Former Nashville Anchor Files Federal Lawsuit Against WSMV’s Parent Company

By Stephanie Tsoflias Siegel 

Accusations of public humiliation in the newsroom, age discrimination and an abrupt and unexpected firing. These are just some of the allegations listed in a federal lawsuit filed by former WSMV anchor Demetria Kalodimos against the station’s parent company, Meredith Local Media Group.

According to a story in the Tennessean, the longtime Nashville, Tenn. anchor described the working environment as hostile and one that favored men and young female talent.

“Channel 4 and Meredith have a culture of discarding women once they reach a certain age, as if women have some expiration date,” her attorney Kenny Byrd of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein said in a statement to the paper.

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Kalodimos, who was 58 when she was let go, says she had a controversial split with the station on Jan. 1. She alleges she got a letter on her desk, which said she was fired.

The station has gone on record saying Kalodimos didn’t give a timely response to its offer of a contract extension. She says the offer wasn’t serious.

You can read more about the allegations and the lawsuit here. The station’s general manager did not respond to a request for comment.

Meredith Local Media Group has released the following statement to TVSpy: “Meredith and WSMV-TV strongly disagree with these allegations. We will vigorously defend ourselves against them.”

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