Anchors resign on air in dispute with Maine TV news station (+video)

Two news co-anchors on a Maine television station quit on the air at the end of their newscasts, citing a longstanding battle with management over journalistic practices.

Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio announced their resignations at the end of Tuesday's 6 p.m. newscast on WVII.

They didn't go into details on the air. But they told the Bangor Daily News later that they were both frustrated with management.

“I just wanted to know that I was doing the best job I could and was being honest and ethical as a journalist, and I thought there were times when I wasn’t able to do that,” said Consiglio, a northeastern Connecticut native who broke in with WVII as a sports reporter in April 2006,

“There was a constant disrespecting and belittling of staff and we both felt there was a lack of knowledge from ownership and upper management in running a newsroom to the extent that I was not allowed to structure and direct them professionally,” Michaels explained. “I couldn’t do everything I wanted to as a news director. There was a regular undoing of decisions," she told The Bangor Daily News.

The 28-year-old Consiglio started with WVII as a sports reporter in April 2006. The 46-year-old Michaels was the news director and spent six years at WVII. The Associated Press left messages for them.

General manager Mike Palmer says they were on their way out, anyway. He says sometimes people leave their jobs before they're asked to leave.

“Upper management is not involved in the daily production of the news. Period,” said Palmer, He also cited the creation of 10 new full-time jobs at the station amid other changes and investments in the station.

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