WIS has responded to viewer backlash after anchor Ben Hoover revealed he was leaving the Columbia, SC, NBC affiliate because his contract wasn’t renewed.
Thursday night, Hoover told viewers on facebook the station’s decision not to renew his contract caught him by surprise.
According to Columbia paper The State, Hoover was absent from Friday’s broadcast.
Reaction to the news flowed quickly in comments to his posting with praise of his work and condemnation of management’s decision. By Friday evening a protest to coincide with the station’s 10:30 broadcast had been organized.
The station posted a response both on its website and its facebook page Sunday night thanking viewers for their concern but saying, “During the last several days much has been posted on social media about Ben Hoover’s departure from WIS news, much of it erroneous,” read the statement. “However, we simply cannot engage in a public conversation regarding details of Ben’s departure from WIS TV. It is a private personnel matter.” You can read the entire statement after the jump.
Here’s the WIS statement about Hoover’s departure.
“During the last several days much has been posted on social media about Ben Hoover’s departure from WIS news, much of it erroneous.
However, we simply cannot engage in a public conversation regarding details of Ben’s departure from WIS TV. It is a private personnel matter.
We sincerely thank Ben for his service to the station and the community and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
We also want to thank our viewers for their concerns and comments regarding this matter.
We can assure you that WIS remains fully committed to the excellence you have come to expect from this television station over the last 60 years.”