Cuts Go Down at NBC News Channel

We have heard from a number of people about cuts that continue to go down at NBC News Channel in Charlotte.

Sources tell FTVLive that there are only about a dozen people left in a newsroom that at one point in time held nearly 200 people.

Steve Swicegood has worked at NBC News Channel for years and was very good at his job. Now, he is just one of many that has been told his services are not longer needed.

He sent out a goodbye email to many of the stations he worked with in the MidAtlantic Region. FTVLive obtained a copy of that email:

I know you all are busy with weather, but I wanted to say thank you and goodbye.

 Most of you have heard NBC News Channel is reducing  services starting tomorrow…. That means 2/3 of our staff, including me, has been laid off.

 I’ve tried my best to look out for my stations—to protect you from the network craziness as much as possible.  I realize you have a job to do, and my goal was to let you do your job, while also trying to satisfy the network machine.      

 I beg all of you to keep working to inform the audience.   It’s a hard line to walk at times—you must give the audience what it wants AND what it needs.   Society needs real journalists to shine the light, to expose corruption, to be a watchdog… so I ask you to keep up the mission.

 It was a pleasure and an honor to work with you.

 Steve Swicegood
FORMERLY, NBC News Producer - MidAtlantic Region