Randy Price: Split with Ed Ansin “Very Civil”

The Boston Herald and Boston Globe are both running stories about Randy Price leaving WHDH so abruptly after 12 years at the station.

Price says he met Sunbeam owner Ed Ansin on Thursday to discuss his future at the station. Ed Ansin told him that times are tough and the station had to go in a different direction. Price says the split with Ansin was “very civil” and that even though leaving hurts, Ansin “… gets to call the shots. It’s his shop.”

Price’s current contract was set to expire sometime in 2012.

Two quotes in the Boston Herald story caught my eye:

“I’m gone,” Price told the Herald this morning. “I’ve reached the point where I really can’t contribute in the way that they probably want me to contribute.”

and

“Am I disappointed? Yeah,” Price said. “Have I been happy with the way things are going? Absolutely not. It’s very disappointing.”

WHDH heading down the tabloid trail – slick, flashy, skewing young.

One question that comes to mind is if we’ll see big salaried names at WSVN go? Who knows. Miami/Ft Lauderdale is 16th in size so anchors aren’t making a Boston salary for sure, unless they’re named Dwight Lauderdale. And, it is WHDH that is becoming more like WSVN.

If I’m not mistaken WSVN’s  main anchors are all around 38-39 years old, and allegedly the station is doing well in the money demo. But going back to past stories Craig Stevens re-signed contract with WSVN around May 28 2006 for 4 years which means he’s up for renewal next year.

Something to note, recently Matt Lorch who used to anchor along side Kristy Krueger at WPLG before moving to WHDH, was removed from the CW56 newscast at 10pm.

Looking from the outside in if I had to guess, Sunbeam is carving a niche for itself for an audience that wants a flashy, tabloid newscast. Television is becoming even more fragmented because of the internet, the broadcast affiliate model might not be around in 5 years and the way to succeed, just like online, would probably be by going niche and serving that audience. Given how Boston has responded to WHDH’s transformation so far, Sunbeam may be shooting for the best money demo instead of the most eyeballs.