News12 New Jersey general manager Jacques Natz is out at the Altice owned cable news network after allegations of toxic leadership surfaced at the station last month.
A News12 spokesperson confirmed with TVSpy that Natz is “no longer general manager of News 12; staff was informed yesterday of his departure.”
Keith Bowen, president of Altice News & Advertising, will lead News 12’s editorial and operations teams.
The spokesperson also told us that “News 12 remains committed to serving communities across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with the highest standard in hyperlocal news, sharing the stories that matter most to its viewers through its award-winning news content every day.”
No reason for Natz’s firing was given; though, sources told TVNewsCheck last month, “Jacques Natz and assistant gm Audrey Gruber are ruining News 12 New Jersey.”
Natz had been accused of micromanaging staff, leading to five members of the editorial staff resigning earlier this summer. Other complaints against him included “a rigidity of scheduling that put undue burden on workers and their families, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a general lack of compassion on his part toward employees.”
After Altice launched an investigation into the allegations when they surfaced, Bowen told staff that he takes the allegations in the article “very seriously,” and added, “We strive to create a work environment and culture built on excellence and respect, and maintaining that is absolutely critical to the continued success of the network and our people.”