LA Anchor Sues Station After Dismissal
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Back in May, FTVLive told you that KCBS had cut Anchors Jeff Michael and Sharon Tay, along with Weatherman Garth Kemp.
But, it appears the station has not heard the last from Michael.
The former main Anchor has sued the station, claiming that KCBS breached his contract and discriminated against him based on health issues.
Michael was hired as a morning news anchor at $260,000 a year, with an increase to $275,000 in the third and final year of the contract.
He was promoted from the morning show to the main newscasts and he claims that if that happened his contract would be renegotiated. He says that never happened.
Michael claims that when he approached KCBS GM Steve Mauldin in January 2019 about the renegotiation, he allegedly was told to wait until after sweeps were completed. But Mauldin later announced he would be leaving the station and thus had no authority to renegotiate.
The stress of the situation saw Michael making an emergency visit to Huntington Hospital in April 2019 because of heart problems. He stayed there overnight for observation.
After that incident, KCBS hired Jay Howell as the new GM and Micheal claims that Howell refused a new agreement, according to the suit. It claimed Howell refused because of the Michael health problem.
“Because Plaintiff did not enjoy the benefit of a renegotiated Agreement (which would have extended the term of his employment), Plaintiff was thereafter callously discarded by CBS, and his employment terminated in May 2020 — despite having continued to work to inform the public during the COVID crisis, at great risk to his life and personal safety,” the suit states.
H/T Deadline
