Last week, FTVLive told you that Longtime WHEC (Rochester) meteorologist Kevin Williams was being kicked to the curb at the Hubbard owned station.

Rumors have been circulating that the station is also trying to push out longtime News Anchor Rebecca LeClair.

While stations often hide behind the "we don't talk about personnel issues", WHEC GM Derek Dalton is doing just that.

Dalton posted this message on the station's website, our commentary follows:

In the wake of recent public speculation, I have received a number of inquiries concerning Rebecca Leclair’s status at News Channel 10, WHEC-TV.

It’s not at all clear who recent unnamed “source(s)” may be, but they got this one flat wrong.

Let me set the record straight: Rebecca Leclair has not been fired. Station management has no intention of taking that step. In fact, WHEC-- and Hubbard Broadcasting-- values Rebecca's reputation in the Rochester community and her long history of excellence in journalism. That is why, just last November, I personally offered Rebecca an extension to her existing contract, which, to our disappointment, she declined.

What is true, is that Rebecca’s union and station management have a disagreement about the interpretation and application of one clause in the station’s collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA, of which Rebecca is a member. While out of respect for Rebecca WHEC has taken every effort to keep this matter confidential, it has now unfortunately been thrust into the public eye.

Despite good faith efforts on both sides to amicably resolve our disagreement, to date we have been unable to do so. An arbitration on the matter is scheduled for next week. Simply put, if at the end of the process Rebecca ends up leaving the station, it will be the result of her choice, not station management’s.

Importantly, Rebecca has been the consummate professional, even with the distraction of our pending dispute, and we thank her for her continued professionalism-- which was most recently on display in her market-leading, wall-to-wall coverage of the Rideout trial.

Derek Dalton
VP/General Manager

So, let's read between the lines a bit here. We would bet that the new contract that the station is offering LeClair includes little or no raise and might even be a pay cut. LeClair has worked years in the market and feels she should be paid a fair price for her work. Obviously, she doesn't feel what the station is offering is fair and is now headed to arbitration.

Dalton writes, "....if at the end of the process Rebecca ends up leaving the station, it will be the result of her choice, not station management’s."

That statement while maybe true, is not really giving the entire story.

As for LeClair? She is remaining on the high road, is not using the station's website as a negotiation tool and continues to do her job.