“I knew I would leave at some point this year,” veteran reporter-anchor Mylous Hairston told The Buffalo News about his abrupt departure last week from WIVB. “I just decided now is the time. We talked about it on Wednesday and finalized it on Thursday. It came together quickly. I’ve been looking to do something different. I have nothing lined up.”
Hairston, who is the president of the station’s chapter of AFTRA, departed WIVB amid heated labor negotiations with the station’s parent company LIN Media. He had been with the station for over 20 years.
A key issue in the ongoing labor discussions is the requirement that reporters learn to shoot and edit their own video.
“These are tough times all over in the media field,” said Hairston. “It’s just very tough. As more work is piled on, people are struggling at times to maintain the quality. It’s more challenging than it’s ever been.”