Alan Pergament: Heather Ly's Channel 2 exit illustrates the changing climate of TV news salaries (2024)

It is time to offer my 2 cents on the decision of former WGRZ-TV (Channel 2) anchor-reporter Heather Ly to decline the salary offer to become the anchor of the 4 p.m. program “Most Buffalo” after spending 17 years at the station.

I sympathize with Ly, a high-quality anchor-reporter who is well liked inside and outside the station.

I also admire her guts. Not everyone would stand up for what they believe is their worth.

Unfortunately for Ly, it was the wrong time in the local or national broadcast industry to take a strong stand and effectively say “show me the money.”

Like all media businesses, local TV news just isn’t what it used to be.

A look at the recent local Nielsen ratings for the February sweeps illustrates the audience declines in the last five years.

This February, the three local news stations – WGRZ, WIVB-TV (Channel 4) and WKBW-TV (Channel 7) – had a combined 11.6 Nielsen ratings points at 5 p.m., down from 18.6 in February of 2019.

At 5:30 p.m., the three newscasts had a combined 12.5 points, down from 19.7 in 2019. At 6 p.m., the three newscasts had a combined 19.9 points, down from 27.2. And at 11 p.m., the three had a combined 9.6 points, down from 15.1.

A rating point equals 6,375 households here, which is higher than it was worth in 2019. But that doesn’t account for the more than 30% ratings decline.

“Most Buffalo” averaged a 2.9 rating in February, down from a 3.9 a year earlier. The drop was in the first sweeps period since Kate Welshofer and popular weather anchor Maria Genero left the program.

Welshofer shared her salary with Ly, who said she was offered about half of what her good friend was making to assume the role.

Ly shouldn’t have expected to make what Welshofer was making. “Most Buffalo” was created for Welshofer, who quickly became an extremely popular personality upon her arrival six years ago.

It was carried at 4 p.m., where Ellen DeGeneres’ syndicated talk show had run. That enabled Channel 2 to sell more advertising in a show it controlled.

Ly said she and the station’s general manager, Mark Manders, were about $30,000 apart.

I don’t know what the offer was. A compromise should have been reached to keep Ly.

Channel 2 clearly had a backup plan for the position, which was advertised on its website as paying $80,000 a year. It ended up giving the job to another staff member, Lauren Hall, who it is now showcasing in promos.

Since Ly was initially offered the job after the station held focus groups, it is clear she was the No. 1 choice. Channel 2 appears to have decided to go with Hall because she fits its salary cap.

It is taking somewhat of a risk in believing whatever it is saving by not giving its top choice the job won’t result in lower ratings – and therefore lower advertising revenue.

How big a risk it is most likely would have been revealed in the focus group testing.

The other risk is the perception that Channel 2 news is in decline after Ly joined a trio of popular personalities – Michael Wooten, Welshofer and Genero – and several behind-the-scenes personnel who also have left.

Each left for different reasons. Wooten declined a contract offer with a raise and was abruptly told to leave after sharing the frustrations of several co-workers about the number of openings in the news department that hadn’t been filled and put increasing stress on the remaining workers.

The move came a day after Channel 2’s signature “Town Hall” 5:30 p.m. program anchored by Wooten that was devoted to key issues surrounding Western New York was changed to a regular newscast. He now anchors a 5:30 p.m. program on WKBW-TV (Channel 7) similar to Channel 2’s “Town Hall.”

Welshofer said she “finally got to a point where I thought, it is never going to be quite the right fit.” Genero was tired of doing multiple daily weather segments.

Another indication that salaries for top positions in local news in Buffalo are declining was revealed when Channel 2’s sports director Adam Benigni dropped his weekday anchor duties. He has remained the host of “Sports Talk Live,” the weekly show he co-created.

Channel 2 has been advertising for a sports director at a salary between $75,000-$80,000 for someone who ideally would have 10 years of experience. In the past, that position commanded a six-figure salary.

But TV sports anchor salaries have declined across the nation.

That’s partially because sports coverage has diminished to a few minutes in a newscast and most of the time in Buffalo it involves covering the Bills and Sabres. There is precious little time for high school and college sports on a nightly basis.

With reduced importance comes reduced salaries and a drop in the expertise that used to be offered by Van Miller, John Murphy, Rick Azar and Ed Kilgore.

Channel 2 has kept Benigni, the dean of local sportscasters, on call for his expertise when big stories like the recent Sabres trades and the free agent Bills losses and gains. It also uses Vic Carucci as its Bills expert and Paul Hamilton as its Sabres expert.

Channel 2 also is advertising for a meteorologist at a salary between $90,000-$100,000. It has been advertising for one since Elyse Smith left, but there is a more immediate need with Genero gone.

Once again, that salary is much lower – perhaps 50% lower – than top-tier meteorologists used to get in this market.

Yes, it is important to stand up for what you believe you are worth. But it is just as important in the news business these days to know which way the wind is blowing in a field where the climate is rapidly changing.