

And contract negotiations, always fraught, have become even more challenging, they say. The station had layoffs in March, part of Sinclair’s corporate reductions.

Staffers are currently working under a Sinclair-wide pay freeze. But privately, NBC 10 staffers past and present say things have gotten worse recently. No current or former staffer would speak on the record for fear of harming their careers. Low pay, long hours, lousy assignments, the feeling that a vast underclass of young staffers are just replaceable cogs in an infernal machine - these were problems in 2021, just as they had been in decades past. To be sure, working in the media can be a grind. We wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors.” We thank Kelly for her dedication to WJAR and her commitment to keeping our viewers informed with critical weather updates throughout the years. Kelly ultimately decided it was time to move on and elected not to renew her contract with us. Vic Vetters, the vice president and general manager of the station that goes by the call letters WJAR but is mostly known locally as Channel 10, said in an emailed statement: “The WJAR team is saddened that meteorologist Kelly Bates is leaving the station after nearly 17 great years together. And (Bates) wanted to be treated fairly.” “But at some point, people have to be able to pay their bills. Newsweek contacted a representative for WJAR-10 for comment.“People at the station love to work there,” said Fischer, whose union includes two units and represents both on-air and off-air workers. The petition had garnered 8,638 signatures at the time of publication. Since the news broke, a petition entitled "Bring Back Kelly Bates" has been launched by fans, demanding Bates' reinstatement at WJAR. In a TikTok video, which has been viewed almost 1 million times, Bates was seen struggling to hold back her tears as she spoke of her departure from WJAR.


I have hope for the next generation of ladies in weather." She went on: "I was answering the question above of me getting a job at another station, and knowing what I do about this business, there is no station who would hire me. Sad and wrong, but fact.I have hope for the next generation of ladies in weather.- Kelly Bates September 7, 2021 I was answering the question above of me getting a job at another station, and knowing what I do about this business, there is no station who would hire me. We wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors." "We thank Kelly for her dedication to WJAR and her commitment to keeping our viewers informed with critical weather updates throughout the years. "Kelly ultimately decided it was time to move on and elected not to renew her contract with us. "The WJAR team is saddened that meteorologist Kelly Bates is leaving the station after nearly 17 great years together," Vetters said in a statement. WJAR general manager Vic Vetters had previously told Go Local that Bates was no longer in the station's employment because she'd turned down a new contract. The Boston Globe reported that the latest contract offer proved unattractive in the end for Bates, as it included the continuation of reduced hours with fewer opportunities for overtime and a "modest" pay rise. Sorry I can’t do this thank you video without crying.
