KOMO 4 loses another. Daron Johnson tipped us to this news… Nick Popham leaves KOMO after just three years and will be heading for Tampa, Florida. Today was Nick’s final day at KOMO TV. “But now is time to say goodbye for the sake of my mental health. I can’t thank the people here enough for giving me the opportunity to tell their stories! My dream was to work at KOMO and I fulfilled that dream these last 3 years.”
WTH! Situations at these local TV stations must be crap!
Lou Robbins — Admin/Editor | Airchecks
KTOY | KVAC (WA-1974) | KDFL (WA-1975) | KTTX (TX- 1976) | KWHI (TX-1976) | KONP (WA-1977) | KBAM (WA-1978) | KJUN (WA-1983) | KRPM (WA-1984) | KAMT (WA-1986) | KASY (WA-1988) | KBRD (WA-1989) | KTAC (WA-1990) | KMTT (WA-1991) | KOOL (AZ-1994)
And if you just look at those one air who have left…you are just looking at the top of the iceberg.
KOMO has been bleeding out quality staff behind the scenes for a long time. There has been a conveyor belt of people at the assignment desk up until they brought back an amazing assignment manager.
Back not too long ago KOMO had 24 photographers. Last I heard they had 16.
I expect a lack of quality photojournalists in larger markets in the future. Small markets were a great place to pluck photographers but now most small markets are MMJ and would rather be on air. I would not be shocked if most all large markets go to MMJ.
It is unfortunate that the culture at KOMO is gone. What once was a family/team feel has been erased and replaced with buckets of the same story.
People are leaving because the culture is shot and is not healthy.
NWBROADCASTERS has a list of the dearly departed: https://nwbroadcasters.com/seattledepartures.html
Matt Markovich moved to Fox 13 Seattle as well, so Abby Acone wasn’t the only one.
Addng:
Michael Konaposek KING reporter
Jim Scott KING photog
Michael Crowe KING reporter
MJ McDermott KCPQ weather
Alexandra Lewis KCPQ anchor
Nadia Romero KCPQ anchor
Erica Hill ND KCPQ to L.A.
The beat goes on..
When they state that they are leaving due to their mental health, that says it all. Quite a list of escapees!
An amazing list of departures
King:
Kierra Elfalon
Lindsay Sieverkropp EP at New Day Northwest (announced Thursday 4/21)
Craig Herrera Weather
Rhonda Lee Weather
Jordan Steele Weather
Jordan Wilkerson Weathr
Rebecca Stevenson Weather (to KOMO)
Cam Johnson Traffic
Jim Rose GM
Dick Trumbo Chief Engineer
Mark Wright main anchor
Elisa Hahn reporter
Christin Ayers Tacoma Bureau Chief and EP of Facing Race series
Evonne Benedict Digtal Director
Ted Land reporter
Glenn Farley Aviation expert
Megan Murnan photog to KOMO
Matt Elias producer
Lori Matsukawa anchor
Vanessa Misciagna reporter/wkd anchor
Glenn Farley
Ben Dery (weather)
KOMO
Mike Ferrari Sports Director
Nich Popham reporter
Matt Markovich reporter
Kara Kostinich reporter
Jonathan Choe reporter (fired)
Abby Acone repprter/weather (now at Q13)
Femi Abebefe Sports anchor
Keith Eldridge reporter
Cole Miller reporter
Bill Dallman ND
KIRO
Amy Clancy to SPD
Casey McNerthney Digital director
Claire Anderson weather
Dave Wagner
Sienmy Kim
Lisa Blegen Asst. ND
Erin Newnam EP
Matthew King (to KCPQ)
Tracy Taylor
KCPQ
Tatevoik Aprikyan
Brandi Kruse
Travis Mayfield
Walter Kelley
Eric Breon (former ND)
Elizabeth Wang Producer
Ali Bradley
Jessamyn McIntyre (EP)
Pam Pearson GM
Michelle Li and Vanessa Misciagna also left King 5