WCCO's Paul Douglas is latest victim of CBS layoffs

[LaStrega]

WCCO's Paul Douglas is latest victim of CBS layoffs

Paul Douglas, WCCO's longtime weatherman, was released today from the station as part of a nationwide CBS purge, a wide-ranging and dramatic response to dwindling ad revenue and viewership.

Douglas, who also serves as a Star Tribune columnist, joins at least five WCCO employees, including weekend anchor John Reger, who were told their services were no longer needed as the CBS corporation reacts to a sluggish economy and stiff competition from the Internet.

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[Deja Q]

1. Video killed the radio star.

:(

Broadband killed the video star...

Trouble is, when will it be impossible to do the same routine in order to keep up profit margins and stock values? The two are not mutually compatible.

[CatholicEdHead]

2. This will hurt WCCO in the long run

The Paul Magers effect is still in the Cities. People like local newscasters. Douglas fit in with that. CBS is penny wise and pound foolish here.

I saw it when it came out at the Strib website and there was lots of knocking Paul and Don Shelby, mostly for their discussions during Shelby's WCCO Radio show. I guess they feel that WCCO (and all talk stations) should be like KTLK or WWTC. They were mostly attacking Shelby's and Douglas' discussions on Global Warming.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. I was at a social gathering today and overheard a bunch of people

talking about how angry they were at WCCO.

Once again I see how emotionally invested audiences get in local news personalities. The first time I saw this carried to ridiculous lengths was when a friend of my grandmother went on and on about which newscaster's suits fit properly.

Try to get people interested in how the Bushies are ruining the country, and you get a big yawn. Let a local news celeb get fired or married or injured, and it's all people can talk about.

[dflprincess]

5. But it also demonstrates how out of touch the corporate media is

They can't figure out that they're losing viewers to the internet because people are looking for real news. CBS rather than actually changing what they're doing, has started axing some of the higher priced local talent. So, having already lost the new junkies, they're now going to lose the audience members who can't trust anyone but Paul Douglas to give them the weather - and that will carry over from channel 4's 5 o'clock show to the CBS Eveining news at 5:30. And I think the article in the Strib said they dumped long time anchors in Chicago and San Francisco. The people running CBS these days must be brain dead.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Right on.

One of the second-stringers will replace Douglas, but people get attached to their weather people and will stop watching. I've thought WCCO news sucked ass for a long time now, but when the weather went nuts I'd watch them because they had the best weather coverage, and I'd guess a lot of other people did the same. So now instead of watching the obscure newbie they'll go over to KSTP (which also sucks ass) to watch whatshisface, the blond weather guy.

Definitely a dumb move by CBS.

[loveable liberal]

3. and maybe they should just go back to reporting news....

Instead of being tied to entertainment profits. These owners are not only greedy, they are stupid. News as entertainment, thats phoqued up.

[CubFan7125]

7. I'd Rather Watch Belinda

She's a helluva lot easier on the eyes than Kruppendorfer was. This isn't a real loss. I'm surprised anyone watches CBS news.

[pengillian101]

8. Snow - WCCO's Paul Douglas

I'm guessing he didn't predict the 2 feet of new snow in northen MN we rec'd overnight. LOL.

[csorman]

9. Paul Douglas came to my elementary school

in Marine on St. Croix in the mid 80's, right when he started out. I must have been 9 or 10. He made a presentation to our Friday assembly about the basics of weather. He was funny and engaging, and really made the kids take an interest in what he was talking about. He never lost that talent to engage people, and he will be sorely missed.

Remember a couple of years ago when Al Gore came to St. Paul to give his global warming presentation? Paul Douglas was there. I believe Shelby was, too.

I guess I'll go with Sven now.

[LuckyLib]

10. Even when folks have given up on the local info-tainment news, they'll check in with the weather.

Paul Douglas was masterful at making the weather report clear, comprehensible, and useful. Very few folks do it well. Whole heaps of folks will shift to Channel 11.

[dpbrown]

12. I already have

They never should have let Paul go.

[Spirit of 67]

11. Paul Douglas was the only reason I watched the local CBS news at all.

They should have kept him and replaced Don Shelby IMO.

[Owl]

13. I definitely second that!