He should have never gotten the job in the first place and now WIVB News Director  Joe Schlaerth has been pink slipped from the station.

 Schlaerth was sacked this morning and insiders say the newsroom is already a much happier place because of it. 

The Buffalo News says that indeed, it was more surprising that he lasted this long running the news department of the LIN station.

About a year ago when Rene LaSpina was named as Channel 4's new general manager, she apparently decided to give Schlaerth a year to illustrate he should stay on the job and possibly improve his management skills and the station's ratings.

LaSpina could not be immediately reached for comment. Word is she told the staff that Schlaerth had been "removed" rather than use the word fired.

In an attempt to contact Schlaerth in the news department, I was told that he no longer works at the station.

According to sources, the new interim news director is Peter Jacobus, who most recently worked as a news director in Colorado Springs.