Let’s see which FTVLive stories have you talking…

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Scott,

You are 100 correct.

I agree that mass layoffs are coming in a way I don't think many realize. What will the business model look like? Where will journalists go to practice their craft?

For instance, more centralized weather services will emerge in communities only on a bigger scale. Much like central traffic services exist now like TTN (Total Traffic and Weather Network)

In fact, TTN might get bigger and stronger. I never rely on traffic from my local stations. It's slow and useless. They only show me meaningless videos of a road with a crash or their helicopter.

A description and map of traffic...what is blocked or closed and what is not... is what commuters need. Plus, TTN, even Google Maps (traffic) delivers that in 5 seconds. Who needs local station traffic? NO ONE.

So could centralized weather platforms take off, and hire Mets who deliver forecasts? The Weather Channel does that now. Could this model change a little and become the PRIME weather content for local communities? Could. IT MAY be that local mets vanish with their stations and end up at these platforms, which will take advantage of the layoff disaster that will hit as you have predicted.

So if stations begin to falter, the key here is advertisers will be FORCED to move dollars to digital faster than they are now. Much faster. When stations truly begin to dissolve, that's when agencies, media buyers, and local businesses will be forced to reach audiences on digital platforms, with bigger money than they are now, because over-the-air broadcast will become the secondary choice while digital will become the "A" choice. We're not there yet.

I believe what we are witnessing is the transition from one to another. This is why streaming outlets are trying new ways to deliver content and new ways to make money to see what may "stick". Peacock streaming NFL games is a great example of this. Will it piss viewers off? Of course.

So where will journalists go and how will they deliver content and what will that content be? Perhaps something good....example... New Platforms will emerge to deliver content. With the ability to track what is consumed and what is not with hyper accuracy, only those who can deliver quality, and relevant content will survive, and those who can't will be weeded out only to go dancing elsewhere. The "I wanna be on TV folks" will have to find jobs elsewhere more suited for them.

Digital MAY truly weed out the useless "I wanna be on TV" types in our business like the "Caroline Collins" of our world and allow real journalists to find their footing again when the dust settles.

Here's one for ya.....AMAZON might get into the news business. They could ...could... deliver hyper-local information, weather and sports as part of their prime packages. MAYBE? They sure know how to command a digital space, like them or not. Might they find a partnership with Scripps Newsy....I'll bet those experiments happen before long.

IF digital-savvy savy retailers understand digital delivery and algorithms, they deliver anything they want right now....from products, music and stuff to watch...why not stuff to watch like... news and information? Not saying it's true, but it's possible.

Are we heading for mass layoffs? Absolutely. Sorry for the long read.

Another news Director weighs in on conducting job interviews.

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Hey Scott,

When I was an ND, I had about a half dozen parents come with their children for interviews. I think of the six, five took jobs with me and the sixth took a sports job elsewhere. I just didn’t have one to give.

Most ND’s that have had it happen to them found it odd, I used it to my advantage, telling them what could be expected when working for me and providing them with the info about the station and community they probably wouldn’t hear otherwise.

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Scott,

You can put me in the camp that wants you to return to YouTube and start posting content.

I’m sure it’s hard to find the time, but I really enjoy the peek behind the scenes at the bunker.