Where are they now?
Today, we feature former WBRE reporter Julie Bidwell.
Bidwell's two-year tenure at WBRE was nothing too spectacular. She came to the station around 1999-2000 as a reporter, making her way up from a smaller market in Virginia. After her contract was up, Bidwell made the huge jump to New York, working as a reporter/anchorwoman for Fox flagship WNYW.
Here's where things really get interesting. First of all, Bidwell changed her name to Banderas, supposedly to give it a more-ethnic flavor. Bidwell/Banderas defended her choice, saying she did have Colombian lineage, and the name change was approved by WNYW management.
And here's the kicker. If you believe the gossip, Bidwell/Banderas has a wild side. As in, there's certain pictures of her doing certain things in a WNYW live truck (I don't have those pictures, so don't ask). Management wasn't too happy about that, and fired her.
Where is she now? Bidwell/Banderas is now a reporter for Fox News Channel.
Bidwell's two-year tenure at WBRE was nothing too spectacular. She came to the station around 1999-2000 as a reporter, making her way up from a smaller market in Virginia. After her contract was up, Bidwell made the huge jump to New York, working as a reporter/anchorwoman for Fox flagship WNYW.Here's where things really get interesting. First of all, Bidwell changed her name to Banderas, supposedly to give it a more-ethnic flavor. Bidwell/Banderas defended her choice, saying she did have Colombian lineage, and the name change was approved by WNYW management.
And here's the kicker. If you believe the gossip, Bidwell/Banderas has a wild side. As in, there's certain pictures of her doing certain things in a WNYW live truck (I don't have those pictures, so don't ask). Management wasn't too happy about that, and fired her.
Where is she now? Bidwell/Banderas is now a reporter for Fox News Channel.
posted by Howard Beale at 7:34 PM
25 Comments:
The FOX news truck story is the journalistic equivalent of Mikey and Pop Rocks. Not sure it ever happened. I've seen it attributed to half a dozen newshens. For the uninitiated she (or whomever) was spotted in a compormising position involving a male and a can of beer.
Always thought she was smokin' hot at 'BRE. being at FOX takes away some of her appeal.
And why the hell does it matter if she uses a fake name? Why does this site seem to have low tolerance for that?
I suppose her kissin cousin is Antonio Banderas, a.ka. Zorro?
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9:27 said:
And why the hell does it matter if she uses a fake name?
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It's not the fake name that bothers me; it's the making up a name that will endear her to a group of which she is barely (if at all) a member. If I can kick my memory into gear, I'll come up with another person who did that; right now, I can't bring it to mind.
Reality check here - Bidwell was fired, her contract did not expire. During her time at WBRE, a collective bargaining agreement was in place, and there was a probationary period, beyond which you could not be simply dumped. Al Zobel fired her just short of her gaining full union protection. If she'd had that protection, arbitration likely would've saved her butt. Simply put, she was fired for no good reason whatsoever.
The fake name becomes questionable if someone fabricates one that is strictly designed to advance their career. Banderas? Latina? Plays really well in a great many markets, like NYC. FWIW, I worked with her, I liked her, and she was indeed smokin' hot, as a previous poster indicated.
she was not fired by Zobal...she was fired by Art Daub.
Having known Julie very well during her time here in NEPA and afterwards, I can tell you that she does, in fact, have Columbian heritage (among others) in her family line. She speaks Spanish very fluently as well.
No one is an angel in this business, she just happened to have been caught.
She's doing well and deserves it. Another loss of great journalistic abilities here in NEPA!
Isn't every name change, whether it's to Banderas or to Smith, made to (ostensibly) further one's career? It's okay to de-ethnicize in a name change but not the other way around?
Ironic, switchin through FOX News today who else did I see anchoring but... Julie Banderas. It's good to see someone that stopped in Wilkes/Scranton make it that far. Keep up the good work, and uh, becareful where you post your pics (MySpace is the Devil). Hint - that might just be sarcasam.
she was not fired by Zobal...she was fired by Art Daub.
Try again, and work on that spelling while you're at it. It's ZOBEL and DAUBE. She was taken to the third floor of 62 S. Franklin by Al Zobel, where she was dismissed by Zobel and Perry Sook, Nexstar's CEO. Sook was sitting in the GM's office since he'd recently fired Art Daube. I was there, I know. The reason Sook helped pull the trigger was because there were some questions regarding her contract. Ulitmately, and I do believe this to be true, she did win a judgement against Nexstar. It was never in Daube's management style to fire people without rock-solid cause, he was more known to try and work with individuals, and give them numerous opportunities to straighten out.
No one is an angel in this business, she just happened to have been caught.
Okay, let's see, how many female reporters out there have had sex with a male photog in a company vehicle while on the clock? Geez, I'm really pretty broadminded, and keep an open mind about odd things happening, but I'd bet big bucks the answer to that question is none.
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5:17 said:
Isn't every name change, whether it's to Banderas or to Smith, made to (ostensibly) further one's career? It's okay to de-ethnicize in a name change but not the other way around?
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If she really is Hispanic and, better yet, speaks the language, then go for the gold. I object if they go with a dark-skinned person, hang a Hispanic name on her and pass her off as something she is not.
Given the information from "3:40" ...I can tell you that she does, in fact, have Columbian heritage (among others) in her family line. She speaks Spanish very fluently as well... I gladly stand corrected.
You can say what you will about Fox news and thier right wing slant to the news coverage...but the name Fox sure applies to most of their female anchors...
Let's not fool people by putting any weight into the the old bargaining unit WBRE/WYOU once had. If Julie was fired that year, that sorry excuse for a union would have done nothing (as usual) to save her.
Whether it was a sorry excuse for a union OR not, some people at WBRE still hind behind its protection. I wasn't here when it existed, but I think union shops are a plus.
The fact that WBRE staffers let it slip through their fingers goes to show you what kind of people we're dealing with here. Remember, they stood by and watched it dissolve! It's not hard to spot them; they do the bare minimum, complain, take a lunch, a coffee break, perform some marginal work and leave... but not before complaining a bit more. Their existence is trivial; the product they hammer out is worse.
I'd hit it. Humpy, Humpy. She's on my Fox Report.
****9:25pm****
...that sorry excuse for a union would have done nothing (as usual) to save her.
Funny, but one of the big complaints from most pseudo-scabs was that, because of the union, the company was rife with slackers and incompetents. 'Tho no one ever considers themselves to be dead wood on the company tree, the employees welfare was not aided by the existence of a midget,Hitler-wannabe union steward whose life mission was to be judge and jury in making the decisions as to who should stay and who should go.
Oh,BTW, Julie was hot, hot, hot. And like most who hit the networks, they get great hair and makeup tips.
"the employees welfare was not aided by the existence of a midget,Hitler-wannabe union steward "
Typical pro-union. When proven wrong, resort to name-calling. No wonder you're defunct.
...proven wrong...?
At what? How to kill yourself financially?
How 'bout them pay raises of the last two years? Even the worst bargaining unit increase was more than the table scraps they gave.
The key term up there is "worst bargaining unit".
I recall a certain union prez telling the staff that Nexstar would fire everybody the day after the unit went away.
Here we are: 3 years after the fact, and all the crap that came out of Mr. Prez's mouth has been PROVEN WRONG.
Table scraps ? I know of some Nexstar folk who are doing just fine after the union was booted. The raises are ther and the old-timers got their 3rd week of vacation. Sounds like a sore loser to me.
NABET wasn't much of a union when I worked at WBRE, so it didn't surprise me that they were ousted. Word on the street is that the employees are better off.
As for the name-calling, there's got to a more mature way to argue a point.
I might as well throw in my 2 cents...the last membership meeting that union held only had 12 people show up, and 4 of them were officers. The lack of interest everyone had in that "bargaining unit" spoke volumes.
Howie, Howie, Howie.
Where did we go so wrong?
An entry about a former employee, turned into such a sorry display of comments...from both sides.
Yeah, I'm a union guy. Was for quite a while, long before the Hatfields moved in with the McCoys.
At the risk of offending some, the last batch seem to come from what are typical anti-union protagonists. They like to play the victim while pointing fingers at others. Accusations of name-calling, and requests for mature discourse, yet still able to make their case through incendiary language. Let's not forget that the whole union issue was brought up and adressed by two calm and cool bloggers. That is, until 9:25 had to lower the bar with his/her post about what they "think" the union would have done. Yet, we're the sore losers.
Like I said, I was there before those people got thrown into the mix. So was the union. When you came to work for WBRE, you accepted it warts and all. That meant the union. The choice was yours. And there was a choice for the group that moved down the road. Come on in as a member or seek employment elsewhere. But, it was Nexstar holding that gun to their heads, not the union. A few were fired even before they were able to choose.
And for the record, I attended nearly every meeting and can tell you that there was never the chance for a touch football game breaking out with the number of people showing up. But don't confuse the choice between going to a bar or home to the wife and kids, or attending a midnite bitch- fest, with a lack of interest. Workers voted down an attempt to kick out the union in '01. They weren't given that chance again. The disgruntled few deemed it their right to decide for all - pro or con.
I never thought much of NABET in those final days, but us old timers had already gotten a fourth week of vacation, so 10:09 must not know anyone from WYOU who had five weeks before Nexstar took that away and refused to give it back.
Dear "word on the street", not many employees are better off in the two and a half years since the union went away. Nearly every one of my co-workers find it hard to make ends meet. Maybe it's just the times we live in. I'm still waiting to hear that my latest raise (if there is to be one) will undoubtedly fall well short of compensating for the rise in gas prices and the subsequent cost of living increases.
And finally, I can say with some degree of confidence that a certain union prez NEVER said Nexstar would fire everyone the day after the union went away...that would have been Christmas, and not even Nexstar fires anyone on Christmas day.
Thanks for the space Howard.
ps. Julie loved the union!
Thank you Mr. 9:49pm for one of the more intelligent posts in this off-track thread. Although some of your conclusions are factually wrong, I won't bog things down in debate. What's the use in beating a dead horse ? The union's gone and that's all there is too it.
I do have to say that the "Hatfield & McCoys" analogy was probably the most accurate thing to say from '98 up until a few years ago. I find now that there is less division among the ranks after the union was petitioned out. Ironically, there is more unity now, which is a good thing overall.
Interesting responses from people who say they no longer work at WBRE/WYOU!
They seem to think a union is supposed to cater to their needs!
WRONG! IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND!
They say people who work there nowadays have higher health costs and NO RAISES!!
Are they better off now than they were 4 years ago? I think not!
Unlike some people, I don't make myself annonymous! I'm not a coward!
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