how bonkers her and the GM are and all I can do is laugh because they’re a joke. A lot of big names have left, people that loved the station and loved what they did. The integrity that was once upheld has diminished and all that is left are boot-lickers to upper management, ground militia who thrive on buddying up to the ND and icing out those that she has deemed not to be, “team players.”
Racial Discrimination, An Overall Toxic Work Environment
They definitely favor caucasians. Some POC I knew had some crazy experiences with the ND and GM. Once incident bordering retaliation from upper management because upper management had to be held accountable for an incident that turned into a witch hunt years later. POC are often overlooked for major roles and promotions too, it’s just too obvious of a trend to not observe.
There are some gems in the newsroom and production, in other departments too. I stayed for as long as I could because of them.
This station is a good second or third station for anyone in that point in their career. Not a good starter station! They don’t have the patience for kiddos straight out of college. They will talk to you like you’re stupid, it happens a lot, save yourself. If you know how to do the job right and keep your head down and out of anyone’s mouth, you’ll be fine. It’s an easy pipeline for Denver is that’s your goal.
Reporter Job details
Yearly salaryDon't wish to disclose
ContractTwo Years
Paired with a photogOnly When Necessary
Station market rank#3
Mike Rausch
I did not have a good experience at this station. I was sexually harassed by our digital lead, Andrew McMillan for a long period of time. I left the station primarily because Mike Rausch, our news director, and his minion, Cindy Davis, refused to do anything about it. I was happy to find out Andrew was eventually fired in 2022 and couldn't find a job for several months and was forced to relocate to the east coast.
So, for those of you who still think Mike Rausch is a good guy, he's an asshole. And I urge you not to support his new business or any of his bullshit entrepreneurial ideas that he floats on the internet. Ask him what happened to "Beach Gurus."
Sexual Discrimination, Sexual Harassment
Photographer Job details
Yearly salary
Contract2 years
Paired with a photogN/A
Station market rank#1
Staci-Lyn Onofre
Hardworking, Understanding to a certain point
Sexual Harassment
There was once a sexual harassment situation with the digital director towards reporters for many years but once it finally reached Staci-Lyn and the new HR manager, that director was fired the next day. Management listened and did right by the reporters at the end of the day. Usually the management is understanding and looks out for the employees there.
When it comes to equipment and units, these things are tossed back and forth between chief and engineering in who is responsible to fixing it, it could take a year for your camera to be fixed. Assignments and assistant ND are all over the place at times, reporters may need to step in and set things straight. The environment ISN'T toxic but instead EXTREMELY intense and pressured. You can cut the tension with a knife. Reporters are often on the verge of a breakdown due to insane expectations. Do not recommend women photogs to apply, it is a boy's club and women photogs are underpaid and not respected. Reporters at KRDO can be extremely gossips ... no secret is safe.
Producer Job details
Yearly salary
Contract10 months
Paired with a photogN/A
Station market rankbetween #2-3
Staci-Lyn Onofre
Toxic, unsupportive, manipulative
An Overall Toxic Work Environment
A tattle-tale environment is encouraged. Management (ND, EP’s) take the word of employees who have been around longer without taking both sides of the story. Blame is placed solely on newbies for issues within the newsroom. Very cliquey.
If you are a female who wants to start a family, do not plan to work for this station. During my time I got pregnant and was very sick. Despite showing up to work every day and getting sick in the public restrooms my whole shift, I was still threatened with firing for being “unavailable” to my coworkers. Management will say they support you and will work with you, but made changes that had been requested after I announced I was leaving, proving they’d rather force me out with a toxic environment than support me or work with me.
MMJ (OMB) Job details
Yearly salary
ContractNo
Paired with a photogN/A
Station market rankbetween 2-3
Staci-Lyn
Terrible, toxic, inconsiderate
Racial Discrimination, An Overall Toxic Work Environment
This station has had so many changes in leadership and it’s gone from bad to worse. They have an EP who didn’t even know how to use the programs (still doesn’t know, but has been trained). EP hasn’t worked in news in a while and has more experience in entertainment. She is terrible at writing and has ZERO creativity. She is rude, condescending and unprofessional. The ND doesn’t seem to have a voice. This is her first station working as an ND and boy does it show. If people complain to her about the EP, nothing changes. Probably because they were both hired by the GM. Both ND and EP are terrible at writing. They’d rather heard the reporter talk than have an actual storyteller. She favors people she hires, despite how hard others work. She overlooks what people do well and picks at what she doesn’t like. She has told several people they aren’t good enough and those people have since left and gone in to do better things at bigger stations. As a mom, you’d think she’d be a better person and treat people with dignity, but no. She is the worst thing to happen to that station besides the EP. They are equally as terrible. The GM seems to hire people he knows from other stations, but so far he hasn’t made any good decisions. He can also be creepy. This is a terrible work environment, but the best part about the station is truly the people who work there who are all struggling and only have each other to lean on. Do yourself a favor and avoid working here. Many people have quit the station and someone even complained about harassment.
Web Producer Job details
Yearly salary
ContractTwo Years
Paired with a photogN/A
Station market rank#3
No one. Was Mike Rausch
The worst ever
Sexual Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, An Overall Toxic Work Environment
Good riddance is all I have to say. Former News Director Mike Rausch was fired as well as former Assistant News Director Cindy Dixon after the station hired a number of sexual predators. Michael Troy was recently let go after it turned out that he was arrested previously for failing to register as a sex offender. He sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl. Moreover, the current Executive Producer was fired from WKGN for showing pornography to his employees at his previous job. The bad apples are finally leaving but their time here at KRDO has left a tremendous stain. We have become a laughing stock of epic proportions. Thanks, Mike.
Hopefully it gets better with the new ND
