Veteran anchor Bill Ratliff to leave WFLA-Ch. 8 after 27 years

For WFLA-Ch. 8 anchor Bill Ratliff, the idea came while trudging through the TV station's parking lot in the dark, heading in for another 5 a.m. newscast, wondering: Should a 60-year-old guy really be doing this?

Ratliff finally found his answer this year, deciding to step down from his job anchoring WFLA's morning weekday newscasts after an unbroken decade in the time slot and 27 years' total at the station.

The anchor, who returns from vacation on Wednesday, will work his last day on June 25.

He said this morning that the decision was mostly financial. Entering the final year of a 10-year deal, station management asked him to take reduced hours for reduced pay for the last 12 months.

Well aware of the financial strain parent company Media General is facing -- the corporation revealed today that its first quarter broadcast revenue in 2009 dropped 19 percent from the previous year -- and past layoffs that claimed the job of sports anchor Dave Reynolds two weeks ago, Ratliff decided to leave with a severance package.

Overall, Media General, which also owns the Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch and several other newspapers and TV stations -- reported an 18 percent drop in revenue in the first quarter, adding up to a loss of $21.3-million. A year earlier, the company reported first quarter losses of $20.3 million; the company also announced it cut 300 jobs by March 31 and will freeze its pension plan in May.

"Media General refers to an employee like me as a - quote -- highly compensated employee," noted Ratliff, who said his current salary is in the six-figure range -- essentially the same compensation a top, highly tenured anchor would make helming evening newscasts. "I understand the pressures ... Sometimes, I don't know how they keep the lights on."

The move also continues a trend that has seen highly paid, long-tenured local TV anchors lose jobs, as viewership for TV newscasts dips, consumers turn to the Internet for instant news and longtime advertisers find their finances crunched by the ongoing recession.

"Legacy anchors are going away," said Ratliff. "When you get into markets like Los Angeles and New York where the anchors are making several millions of dollars a year -- the stations are saying, 'We need to get away from that.' There are managers now who say the only thing that matters is content. But I think people are still loyal to those who give them the news ... It's a trust factor."

Ratliff's longtime co-anchor Gayle Guyardo (left) will anchor the morning newscast alone, flanked by weather forecaster Jennifer Hill and traffic reporter Alicia Roberts.

Noting that the station is in a tough ratings battle with WTVT-Ch. 13, which the local Fox affiliate often wins, Ratliff wondered about the wisdom of breaking up a long-running anchor team some viewers have followed for a decade.

"Morning television is a different animal ... the audience connects with you on a different level and they're very loyal," he said, noting that the station's revenue has also been affected by the classified advertising losses at sister publication the Tampa Tribune. "TV stations make 30 percent of their revenue from automobile advertising and we are off 80 percent from that now. It will come back, but it will never come back to where it was. There are no business models for that."

Ratliff came to WFLA in March 1982 from Dallas, lured by the promise of anchoring the station's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. By 1984, he was teamed with Bob Hite in a match they thought would be ratings dynamite, but instead, newscast ratings tanked.

"The news director called us in and told us one of us would be off the evening newscasts by the end of the year," Ratliff said. Hite wound up staying in the spot, continuing a tenure which ended with his retirement in late 2007; Ratliff eventually landed on the morning newscast in 1987, taking a break in 1999 before teaming with Guyardo.

Now Ratliff isn't sure what he will do, beyond taking at least two months off and getting his sleeping patterns back in order. Because the station isn't enforcing a "non-compete" clause in his contract, he's also free to talk with other stations about TV jobs, though he's wary of staying in an industry where he's worked for the past 41 years.

 "The primary issue for me is the hours I work have worn me out," he said, noting that he's in good enough shape financially that he doesn't have to consider working for a while. "After doing something for so long, maybe the fire doesn't burn as brightly. But the one feeling I have is that I'm just grateful I had 27 years in place ... and I'm leaving on good terms. I'm going to wake up on June 26 and have no idea what I'm going to do. In a way, they kind of did me a favor." 

*

Click below for WFLA's news release:

BILL RATLIFF LEAVING WFLA-TV (NBC, Tampa)

Tampa, FL - News Channel 8 Today co-anchor and managing editor Bill Ratliff
is leaving WFLA-TV (NBC, Tampa) at the end of his contract on June 25,
2009.

Ratliff has been with the station since 1982 and during his tenure
has anchored all of WFLA-TV’s weekday newscasts.  Anchor Gayle Guyardo,
Meteorologist Jennifer Hill and TBO Traffic’s Alicia Roberts will remain as
the newscast’s team, bringing the most up-to-the-minute morning news,
traffic and weather coverage to Tampa Bay area viewers.  News Channel 8
Today airs from 5 to 7 a.m. weekday mornings.

“We are sorry to see Bill leave us. His experience and professionalism
have helped make WFLA-TV one of the country’s great stations,” said News
Channel 8 News Director Don North.    “The news business is changing at an
unprecedented pace...that coupled with the tough economy means we’ve had to
make some difficult decisions about how we are moving ahead.”

Ratliff is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and attended the University of
Cincinnati. He has worked in broadcasting for more than 40 years.  Before
joining WFLA-TV, he was a journalist at WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas; WDIV-TV
in Detroit, Michigan; WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky and WLWT-TV in
Cincinnati, Ohio.

"As Tampa Bay's local news leader, we continue to innovate and provide our
audiences with the best possible news coverage, every day,” said John
Schueler, President of Florida Communications Group, which includes
WFLA-TV, The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and CENTRO Tampa.  “Our multimedia,
interactive approach is a commitment to the kind of quality coverage the
people of Tampa Bay expect from us…on-air, online and in print.”

Comments

[Judy Katz]

I had the pleasure of working with Bill for many years at WFLA before I relocated to Los Angeles 11 years ago...he is a gentleman and one of the truly nicest guys I know. I hardly recognize the current crew, with the departures of Rod Challenger, Bob Hite, Steve Overton, etc. I remember the even earlier days of working with Chris Hansen and Linda Vester before they went to bigger and better things.

[Rich Jaffe]

It's with great sadness I recently read about Bill's pending departure from 'FLA.
In the years when guys like Chris Hansen and myself worked with Bill at Channel 8, it was like working in Camelot. We had a wonderful team. We were all young and hungry, and so was the business.
Life has changed, so has TV news. Tampa viewers will surely miss the faces and voices of the real "vets" like Ratliff and Hite.
The good news is Bill's getting out at a great time. He'll be fine. It's the viewers who unfortunately will lose with the departure of the old pros.
Indeed, the business has changed.
Best of luck pal.
Rich Jaffe/WKRC TV

[beltwaybandit]

Where does it all end?

* Bankruptcy

* Sale of the company

* shut down of the Tribune and possibly elimination of local news at 8

* turn around of the business

I would bet heavily against the turn around. I would bet equally heavily on a sale of the company or shutting down the Trib and/or local news at 8.

Bankruptcy is probably not likely but the way Media General operates and the way things have been going,it can't be ruled out.

[OneNewspaperTown]

Not to be overly rude, but watching the remaining announcer will be unbearable. It just seems like the lights are out and no one is home.

With all the baggage the remaining announcer apparently has, it seems like Media General, particularly the local leadership, has blundered yet again.

When does it stop?

[joe hillman]

Robert:

I could be way off because I do not have any hard data on this, but it seems as though the female audience is the primary target audience of morning tv news. It doesn't seem to be much of a "guy thing," at least local morning tv news.

Take a look at the Today show for example. It seems to be more of a henfest as the years have gone by.

If my hunch is accurate, the all girls club you speak of likely isn't a concern of the Media General crowd.

If anything, if guys do look at the tube in the morning, it's more apt to be SportsCenter; not Bill Ratliff.

[Shane Underwood]

We all will miss Bill tremendously. He is a class act. Good luck with all of your future endeavors!

[Eric Deggans]

It would make sense to move Josh Thomas into mornings if he wants it. and park a promising newcomer on weekends, or let Jennifer Leigh anchor there alone.

But it is hard to know what considerations these executives use in coming up with their strateguies. for some reason, i think it is also just as likely that they might hire someone new to sit next to gayle in the morning and leave Josh on weekends.

Wouldn't be my play, but you never know...

[Robert]

In my earlier post I mentioned that the decision not to move someone in Bill Ratliff's anchor seat will leave NewsChannel 8 with an "all girls' club" team in the morning.

I sincerely enjoy watching Gayle, Jenn, and Alicia, but I have to question if the viewers will accept this team by themselves. As a result, my guess is that within six months management will seek to bring back a more serious balance my moving Josh Thomas into the morning shift.

What do you think?

[Reg Miller]

As executive producer when Bill came on board Newswatch 8 in 1982, I remember the professional attitude and discipline he brought to the newsroom. In the day, Tampa was a sleepy major Top 20 market that produced news out of the 19th century. When Bill and a couple other key personnel joined the team a progressive effort began to move the station forward.

Bill's leadership provided a catalyst to make perennial powerhouse, WTVT, to take notice. Just as CH8 was moving forward, though, Media General realized it made a major budgetary blunder and had to slice the news budget resulting in the dissection of the newly charged newsroom. This was in 1982. Can you say de-je-vu all over again?

Bill, you remain among the best and should be proud of all that you brought to WFLA and Tampa Bay residents. I wish I could be there on your last day to wish you well. Alas, bright light will soon fade to black in television.

[gal pal]

Poor WFLA, I see channel 10 is stacking their morning news show while channel 8 continues to slash and burn.
Good for Bill he is getting out with a good feeling unlike Dave Reynolds and the many others who have been let go.

[Kristine]

My husband and I have been married since 1982 and we have been loyal followers of Bill Ratliff the entire time. He is the only reason we ever turn on News Channel 8. No other news anchor can match his mix of charm, professionalism and good humor. When he's not there, the morning news program devolves into a gaggle of gossipping women, and that is a very difficult thing to face first thing in the morning. We will probably stop watching local news altogether now. This is the unfortunate result of WFLA and Media General's short-sighted decision. What a shame. Best wishes Bill in all your future endeavors. We hope to see you on the air again soon -- after you take a well-deserved rest.

[Robert]

While I hated to hear the news that Bill was leaving, at least station management allowed him to leave on his terms as much as possible, unlike what they did with Dave Reynolds and many others. He certainly earned that amount of respect given his tenure and being the class act he is.

While I like Gayle, Jenn, and Alicia, it will be interesting to see how the idea of an "all girls' club" anchor team in the mornings. However, I give management six months before they put Josh Thomas in to give him a regular anchor gig and provide the newscast a bit more serious feel.

[OneNewspaperTown]

Media General must be a bit nervous too, with their market cap under $75 million and announcing poor earnings. If the stock price heads under $1 for over 30 days, then NYSE may look to delist their stock.

[Tom]

I have very much enjoyed 8's early morning team and am sorry to see Bill go.

If he is in good health and has saved a few bucks, he is very, very fortunate to have been able to work one place for 27 years.

[beltwaybandit]

Well, it has just been a matter of time. Newspapers were first to really feel the pinch and now local TV is racing them to the bottom. It's a toss up as to who will crash first.

The days of highly paid "star" anchors and anchor teams is over. And for those who remain in place...like Gayle Sierens at 8, Wilson at 13 and perhaps Brendan McLaughlin at 28...unless they negotiate big reductions at renewal time they will join Ratliff, Reynolds and the rest on the sidelines because the TV companies just can't afford it any more.

Local TV has been basically a phony "news" operations for many years. They start their day reading...newspapers...for story ideas. They make story decisions based on video availability and what looks the most "visual". No pictures, no story on the air.

But more and more, local TV stations include self-serving content under the guise of "news"...along with a heavy doseof emotional, gossip and self-help content that is nowhere near "news".

I am sure they all have research saying this is what the audience wants. But the ratings disagree and the revenues have fallen as a result.

Like newspapers, advertisers have now figured out that advertising on these mass media TV dinosaurs does not work and is inefficient. Digital alternatives make more sense for targeting and of course on cost.

But also like newspapers, there will still be a need for video journalists. They will need to do content for distribution on the Internet, and also on air.

Gone are the days when each local market...like Tampa...can support or even needs four full time news operations all covering the same stuff. The choppers are reduced, consolidated or gone.

And soon, one or more of these stations will follow NBC's lead and start pulling the plug on local news entirely. So long as two stations do news, the public is served...and that is important.

Now, if the lightweights like Guyardo would get the axe to prove there is justice, the local TV business and the local TV audience would be better off.

[Sam]

So sorry to hear of this, I enjoy watching Bill Ratliff every morning. Good luck to you in whatever you do.

[Jim]

The Channel 8 team of Bill Ratliff and Barbara Callahan were one of the best anchor teams I've come across. Incredible chemistry and very watchable. Those were the salad days of local TV news.

He is a class act and I wish him all the best.

[Lin Young]

Wow, here we are, living longer while having the prospect of working less long and earning less overall. Time to get aggressive about cutting living expenses to the bone and saving money.

[Bob]

Ugh- I don't like watching Gayle- she is over emotional and it seems she doesn't even listen to what she is saying. Please keep Bill.

[OneNewspaperTown]

Just so I have it straight:

1. Reduce newsroom staff, including key reporters, columnists, and managers.
2. Cut pages and sections out of the paper
3. Reduce the physical size of the paper.
4. Eliminate key TV announcer positions.
5. Raise the price of the paper.
6. Give employees force furloughs and stop 401k matching.
7. Launch new magazine products that are not profitable.
8. Redesign print content.
9. Redesign TBO so it looks like someone vomited words all over it.
10. Allow content which is the competitive advantage to be used by other sites.

Sound like a recipe for success, in light of all the competition?

[Kurt Loft]

Bill,
You always were a gentleman and a class act, and your service as a journalist will echo for a long while. Enjoy a few beers.

[Buddy Baker]

I remember Bill when he was co-anchor of PM Magazine in Dallas. I will miss his friendly face and wish him good luck wherever life takes him from here!

[Gary McCullough]

Move to Bay News 9 Bill. I made the switch and I am very pleased with their broadcast

[sheila]

I guess Keith Cate and Gail Sierens are the only ones they really care about! everyone else is of little value, except Steve Jerve Of course!! why didn't Gayle Sierens just retire, Instead of Bill? I'm not watching anymore!!

[Eric]

Thank you Bill. I watched you every morning since I moved to Florida in 1988. I will miss seeing you. I appreciate all that you have done. I will continue to watch Gayle in the morning. She is a terrific newscaster.

[John]

Just don't lose Gayle ;-)

[bulletinizer]

Good luck, Bill. Get that nervous hand thing checked out before you lose the health insurance.