Bruno Cohen, president of Channel 13, just confirmed that two reporters - Reggie Kumar and Kristina Lee - were among those laid off by the station Thursday.
And while at least one of the comments attached to online items posted here at 21Q and elsewhere on sacbee.com have indicated that "dozens of people were laid off in all departments today, from floor crew staff to some writers, editors, photogs and even a director" (to see, click here), Cohen refuses to give specifics on any other eliminated jobs at the local CBS affiliate.
"I will confirm those layoffs (Kumar and Lee) because they were on-air talent, visible to viewers," Cohen says.
The two reporter layoffs, he adds, were part of an overall restructuring that utilizes "new technologies to make our station more efficient and to grow our audience."
Specifically, he says, Kumar and Lee's jobs were eliminated, in part, because the two half-hour editions of "The Sports Show," which currently air at 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, are being reduced to 15 minutes per episode and folded into Channel 13's 10 p.m. weekend newscasts.
And although neither Kumar and Lee worked on those shows, "we just don't need as many on-air people," Cohen says.
Of course, Cohen's comments today would appear to contradict his assertion Thursday when first called about layoffs that the results of the layoffs will be mostly "invisible" to viewers.
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