St. Louis News Director to Leave
Longtime KSDK (St. Louis) News Director Mike Shipley told his staff today that he will be leaving the station.
Shipley told news staff in a meeting that he planed on staying at the station until his replacement is hired.
Shipley began at KSDK in the early 1980s as an assignment desk worker. He rose to newsroom operations manager, assistant news director and then news director by 2000.
After a years-long run of being the top local station for newscasts, KSDK has slipped in the ratings, being passed at times by KMOV and KTVI.
"He had a No. 1 legacy station here, and he let it slip," said one source in local television.
This year, the station's news operation has caused controversy in St. Louis.
In January, the station apologized for one of its news crews causing a lockdown at Kirkwood High School. In that incident, it was unclear if a station employee identified himself as a journalist after entering the building.
In mid-August, the station again apologized, this time for airing video on one newscast that showed the home of Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who on Aug. 9 shot teen Michael Brown.
The station is not commenting on Shipley leaving.
Because, you know...the communications business.