County police officers join IBEW 4 boycott of Channel 5
Blast station’s putting officer’s life, family in jeopardy
The public boycott of KSDK Channel 5 got a major boost last week as the St. Louis County Police Officers Association (SLCPA) joined IBEW Local 4’s boycott of the station as ratings continue to plummet.
Fairness and integrity are at the heart of both unions’ boycotts:
• ‘Journalistic integrity’ of the station is challenged by the Police Officers Association over the station’s live report on the Ferguson crisis in front of the home of the involved police officer on the same day the officer’s name was released.
“KSDK Channel 5 sunk to an all time low. They not only put Officer Wilson’s life, family, and property in danger, they disrupted and threatened an entire neighborhood,” said infuriated SLCPA President Gabe Crocker.
• Human decency and fairness of Channel 5 is challenged by IBEW Local 4 because of their efforts to try to destroy the lives of the station’s veteran engineers by wanting to assign their highly skilled work to anyone at any time totally disregarding the veteran engineers’ dedication and loyalty to the station.
“Our members took a wage cut in 2009 when owner Gannett said they faced a fiscal crisis, and they have not had a raise since. Then they purchase Belo Broadcasting for over $2 Billion. Now they tell our members, who made the sacrifice to help them, that they want to let anyone do their jobs and pay the scabs the lowest salaries they can get away with,” said Local 4 Business Manager Mike Pendergast.
TURN OFF ‘DEVIANT’ CHANNEL 5
Pendergast and Crocker urge Labor Tribune readers to TURN OFF CHANNEL 5 and continue the boycott to send Channel 5 Station Manager Marv Danielski a clear message: This kind of treatment of their employees and a lack of professional decisions in the newsroom will not be tolerated by this community.
SLCPA’s Crocker took the boycott to another level urging advertisers who support law enforcement to withdraw their ads from the station.
“I encourage every citizen, every law enforcement supporter, and every individual who has enough wherewithal to realize just how deviant and disgusting KSDK’s news department has acted in this matter to “TURN OFF KSDK”, delete any downloaded KSDK Apps, and send letters to any business that advertises with KSDK.”
“In light of the debacle at the Kirkwood school building and the blatant disregard for P.O. Darren Wilson’s safety, I think it’s pretty safe to say that KSDK’s reporting is not even befitting of a supermarket tabloid,” Crocker said.
“Whoever is running that news organization is apparently living out where the busses don’t run. It’s disgusting, sensationalized journalism and if it was in paper form, I wouldn’t use it in the bathroom.”
DISDAIN FOR ITS WORKERS
Local 4’s Pendergast again blasted the station’s obvious disdain for its own workers, who have worked hard to help the station and the highly profitable Gannet Corporation with pay cuts, only to be “rewarded” with efforts to kill their jobs.
“This is both inhumane and corrupt management at the highest levels,” Pendergast said. “That disdain is again clearly shown when the station puts a police officer’s life, and the lives of his entire family, in danger by giving out his address in a highly emotional, explosive situation that is Ferguson.”
CONTACT CHANNEL 5
Readers are urged express their displeasure by contacting Station Manager Marv Danielski at:
• Office: 314-444-5271
• Mobile: 314-452-6471
• Email: mdanielski@ksdk.com
• Standard mail: KSDK-TV, 1000 Market Street, St. Louis, MO, 63101.
Tell Danielski you’re turning off Channel 5, and tell him why. And encourage all your friends and neighbors to do the same.
4 Comments
Dear Marv, I’m quite disappointed with the extremely biased news coverage of the Ferguson trouble. Not just Channel Five but most news media has taken a guilty until proven innocent position against the police officer before all the facts are released.
I’ve canceled the Post Dispatch and now I’ll boycott Channel 5.
You have stooped to a new low by filming in front of the officer’s home.
Bye Channel Five,
Robert
The airing of Officer Wilson’s address endangered him as well as his neighbors. And, they’ve made bad decisions in the past (pranking high schools about invasions, etc.). These, along with their treatment of their workers, is disheartening. No more channel 5 for me.
I believe Channel 5’s parent company is bringing in so many newbies because, in part, they are paid far less than experienced reporters. That’s not the fault of the station manager, I hope, but as female reporters go out on maternity leave, others must cover their slots. There must be at least 6 or 7. And I do agree that the showing of the officer’s house and address was a very poor decision that put not only him and his family, but the whole neighborhood in jeopardy. The apology was a little too late, I’m afraid.
The story about how this news station endangered Officer Wilson, his family and the entire neighborhood is now listed on the Support Officer Wilson facebook. You now have 78,000 people joining in the rebuttal.