KVOA

Cathie Batbie is the WORST news director I have ever worked with. I have worked in 5 news markets from 60-top 10 and she is by far the worst ND of them all. Red flags all around, First she is racist: a Black mmj who was a great worker made one slight mistake and Cathie immediately put her on probation with no conversation, however, a "favorite" of hers can cuss on the air and make the same mistake or worse and nothing happens. Multiple girl employees came to her about inappropriate/sexual behavior from the recently hired assistant ND and she did NOTHING! She called a well-respected employee in on their day off for a "mandatory" equipment check to lay them off. She promised an employee she would pay for their schooling and immediately denied saying that as soon as they signed. She told a Middle Eastern anchor who had straight hair to tie it back because her hair was "too big". She told a Hispanic anchor her eyebrows looked like Frida Kahlo's unibrow. The list goes on. She is extremely jealous of her female talent and belittles them (while being noticeably nicer to male talent). She is unable to ever have a civil, adult conversation, and instead speaks to you as if you were a child and thinks that if she's "louder" it means she is right. She outwardly has favorites but even her "favorites" are miserable. She can only hire out of college grads for a reason. Her reputation is so bad that she's blacklisted from the local university where journalism professors will say to not work for her. My only regret in my many years in this industry is working for her!

Working at this station was AWFUL. And I was what my other coworkers called a “favorite” of the ND, Cathie. This station was so poorly managed and looking back I wish I considered other stations to work for instead. The news director has favorites and uses FEAR, threats and scare tactics to bully employees. She has developed a bad rep and can only hire college kids, and constantly hold it above their heads. Verbally abusive, she will not have an adult conversation, but screams at employees behind closed doors. It’s her way or the highway. Broken promises, she’ll get you to sign a contract and once you sign her true colors show. She won’t let you take vacation time you are entitled to. She was awful, no one besides the 3 main anchors stay, everyone is desperate looking for other jobs/considering leaving the industry. The lack of any new hires resigning says enough. Besides the terrible management from the ND, the station itself is falling apart. There has been 15+ employees laid off in less than 2 years, main anchors have broken contracts to leave, they can’t hire anyone else, the single sports reporter is doing weather, it’s just a mess. Please save yourself and look at other options.

Promises to make time to work with you and never happens. Most definitely has favorites in the newsroom. Don't get on her bad side or else she'll make things tough on you.

She is very cut-throat and unreasonable. She is one of the worst to work for.

She plays favorites hard. She can be very cut-throat if you are not on her good side.