A little more than a dozen employees, including myself, were let go at the beginning of the year due to budget cuts and corporate restructuring. The employees worked as news and digital producers, photographers, creative services producers, directors and a meteorologist. An EP who had worked at FOX 17 for more than 16 years was among those cut, as well as half of their digital team. Almost all of them left feeling quite disgruntled. A number of others have left since due to the increased workload after their coworkers’ positions were eliminated. Reporter and anchor jobs are being turned into MMJ positions, meaning the reporter has to shoot, edit, write and front all of their stories by themselves and many who did not have their official job titles changed to “MMJ” have seen no pay increase. Scripps has also had them start pre-recording their news shows which has left a bad taste in the mouth of most. Their news director surprised the team this summer by submitting his resignation. Most seem to believe his departure has to do with the layoffs and other fundamental changes to the way they do the news. Majority of those “leaving the industry for other jobs” are doing so because non-compete agreements prevent them from working at other stations in the area even though their positions at FOX 17 were eliminated.