Phoenix anyone?

[<Westcoast>]

To get down to it, I'm surching for the current goings on in the Phoenix market. A few years ago I worked in Arizona and since then have moved east to pay the nessesary industry dues. I'd like to get back into the AZ market but don't know what's going on. What are the stations like? Rankings, news quality, staff treatment, that kind of stuff. Oh yeah, and pay scales if possible. After all, a man has to eat. Any info you can send my way would be great. Thanks.

 

[<CameraShy>]

Phoenix is in a mode of transition. Ratings wars are at an all time high. Channel 12 is still the dominate station in ratings, but it is perhaps one of the worst stations to work for in personal satisfaction and quality of life. Photographers have been part of their mass exodus mainly due to their Chief. He is one of the most disliked people on the streets out here. Channel 5 has the best photography staff and I believe the best pay. The ratings are all over the place, sometimes finishing 2nd and then next week finishing dead last. Channel 15 is kind of a joke. Their photo staff is respected though. Channel 10, the fox affiliate is poor and just plain bad. Money is not their strong suit. Channel 3, the Belo station, is perhaps one of the worst T.V. stations in the country, but they fair o.k. in the ratings. Pay here is the worst however, many of the photogs are newbies making chicken scratch. Money is so varied here. It really depends on which station and what you have to offer. ranges from 23,000 to 50,000. Good Luck.

 

[<Hmmm>]

Originally posted by <CameraShy>:
Channel 3, the Belo station, is perhaps one of the worst T.V. stations in the country, but they fair o.k. in the ratings.

If by "okay" you mean "number one for most of the time they're on the air with news," then, yeah.

 

[LE French]

Since it appears someone has an axe to grind with KPNX and it's staff, I would like to smooth the edge. There is no need to bash the other stations because there are great photographers and wonderful people at all of them, and each station in the market brings their own advantanges and flaws to the table. All of the stations are pretty evenly matched interms of resources---helicopters, sat trucks, fleets of live trucks, new cameras and adequate staffing levels.
At KPNX, what most preceive as our deepest flaw is also our biggest strength. You would be hard pressed to find a place where people work harder---we do two packages a day without exception and photographers run their own live trucks. Sounds tough, it is, but so are we. The pace we work at also creates a strong sense of team work between photographers and reporters as well as knowing we can lean on our fellow photogs for support and assistance to get the best stories on the air everyday. Unlike alot of stations the size of KPNX, we do not have that division between the "untouchables" and the grunts. All photographers do special projects, general assignments, sports, features, and pitch in when the editing staff needs a hand. We are presently moving over to an all Avid editing system and tapeless playback. As for the exodus mentioned earlier, a few years ago when KPNX went to the "news of the day" two PKG run the truck style, there was a portion of the staff who was not on board with it and left. Most moved up to larger markets---San Francisco, Houston, LA, Minneapolis. Once you work at KPNX, you can handle anything. We are an undeniable #1 at 10pm and 6pm and the 5 is a coin toss between ch. 3 and us.
Westcoast, if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at lfrench@kpnx.com.
Lynn French
Assistant Chief Photographer
KPNX-TV
www.azcentral.com

 

[<Big Unit>]

Why does ABC15 always have openings for photogs? What is the deal there? Should I avoid sending a tape?

 

[<bluesky>]

yes, stay far away from abc 15! alot of people are leaving that hell hole and moving on, thinking there should be about 5 more openings for photogs soon.

 

[<OnceUponATime>]

PHX market was the bomb. I just interviewed at a station there for the Chief job and I can tell you I was turned off big time.

From the calls I made now only two great photo staffs are in town: KPHO (CBS) and KNXV (ABC). The big nationally known shooters have all left KPNX to move across town to KNXV. Both staffs have top quality storytellers, but sadly the market is moving away from that kind of emphasis on photography. Run and Gun, Breaking News, Infotainment pieces, and countless other consultant crap.

KPHO is running out top photographers to make way for just a run and gun shop with pay in the 30k's. KNXV was heading in the write direction withi doing more people oriented stories and hiring quality photogs. I think only 3-4 now remain only after a year. Why di this happen, from my research it was just poor management all around. The chief has no clue whats going on, he's a yes man to management and only cares about the cake shoots he gets. The station would be better off putting someone with years of experience behind the helm like Julie Jones, Jim Manely, or Gannon Hubler. Said to say, they realize the goings on in the market and at their stations and I wouldn't be surprised they leave.

Yes, from what I have heard from the inside is expect alot of opennings at KNXV and KPHO because the photogs are fed up of beinging over looked, overworked, underpaid, and have great prospects on the horizons out of the market.

Don't go there if you love shooting and storytelling you'll be misserable. Do your research!

 

[<indiana>]

KPNX has to bow be the worst station. I also applied for the Asst. Chief job and I was turned off. The CP was just an arrogant mother, who thought KPNX was like it use to be although he did tell me everyone was overworked at the station.

He seemed like a total yes man, infact he wanted this position to bridge the gap from management to staff... to tell them that his hands were tied for everything. Probably a Gannett thing. The job was offered to me and I turned it down because all of the negative vibes.

LEFrench is most likely glad to be a middle-manager and is loving the title for her resume! Stay away from KPNX it's full of smoke an mirrors.

 

[<CameraShy>]

I stand by my earlier posting. It looks like others would agree.

 

[<Prickly Pear>]

Two words about KPNX: Psycho ND!
It is a "slap it together, put it on air" shop.
Just do it in 110 degree weather.

Winters are awesome

 

[<zebra_bars>]

What else can anyone tell me about the Fox in Phoenix? Since it's an O&O, it sort of surprises me to hear that the product is bad or that money is not their strong suit. Aren't O&O's pretty generous about money & resources?
The Fox O&O in Tampa, for example, has 28 photogs last I'd heard.

 

[<CameraShy>]

From what I understand, they are not fixing or purchasing any new equipment....the old stuff is pretty bad. I saw one of their live trucks and it looked like it had been patched together with bubblegum.... there wasn't even any editing equipment in it. As far as salaries go.... I just know what a few guys are making over there....and it's not pretty. Something like really low 30's. Thats tough in Phoenix.... They also do a ton of stories a day (story count). This severly limits the quality of their stories...feel free to disagree with me if anyone knows differently.........

 

[<zebra_bars>]

Originally posted by <CameraShy>:
As far as salaries go....and it's not pretty. Something like really low 30's. Thats tough in Phoenix...

Not to disagree that low 30's is not a great salary, but it's a lot higher than what I'd imagined. When people talk low salaries, I normally think low 20's. Would low 30's really be tough to live on in Phoenix, or is that just if you have a wife and kids to support? (which I don't).

 

[<onewhoknows>]

30k is low. there are sleepers at kpho and knxv who are in the 40k-50k range and they are not just vets... topnotch storytellers. i know someone who just left knxv who was making some bank. as for the stations, from an insider, they don't pay. it's just a sh%t maket, and we all are trying to get out!

 

[<gonewest>]

knxv is just f-c&!#. they got talent, the best in town, but it's all but gone. don't care if you make 40-50 it's not worth it. they can't keep good talent because they treat them like crap. i left more than a year and a half ago and it has gotten worse. they make you work doubles 2 out of your 5 days, then complain about overtime, don't let you get lunch, and when you get a quaility piece they make you edit it in 10 mins or knock it to a vosot. dosen't sound bad.

the chief just watchs his butt and none of the other photogs. the last hires have been really cheap i heard. one guy was hired fresh out of school... he broke the mast of a live truck... they kept him... and dropped a camera... still there...

but to a quaility photog who was loved by the reporters, and all of his awards... they treat him and others like crap.

beware.

 

[<sparkster>]

Originally posted by <CameraShy>:
Channel 3, the Belo station, is perhaps one of the worst T.V. stations in the country...

That's a pretty strong statement, could you elaborate on that? In what way or ways is it "one of the worst in the country?"

 

[tarzan]

Originally posted by <onewhoknows>:
30k is low. there are sleepers at kpho and knxv who are in the 40k-50k range and they are not just vets... topnotch storytellers.

What do you mean by "sleepers"?

 

[<Looking>]

This totally bits! I am looking to move to either Phoenix or San Diego, so far all of my research has been in Phoenix. I am from a lower market and would not mind a starting salary of low 30k's for starter as long as I can get closer to 40's or 50's with in a few yrs. Where I'm from we work hard and have a good team work ethic between the photogs. So far what I'm reading about Phoenix is very disapointing!

 

[<sparkster>]

Can someone elaborate on why Channel 3 was described as "one of the worst stations in the country?"

 

[<Looking>]

All I can think of is my experience with them. I had been talking to the chief there to go check out the station, I kept in contact with him, the few days before he never responded to my messages and when I got there he basically blew me off so I took them off my list. Part of my job is watching some of the Phoenix news and I can tell ya that some of the morning lives that I have seen from 3TV are not well planned, I saw the photog's shadow one time, another time I saw live shot where the background was a white van, the reporter who was african american you could only see her eyes and teeth, and the interview who was fair skinned looked black. I was surprised since they are market 16 and I am at market 172.
I checked out channel 5, KPHO, they chief there was very coureous and was appolojetic that he did not have more time to show me around. I watched him cut a package then he gave me a small tour, then he had to go to a live shot.