On February 4, 2009, more than 100 employees of Bloomberg Radio and TV were laid off. While that’s part of the business, especially as the economy went from bad to worse, at the Mayor’s financial media empire, Bloomberg LP, it was unimaginable. Just do the math—28 years in business, no layoffs until that fateful day.

Last August, FishbowlNY spoke exclusively with veteran anchor Mike Schneider, who along with his staff, saw firsthand the ball rolling the night before.

Dozens were let go, but there were a select few that would find their voice again, working in New York radio and on the national scene. Longtime news anchor Mitch Lebe, at Bloomberg Radio (WBBR) through much of the last decade, is back on the air. He’s doing part-time anchoring on WABC-AM for Metro Networks and Westwood One.     

But this focus is on the names you don’t see on TV or hear on your radio. This is a cross-section of some behind the scenes staffers who had to deal with the Bloomberg debacle, and how they’ve recovered, or attempted to, in the ensuing two years. 

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Bloomberg TV started Surveillance Midday today. It will run weekday from noon to 1 p.m. with venerable Bloomberg show host Tom Keene.

The branding of surveillance is used on radio as well. Keene and Ken Prewitt co-host Bloomberg Surveillance daily from 7 to 10 a.m. on WBBR 1130 in New York.

Keene, the Bloomberg News editor-at-large, had also hosted Bloomberg On the Economy on WBBR. That is now co-anchored by Sara Eisen and Mike McKee mornings from 11 to noon.  

TVNewser has more on the Bloomberg schedule changes