I interviewed for two Sinclair stations in July - one in Syracuse, NY and one in Mishawaka, IN. In Syracuse - 3 interviews (1 with dept. head, 1 with assistant news director, 1 with assistant news director and news director). Everyone was nice here and it was refreshing to see at least 2 women in positions of authority (this industry treats women pretty bad so I've noticed). However, the offer was just ridiculously low with no room for negotiation. As Sinclair is buying an entirely different news company (Tribune), it seems, uh, strange they don't provide enough support to local stations to, ya know, pay their employees a fair wage. Look, it's NEW YORK...15 dollars per hour is a MINIMUM any respectable employer gives to their employees - and that's unskilled labor. This indicates financial mismanagement and/or greed at both the corporate and local level.
It gets worse though. I drove hours out of my way for a live interview in Mishawaka where I was met by a truly incompetent dept. head who "forgot to tell me the wage was a measly 12/hr." He mentioned he felt bad, but come on, really? How did someone like this get hired anywhere, let alone as a dept. head? If you saw this person, you'd get it.
If John Oliver's segment didn't scare you away - my stories should. Don't expect to make much more than 32,000 (NOT for entry level positions). Sinclair is bad news. Avoid applying at all costs.
I ended up getting a position with a private company with nearly double the salary I was offered at Sinclair stations. You can and should look elsewhere. Sinclair doesn't value its employees. Always remember your worth!
