Under New Owner, WLNE Issues Round of Layoffs

There has been a significant round of layoffs at Providence’s WLNE, the financially troubled ABC-affiliate that was recently acquired by Citadel Communications.

TVSpy has heard from multiple sources that as many as nine staffers were sent packing on Friday and Saturday, including chief engineer Jim Brown and  assignment editor Neil Remiesiewicz. Station management has yet to return several phone calls from TVSpy seeking comment.

Two photographers as well as a handful of production staff were also victims of the station’s Tax Day belt tightening.

Earlier this month, WLNE announced that vice president and general manager Steve Doerr would soon vacate his post. After a judge approved the sale of WLNE, Citadel’s Phil Lombardo said,  “We’ll tell them our philosophy and compare it to what their philosophy is, and hopefully get a gameplan together that works for everybody.”

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