Sal Marchiano/WPIX
The warm NYC sendoff ended a 14 year career on the sports desk for Sal Marchiano at WPIX/NY: “Sal made a decision to retire at the end of this year, and last week was Sal’s last week on the air as our sports anchor,” a WPIX-TV spokeswoman told the Daily News in late December. Now, we’re getting Sal’s version of the story: ” They told me I was out – finished,” Marchiano told the Daily News’ Bob Raisson. “They were not renewing my contract. The order came down from the top.”
Marchiano says not only was the “retirement” story bogus, he’s hardly ready to walk away from covering New York sports. “I’m a free agent,” Marchiano says, who tells Raisson he was fully expecting a new contract, was ready to take concessions given the state of the economy, but was instead sent to pasture, complete with a sweet story of retirement Raisson suggests Marchiano only learned about by reading the Daily News. (Echoes of WNYW main news anchor Len Cannon, who learned of his departure from the NY’s FOX O&O by reading the front page of the New York Post, announcing the multi-million dollar signing of New York legend Ernie Anastos)
Raisson writes: “Marchiano’s termination is more about what’s happening in the local TV news business than it was about his performance. Industry sources say all six local stations, which for decades were cash registers, are losing money – big money. This has led to cutbacks. It has also led to major players, including local sports anchors making mid six-figures and up, either taking drastic pay cuts or, in Marchiano’s case, being fired. “
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