Local TV Contracts Hit Graduates With Up to 50% Payback for Quitting
Updated
Updated · Eureka Times-Standard · Jun 29
Local TV Contracts Hit Graduates With Up to 50% Payback for Quitting
1 articles · Updated · Eureka Times-Standard · Jun 29
Summary
Punitive clauses in local TV news contracts can force young broadcast journalism graduates to keep working or repay up to half of their last six months’ compensation if they quit early.
Rachel, a broadcast journalism instructor cited in Dennis Beaver’s legal column, said the terms target first-job reporters in markets under 500,000, where starting pay often runs just $12 to $16 an hour.
She said the pressure lands in a shrinking industry marked by consolidation and layoffs: 65% to 75% of broadcast graduates never enter TV news, and only 10% to 15% stay long term.
Beaver argued many repayment demands are not tied to actual costs and may be unconscionable or illegal in some states, pointing to California’s stricter limits and broader public-policy concerns over restricting workers from quitting.
His takeaway was practical: graduates should have an employee-side labor lawyer review TV employment contracts before signing, because some stations may rely on unenforceable language to deter departures.