WNEP station manager jumps to WBRE/WYOU
It seems WNEP's station manager isn't waiting to see who buys the station. Lou Abitabilo is heading to WBRE/WYOU as its new general manager, replacing former GM John Dittmeier. Broadcasting and Cable reports Dittmeier resigned, though some rumors say he was actually fired.
posted by Howard Beale at 10:42 AM
26 Comments:
Either he knows something the rest of us don't, or he'll be making the kind of money the rest of us won't.
Either way, good luck to all.
A major exec from the cash-cow WNEP jumps ship to the perennial sinking-ship of Nexstar ?
WHOA !
Dittmeier was fired, FIRED. Escorted from the building, dropped in the parking lot, and told to get lost. Who in hell ever said he resigned? That's a new one...
And who in f*** is Lou Abitabilo? There's an unknown name in this market if there ever was one.
I wouldn't call him a nobody as much as a quiet somebody. Prior to WNEP he was with WNYW and WNBC. Not bad.
I find it staggering that execs are heading over to Nexstar from 16. There must be some kind of writing on the wall.
Lou has talent, a sense of humor and stories about his days as a police officer. He also understands news stories aren't always kind to a sponsor. For a guy from sales, that's pretty good.
I can see leaving WNEP because of the uncertainty about its future under new owners. I'm not sure why Lou would head to Nexstar in this market.
If allowed to really be in charge, employees on S. Franklin should expect morale to improve even if the ratings don't immediately follow.
I wish him well!
"I wouldn't call him a nobody as much as a quiet somebody. Prior to WNEP he was with WNYW and WNBC. Not bad.
10:37 PM"
So how the hell did he wind up working for Nexstar? How the mighty have fallen.
Mr. Dittmeier floated along for a pretty long time, as a regional guy, so nobody really had any idea what he was doing.
Once he got the big gig as GM at WBRE, it was a matter of time before everything would catch up to him.
He was the last, and I do mean last, person to see it coming. He was making phone calls to master control around midnight the day before he was canned. And yes, he was canned.
Not too much ceremony about it. It came down to a little chat, where the powers that be said they weren't happy. He had about an hour to clear out the basics of his office, the rest would be shipped, and he'd be able to tell anybody what he wanted.
Benefits covered for the rest of the year and all that good stuff, so the holidays were good for the kids.
Wonder if Santa brought Dittmeier a new job????
As for Mr. Abitabilio, he's making a very smart move if he's a family man and doesn't want to transport kids in the midst of the school year.
Sure he'll be making the bucks. But Nexstar has a way of taking it out in flesh, so don't worry, payback will be coming.
Wish him the best of luck...but if anybody can handle the challenges of this duopoly, it will probably be him.
Mr. Dittmeier floated along for a pretty long time, as a regional guy, so nobody really had any idea what he was doing.
Most of all, he didn't know what he was doing. He was easily the emptiest suit to ever sit in that office, which is saying something considering the many who were fired over the years because of total incompetence.
If Nexstar pays its GMs big bucks, as has been suggested, they could easily attract better candidates than Dittmeier, Herbster, and several others. The logical deduction would have to be that they don't pay their GMs much. I know what they pay mid-level managers, especially NDs, and it is nowhere near what it should be.
The mere fact that Abitabilio would take a position within Nexstar does not speak well of the man.
How did Channel 50 coax its new GM away from 16? You can bet it was with an incentive-laden contract that pays big bucks for big success.
And how will we measure success? Ratings? Awards? Community service?
Nah. Increased revenues and slashed costs.
Nexstar employees, look for first-come, first-served parking in the side lot (at $1.75 an hour)—$2.50 Pepsi in the vending machines—Susquehanna River water in the coolers—pay phones on the assignment desk—weekly garage sales of items left in unlocked desk drawers—10-cents-a-page copy machines for scripts—and a new bring-your-own toilet paper policy.
I’d have added empty-your-own wastebasket days, but that’s already been done on South Franklin Street, hasn’t it?
Remember, this is the place where Frank Andrews went looking for bulletin board push-pins and was told “We don’t stock them. If we did, you’d only use them.”
"Lou has talent, a sense of humor and stories about his days as a police officer. He also understands news stories aren't always kind to a sponsor. For a guy from sales, that's pretty good."
10:49 PM
Hey, if he's not a prick, what's he doing working for Nexstar?
Unless Perry saw his "prick potential." Nobody better at recruiting, hiring and training prick wanna-bes than Perry Sook.
Musical freaking chairs.
Money always talks, and I'm sure Nexstar will pay him well. But it's a sure thing they didn't "lure" him in by initiating contact. Be assured it was LOU who applied for the job and interviewed. Like Howard said, he wasn't waiting around for the sale and eventual hacking and cutting.
Maybe the writing was on the wall? Maybe he was looking for job? None of us know! We do know, he's a great guy, with a great business sense. For all you WNEP lovers (most who never worked there)please understand changes will happen at WNEP. And yes they will most likely always be #1. but let's judge the poor guy for taking another job.
"Be assured it was LOU who applied for the job and interviewed. Like Howard said, he wasn't waiting around for the sale and eventual hacking and cutting."
3:35 PM
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Then why not apply for a REAL job with a REAL TV station? Why go from eating steak to hamburger helper (without the hamburger)?
I think it must be the money. Check back through all the posts about Nexstar. My read is that no one works there who has other options.
11:37pm:
And what TV station do YOU work at ?
"And what TV station do YOU work at ?"
10:08 PM
Thankfully, none of 'em. I got out. I'm a survivor. Sort of like the Vietnam veteran I saw wearing a jacket that said "When I die, I'll go to heaven: I served my time in hell."
If anyone at WNEP or anyone in the WB/SCR market thinks that Lou went to Nexstar for more $$ or to make a career move...THEY ARE CRAZY!!!
This guy saw the writing on the wall at 16. COME ON!! You don't leave the highest rated local news station in the country, the dominant #1 in the market to go work for the #2 and #3 dumps because you want to. He knows something the rest of the staffers at 16 should seriously start to think about. NO JOB IS SAFE THERE NOW!!!!
"Equity company?". Thats a long cry from a "media company" like the NYT. Wake up 16 staffers and start getting used to the taste of the glue on the envelopes you will need to mail those tapes and resumes.
REALITY CHECK TIME!!!!
Does anyone think it might be possible that life at WNEP is not perfect for everyone working there? How wmany producers, assigntment editors, photogers have worked at Nep and then came back to the 50? I can think of a few......but they are probally all just money hungry or crazy right?
and by the way I used to work at the 50 and loved my time there.....in fact i never had a job I didn't like....I guess it is just what you make of it.
WELL ALL YOU NEXSTAR (DEATHSTAR) EMPLOYEES....THE PARTY IS OVER. MR. ABITABILO IS A GOOD LITTLE COMMY FROM THE NY TIMES REGIME, AND HE LIKED IT. HE WILL GO OVER EACH AND EVERYONES WORK RECORD AND START BOUNCING YOU ALL OUT. SDVERTISING EXECS, START PACKING. HE RUNS A TIGHT SHIP AND WILL NOT GIVE IN TO ANYONE. AS FOR THE WNEP EMPLOYEES, I WORKED FOR THE COMPANY TAKING OVER AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT LOU KNEW SOMETHING YOU DON'T..... YET. bUT YOU SOON WILL. GET READY FOR THE NEXSTAR TREATMENT. HEEEEERE IT COMES.....OUCH!!
I am an employee off on leave from WNEP, and I have to say that Lou Abitabilo is one of the fairest and most honest people I worked with at the station. He has a great sense of humor and his people skills are tremendous. I hope if I return to the local tv scene soon, I would have the chance to work for Lou again. WBRE and WYOU should look forward to the opportunity Lou will give you to return the respect both stations deserve. I worked for BRE and YOU and was never treated better by co-workers and direct managers than I was there. Good luck guys and gals and give the man a chance.
NOW IT IS TIME TO WATCH THE SNAKES ALL SLITHER OUT THE DOOR AT WNEP. THE LOW LIFES WHO COULD ONLY FEEL LIKE THEY WERE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO BY BRINGING OTHERS AROUND THEM DOWN. THE NEW YORK TIMES BREEDS CONTEMPT THERE AND I AM GLAD TO SEE THEM DO THE STALINESQUE GOOSE STEP OUT OF THE MARKET. HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE OTHERS LIKE THE ASSISTANT (LAUGH LAUGH) NEWS DIRECTOR..BY FAULT, AND DENNIS FISHERS POOR JUDGEMENT WILL GET THE BOX WALK. ALL THE CHEESE NIBBLING LITTLE RATS ARE RUNNING FOR COVER NOW, ESPECIALLY THE RATS IN THE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT WHO THINK THEIR CHEESE DOESN'T STINK....HA HA HA. BYE BYE BILLY AND ALL YOUR LITTLE RAT FRIENDS. THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN TO WATCH. IT IS LIKE A SPECTATOR SPORT FOR SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE SHI--Y END OF THEIR STICK BECAUSE WE WEREN'T PART OF THE CLIQUE. MMMMMMMM "ENJOOOOOOY ENJOOOOOY" THE GREAT TAKEOVER OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.
"IT IS LIKE A SPECTATOR SPORT FOR SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE SHI--Y END OF THEIR STICK BECAUSE WE WEREN'T PART OF THE CLIQUE. MMMMMMMM "ENJOOOOOOY ENJOOOOOY" THE GREAT TAKEOVER OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA."
3:19 AM
Shhhh. There, there. Hush now. Be still.
Caps Lock broken ?
well, it seems a fearmonger has had his say...and now let's all get back to work and compete for stories that affect folks who live and work in NEPA.
fyi..i read this blog for amusement andi'd be willing to bet that goes for many of us hard working journalists.
for you few who try to stir the pot...do what you will, change is inevitable...plain and simple
I spent some time working for Lou as well. I found him to be an honest and straight man. It's a loss for 16 and a big gain for wyou/wbre. While I'm sure money was a factor, there's bound to be more exits from Moosic before the real takeover happens.
I also know that the interview/hiring process of a GM at any station can take several months. This move did not happen overnight.
I think Lou Abitabilo should bring back Vince Sweeney
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