We have more details about now former WTVJ anchor Joel Connable’s departure from WTVJ.
Sources tell us that Connable was let go from WTVJ for allegedly violating company policy. The violation is a trip Connable was supposed to take with two other WTVJ employees to a hotel that initially could have ended up paid for by the hotel’s public relation’s director.
According to our sources Connable had paid for the trip, and an email was sent to the hotel’s public relations director explaining WTVJ employees are not allowed to accept free gifts, and that this information was presented by Joel Connable to WTVJ bosses. Also the trip in question was canceled and did not take place. However WTVJ management ultimately made a decision to let go of Connable.
As for the two other WTVJ employees involved, one was laid off and the other is still working at the station.
We have also learned that Joel Connable has retained an attorney and is allegedly taking legal action against WTVJ for breach of contract. Connable’s attorney, thought to be one of the best employment lawyers in Florida, was asked to respond to an inquiry from the Miami Herald for an article that came out yesterday quoting an anonymous source at WTVJ who told the paper Connable was fired for violating company policy.
Some WTVJ insiders believe the firing may have more to do with how much it cost the station to keep Connable on the payroll and a way to cut costs than an alleged company policy violation. Especially considering other WTVJ employees have had public infractions. WTVJ reporter Jeff Burnside was arrested last year for driving drunk in Miami Beach. The local papers along with most local TV stations plastered his mug shot for all to see thus his arrest brought shame to the TV station and created a negative persona of the quality reporters WTVJ hires. Burnside however is still at the station reporting and his “CIU” reports can be seen every week.
Update: SFLTV has obtained the salary offering for whoever takes the place of Joel Connable. Whoever replaces Connable as the (supposedly) main co-anchor will allegedly be offered a salary in the $80,000 range. Connable’s contract with the station apparently cost the station more than 3.5 times that
If Joel, a quality reporter and on-camera presence, was making 300K, imagine what Nespral, a goofy oncamera presence, with her years in the nBC grist mill, must be making? Someone at HQ needs to wake up and start over a 6, keeping about half of what’s there and recruiting some quality talent. I do not know why NBC has not figured out that they could be operating 6 jointly as NBC’s Latin American bureau to hold costs down. There could be a whole lot more localized production going out over the whole network. It looks to me like they don’t know what they have and don’t know what they’re doing in general. As for Joel, IMO, he can write his own ticket for what comes next. He can stay local or move up to a bigger market. His talent level surpasses 90% of what I see on the air now. Oh, and Diercks still has a job?
I know it’s totally unrelated, but did anyone read the article right under Joel’s? I had no idea Lynn Gordon was being charged with drug charges.
Ha! So many tried to deny it. Anyways, if he decides to stay in the Miami market, he would be a good fit on either WPLG or WFOR.
Go Joel… Sue NBC and get them for every last penny. What a wonderful way to show how screwed up that station is. They will have to pay him more in the settlement than they would have just by buying him out. If he did violate a company policy, but didn’t really do the thing that woul dhave violated that policy, why not just discipline him? Jeff Burnside was never fired. NBC has blood on their hands. I think this could be the end for Ardy…boo whoo
and yet Joe Rose, Jackie Nespral, and Belkys Nurea still have jobs in this market
That’s pretty sad…
I wish Joel the best of luck!
Yes
Jackie ( who I am liking more and more on the 7pm news)
and
Belkys
still have a job YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
you go girls
Joel,
Fight them till you win and get your money. I hope you win as I personally think you were fired for something STUPID. I also hope you end up at WFOR and replace Antonio Mora now that would be the perfect egg in WTVJ NBC 6’s face. Oh and just think if you were to join WFOR and the ratings went thru the roof cause NBC 6 to sink to new levels.
That sounds SICKENNNNNNNNNNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t understand.
Why was he fired?
He paid for the trip instead of getting it for free?
What?
The station assumed he was trying to scam a trip. It sounds like they already knew what they wanted to do from the beginning of the investigation – get rid of Joel and save lots of money. Why would Joel need to take a free trip? With the money he makes, I assume he can go wherever he wants. I bet this is another Michael Williams. Those who try and make NBC better are forced out and WTVJ just thought this was a good excuse. Why is Jeff still there? Drunk driving or being accused or it isn’t a violation of company policy?
Here’s a tweet from Mr. Connable last month:
We had a tough day at NBC yesterday. Three employees were let go becasue budget cuts. The economy is hurting everyone
10:01 AM Apr 9th from web
Well, if anchors like himself had agreed to have their salaries cut, one of those employees he mentions could’ve been saved. No, until it affects the anchors with the big paychecks, you can’t say it is affecting everyone. I feel no pity for Mr. Connable or for the other “talking heads” that anchor, and pretty poorly, our local news division. They will go the way of the Dodo.
As a GE shareholder, I would like to see NBC management cut back its compensation, starting with Jeff Zucker and working down the food chain to TVJ. Maybe Jeff is a great morning show producer, but that doesn’t necessarily make him a great CEO.
One might assume, from what you said, that you have inside knowledge that Joel was actually asked to agree to have his salary cut and refused.
If he’s under contract, and his salary is part of the contract, he has every right not to take such a request.
So I’m curious: do you know for a fact that a request was made of him specifically and do you know for a fact that he declined such an offer? Or are you just making assumptions after seeing the dollar signs?
If your employer made you an offer and for GOOD money, what would you do, talk them DOWN?
Screw you Charles. Just becasue an anchor gets paid well has nothing to do with other employees being fired. Anchors get paid well becasue they are the face of a station. Budgets don’t blend. An anchor salary doesn’t save anyone esle. I don’t believe any anchors have been asked to cut their salaries. Nice to see another person has no clue how this business works.
Well I am not in the business per se, but you are right Frankie. Joel probably wasn’t getting what he was worth. Segreto was squeezed out. Only Nespral survives. Oh, and that drooling idiot Joe Rose. Talent and ability mean nothing. If you could tell me what does matter at 6, I would be curious to know. It sure isn’t evident onscreen.
What matters at Channel 6? No one really knows. Godo journalism and great storytelling are not taught. In fact there is no one to look up to at Chanel 6 in management. At most stations, the managing editor or assistant news director has experience as a producer, a writer or a reporter and they teach younger producers and reporters how to shine and make their work better. At WTVJ, there is only one executive producer. She came from a tiny market and she has never been any good. She doesn;t know what news is and she fills her 11am show with breaking news and stories that don’t belong in a paid advertisement full of interviews and silly segments. As for the producers, only two are any good, and they are in the mid 20’s. They have no one to look up to and they are restricted by the new managing editor who is a former secretary for the news director with no journalism training and a stong bias for anti Cuba stories. WTVJ jas no assistant news director, and curently no real news director. So what matters at WTVJ?
What matters at WTVJ? That’s easy – Jackie.
I was watching NBC6 tonight at 6 and 7 and I have to say it SUCKS!!! They do such boring news that is old. They ran many of the same stories I saw in the morning. Other stations are on good enterprise stories while WTVJ is dead last. Ugh. Can someone put it to sleep already?
If it bothers you so much don’t watch, dipshit. Putting any of these stations “to sleep”, even the last place ones, means a lot of good people losing their jobs. Would that make you happy, idiot?
What about Telemundo’s magement “Don Brown ex wtvj”CHECK THIS OUT. They only produced 3 network shows. Al rojo vivo, network news and soccer games on weekends. Roster a vice president of production,3 productions managers, 1 lighting supervisor. 1 video tape supervisor,1 graphic and promter supervisor and 1 audio supervisor.Dereck Bonn stop looking the other way and start to save money to the investors. you know what i mean…
Joel I am with you,
joel please leave a # where i can call, got some info for you
I know Joel is on Facebook. You can search his name and send him a note. I don’t think you have to be a friend to do so.
Olavo better be packing his bags.
We’re all trying to figure out where Jennifer Gray disappeared to. Is she part of this salary purge or whatever? P.S. I can catch Bob & Pam in the morning and never have to watch WTVJ again all day because I never see anything new. I might watch just to see Julia, but for news, no.
Too bad about Joel. I wondered what happened to him. I thought he was always good in his presentation, and extremely witty to boot. Joel if you read this, you will be missed.