Staff at Nexstar Station Fear COVID-19 Exposure

Insiders at Nexstar’s KSEE/KGPE (Fresno) say that for the past few months the station has had a strict "no guests" policy as part of the station's attempt to keep possible sources of coronavirus out of the building. 

But, sources say that policy was thrown out the window when sales had sold the exclusive deal to run the State of the City address given by Fresno Mayor Lee Brand each year.

The “no guests” policy was tossed as the Mayor, city council president and their entourages were invited into the building for the taping last Wednesday.

A station insider says that, “5 days after the taping, Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias announced his son tested positive for COVID-19, and he was awaiting his own results.” The insider adds that the City Council President was waiting on his son's results when he came into the station for the taping.

The station even did a story on the Council President son’s positive results.

Stations staffers are worried that they along with those that came to the station might have been exposed to the rona.

Enough people have voiced their concerns that KSEE/KGPE General Manager J.R. Jackson sent an email to staff and CC'd Nexstar HR explaining how there is no reason to be concerned and exposure was minimal. 

But one station employee tells FTVLive, “social distancing is pretty much make-believe in the given space, let alone for the poor kid who had to mic Arias up.” The staffer then added, “Why should anyone report to work knowing their health and safety may be compromised for a sales initiative that breaks the station's own rules by allowing random people into the building?”

Here is the internal memo sent to the staff by the GM and obtained by FTVLive:

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