Playing Favorites in The Burgh

Insiders at Cox-owned WPXI (Pittsburgh) tell FTVLive that News Director Scott Trabandt invited some of the news staff to join him at the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game.

Some inside the station felt that Trabandt selectively invited some staff while leaving others to wonder why they didn’t get picked?

“I would understand if it was just managers but it was some managers and select producers and reporters. All seemingly hand-picked by the news director. I'm so outraged and disgusted by this favoritism,” said one WPXI staffer to FTVLive.

“He didn't invite any photographers, editors, production people, or master control operators and nobody from the morning shift,” said another staffer.

Insiders tell FTVLive that some are talking to HR and are not happy about what they think is blatant favoritism in the newsroom. “He only invited people in his circle,” said one staffer.

Of course, the News Director can invite who he wants to a baseball game, but judging by the number of people that contacted FTVLive from the station, this isn’t going over well.

Maybe it would have been better if Trabandt secured enough tickets for the entire newsroom staff and invited them all.

Clearly this did not do much to unite the newsroom and social media posts from those that did get the invite was like rubbing salt in the wound of those that were not.