Turmoil in Chicago

Yesterday, FTVLive told you that WMAQ (Chicago) News Director Akemi Harrison resigned from the station to go across the street to WGN.

You would think that an ND job at a NBC O&O would be a plum assignment. You would not think going across the street to an independent station, even WGN would be the next move.

But, in talking to sources at WMAQ, it sounds as if not everything is rosy at NBC Chicago.

One station insider says that they believe that Harrison was unhappy at WMAQ. The fact that she left for the same job in the same city, certainly seems to attest to that.

“Since Sally Ramirez took over as Senior Vice President less than two years ago, turnover has been constant,” said a station insider to FTVLive, adding, “There’s a clear pattern… if you weren’t hired by Sally, your position feels far from secure.”

A WMAQ source points to a number of depatures.

Recent exits just this month:

• Marlen Wences – Assignment Desk (resigned)

• Sandra Torres – News Reporter (resigned)

Earlier this year:

• Two Morning Platform Managers dismissed.

Other departures/terminations under Sally’s leadership:

• Hernan Fratto – Telemundo News Anchor (resigned)

• Lauren Petty – NBC Chicago News Reporter (resigned)

• Lauren Hames – NBC Assignment Desk (resigned)

• Phillip Sierra – Telemundo Executive Producer (resigned)

• Anabel Monge – Telemundo News Anchor (terminated)

• Leila Rahimi – NBC Chicago Sports Anchor (terminated)

• JC Navarrete – NBC Chicago Morning Anchor (demoted to reporter)

While you might think turnover is part of TV news, once you get to a market like Chicago, the turnover is often at a much slower pace.

“The instability is affecting both operations and morale and it’s becoming harder to ignore from the inside,” a station source said.

This is Harrison’s email to the staff as she left for a job at WGN.