WBZ-TV is making some more changes today, and letting go three of their on-air reporters.
Joe Shortsleeve, who has been with the station for over two decades, is one of the reporters being let go.
Shortsleeve was the chief correspondent for WBZ News and had been at the station for 24 years. An award-winning reporter and part-time anchorman, Shortsleeve routinely broke big stories for the station. His most recent scoop caught three state lawmakers abusing the orange carpool E-ZPass transponder that gives drivers a big discount at the toll booths, but its use is restricted to cars with at least three occupants.
His agent, Ken Fishkin, told the Boston Herald the reporter “has been looking at other opportunities both in and out of TV for a while now.” However, he has not yet landed a new job.
Also let go were reporter Sera Congi, and New Hampshire Bureau Chief Michael Rosenfield.
Congi has been a general assignment reporter at WBZ since 2005.
Rosenfield has known he is leaving the station for a few weeks now, and is expected to finish up at the station later this week.
“Their contracts are not being renewed,” station spokesperson Ro Dooley said. “We thank them for their contributions to the station and wish them well in the future.” All three have had their bios removed from the WBZ website.
A station source tells New England One that this is inaccurate, and only Michael Rosenfield's contract was up for renewal at this time, and that Rosenfield decided not to re-sign with the station of his own accord.
As for both Joe Shortsleeve and Sera Congi, the story about their contracts not being renewed is false. Both reporters still had time left on their contracts, and will both be paid for the remaining time left on those contracts by WBZ-TV.
In a slap-in-the-face move for two verteran station reporters, both Shortsleeve and Congi were escorted from the WBZ building today after being told they were being let go.
This story is developing.
