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To the Slaughter

Is Ben Tracy leaving WCCO? Good Question!

by Deborah Rybak
posted on Oct. 30, 2007 - 2:51pm

Short answer: yes. This is one of the least surprising announcements in local TV circles, as Tracy's departure was widely anticipated in the wake of his close friend Jeff Kiernan's departure as 'CCO news director. It was just a question of whether he'd follow Kiernan, or jump up to network news.

Here's General Manager Susan Adams Loyd's memo to staff (which feels more informal than the press release):

In just a few minutes, you will be getting a copy of a press release regarding Ben Tracy, and I wanted to give you a few minutes heads-up about some news related to him. Ben will be joining CBS News in January as a network correspondent where he will report for the CBS Early Show and the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and will be based out of Los Angeles.

Of course we will miss Ben very much, but I hope you feel like I do in that this is a great opportunity for him. He is an example of the kind of talented people that work here at WCCO. I am not surprised when other big stations and the networks call upon our folks for that next step. He is hard worker, and the caliber of his reporting has been recognized by our viewers over his tenure. Fortunately, because Ben will be with CBS, they will continue to enjoy his work.

 

Ben has agreed to stay through the November book and into December, his last day being December 16. Although the process has not been initiated yet to find Ben's replacement, we do plan at this time to continue Good Question in some format and fashion.

27 Reader Comments

Matt Bartel (not verified)03:07pm
Nov 1
[The following comments are copied from the old site.] "Star Tribune editorial writer is new communications director for Klobuchar" So why is this news? He has been working for her for a years anyway! LAMBERT: Sarcasm withstanding, the exodus of former Strib govt. reporters to lefty think tanks and causes is tossing fuel to the trolls. ~Posted by: Anonymous Pamphleteer at October 30, 2007 07:30 PM So CBS has decided to adopt young Ben and do news for the Jaywalking crowd. He's a real Eric Sevareid, that one. Why do gas prices go up? Supply and demand! How much should you pay your babysitter? I don't know, but this story from Yahoo says they get $15 an hour in Manhattan! Didn't CBS notice the ratings go down when they dumbed down the news upon Katie's arrival? I don't even blame that on her--she could have been used to make harder news more palatable, if they'd have been wise enough to see it that way. I just hope 'CCO can find someone else to waste Ben's four minutes a night. ~Posted by: Anonymous at October 31, 2007 10:06 AM As someone who works locally in media relations, I am not at all surprised that the network wanted Ben Tracy. He's a solid reporter. And, between Ben and Joe Berglove, they've brought a smart freshness to local TV news with "Good Question." Congratulations to Ben on this well-deserved step up. Sen. Klobuchar's gain is the reader's loss. Dave Hage's work was exceptional. ~Posted by: Allison Sandve at October 31, 2007 05:17 PM I will not miss Good Question or Good Question ads ~Posted by: Matt at October 31, 2007 09:54 PM
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Do you realize that the news reports that Ben does is not determined by the reporters, that these reports are actually determined by the New Director that determined what the public wants? If you actually understand anything how the news is created and how their target audience (typically a sixth grader), then you would understand why these reports are done by Ben. All comments should be directed more towards the sad state of the US educations and less towards Ben as a person and as a report. This comes from someone that has watch been for 10 years, in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Minneapolis.
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