Denver Anchor Announces She's Leaving
/
Yesterday, FTVLive posted a story titled, "TEGNA TO PUSH OUT LONGTIME DENVER ANCHOR?" it said that longtime Denver Anchor an FTVLive favorite (yes, she's still a favorite) Adele Arakawa was leaving KUSA in Denver.
Arakawa has been at KUSA since 1993, she has anchored the weekday evening newscasts at KUSA for nearly 18 years.
Sources told FTVLive that Arakawa, like many longtime Tegna staffers was being "urged" to make her current contract her last contract.
After FTVLive posted the story yesterday morning, Arakawa went on the evening news to announce that she was in fact leaving.
So, she confirmed what FTVLive FIRST and EXCLUSIVELY reported.
But, Arakawa took issue with the fact that she was in anyway pushed towards the exit.
You see, almost all TV Anchors have huge egos and if you even suggest that they are maybe not leaving on their own accord, they get real testy.
How many times have you seen an Anchor post about themselves leaving the station and almost in the first line, they write it was, "completely their idea" or, "the station made me an offer to stay"?
Arakawa went this route as well, of course she never mentioned if the offer was for more money or a pay cut? She also never mentioned if she was also offered anything to walk away?
FTVLive stands behind our story and obviously, the fact that we reported that Arakawa was leaving the station and she did indeed confirmed that, let's you know that we posted some news, that the station was not ready to make public.
After FTVLive's story, the suits inside Tegna were trying to figure out what to do? Station management wanted Arakawa to make the announcement that she was leaving in the Feb. book, when it would count. Not just before the holidays, when viewership is low.
A number of meetings were held to discuss what to do? How should the station and Arakawa handle it?
There was talk about denying the story, but Tegna suits knew that if did and Arakawa signed off a few months later, it would not look good for them.
So, as much as they didn't want to, KUSA pushed up the story and Arakawa went on the air to try and diss FTVLive and announce that she was (as we reported) leaving the station.
Arakawa called FTVLive, "fake news" while in fact confirming that she was leaving as we reported. Westword has an interesting take on Arakawa calling FTVLive's report "fake news".
You guys know the history of FTVLive and our track record.
You also know the track record of Tegna as a company. You know the stories that FTVLive has broken again and again and again and again and again and again and again about Tegna stations.
Here is Arakawa's announcement she made last night and her diss of FTVLive:
