KSL Salt Lake City is getting rid of its on-air editorials, meaning veteran newsman Con Psarras, KSL vice president for editorials and special projects, will no longer be a fulltime employee at the station, reports Salt Lake Tribune. Psarras will contribute to the station as an independent contractor.
In a memo to employees, Mark Willes, president and CEO of KSL parent Deseret Management Corp., announced, "While it is important for KSL to have a vehicle to express editorial opinions, I have concluded that these opinions are most effective when there are clear issues of great importance to the community which KSL needs to address. Therefore, we will no longer produce regular weekly editorials."
The Tribune called it an end of an era at KSL, which has broadcast weekly editorials for nearly 50 years.
Psarras is a respected broadcast journalist with 22 years in the market, at KUTV, KTVX and KSL. He took over his new title in January.
NBC affiliate KSL ruled the local ratings scene for years, but has lost significant ground, with CBS affiliate KUTV -- which Sinclair recently agreed to buy in its acquisition of Four Points Media -- grabbing ratings and revenue.
