Tegna Hires Another Comedian (Updated)
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You might remember back in October when FTVLive FIRST told you that Tegna owned WUSA had hired a comedian to anchor their newscast.
If you thought this was a one off.... you would be wrong.
Now, Tegna owned WGRZ in Buffalo has hired their own comedian to work at the station.
The station announced that they have hired YouTube comedian Kate Welshofer. WGRZ General Manager Jim Toellner isn't saying what her role will be at the NBC affiliate.
"Plain and simple — my YouTube channel got me this job," she wrote on Facebook. "So, after 20 years in the business, I am being given the chance to be able do what I have always wanted to do on television on a consistent basis and that is: give people a reason to smile."
So, let this be a lesson to you. You want to get a job in TV news? Forget J-School and all that crap. Work on your stand up, launch a YouTube channel in which you slobber on yourself and you can land a gig at a Tegna station in a matter of just a few months.
What the hell is happening to this industry?
Update: Some have pointed out in the comments (see the comments are good) that Welshofer is not just a comedian and that she is also a Journalist (which is better than the Tegna hire in DC).
Welshofer herself posted in the comments talking about her career in Journalism. But, it should be pointed out in a Facebook post that it was her funny YouTube videos that got her the job and not her 20+ years in a newsroom. "Plain and simple — my YouTube channel got me this job," she wrote on Facebook.
This story is not a knock against her or what she does. But, it does speak volumes as to what Tegna is looking for with new hires. They are not looking at a newsroom track record, they are looking at what funny shit you did on YouTube.
As for Welshofer, we wish her luck in Buffalo and we recommend a stop by Colosso Taco in the City of Tonawanda. The place is a hole-in-the-wall, but the tacos are awesome.
