This is Why I Left

Yesterday, FTVLive told you that WGCL (Atlanta) Reporter Astrid Martinez was leaving the troubled Meredith station after 5 years.

As to why she is leaving, Martinez looked squarely at Meredith's management.

Martinez said she doesn’t leave with bad feelings and doesn’t blame current top management, which arrived in February, noting this is more of an ongoing issue with the parent company (Meredith). But she did note that “in the last month, two other people of color left... I think it speaks volumes.”

“I just don’t think the vision I have for my career aligns with the station’s vision for me,” she added.

Martinez tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she asked management to do some fill-in anchoring. They turned her down, saying she was great a live reporting. “I’m seeing newer employees get these opportunities,” she said. “It’s a bit disheartening because I’ve done a great job building visibility for our station in the Latino community and accomplished so much in just 5 years.” She felt the renewal offer “didn’t reflect this and gave me no opportunity for personal or professional growth.”

“Astrid didn’t mince words about why she’s leaving CBS46. Good for her on calling out management and corporate for the BS,” said a former station employee to FTVLive, “It’s refreshingly honest.”

Martinez says that current station management has been complimentary of her work, but, she adds compliments “don’t pay the bills. I took a pay cut in the summer. We all did. Got tear-gassed covering the protests while exposing myself to the pandemic.”

Martinez is said to have another job lined up, but has not said where?

We’ll go out on a limb here and say that it is not at another Meredith station.