Verizon plans to shut down its Fios1 News channels in November, marking a loss of local coverage for Fios TV customers and for Long Island as well as a loss of 145 jobs.
Verizon is not renewing or extendingd a 10-year contract with RNN, which operates the news stations serving Fios customers in Long Island, as well as New Jersey and the Lower Hudson Valley.
One-hundred-and-forty-five people are expected to lose their jobs, when Verizon closes the operation that serves cable customers, according to a filing by Rye, N.Y.-based RNN.
Thirty people who live or work on Long Island will be impacted by the layoffs, according to RNN.
Richard French III, RNN's president of news, sent an email to his employees about the end of the contract.
"We are deeply disappointed that Verizon has made this decision," French wrote. "Over the last year, we have worked tirelessly to negotiate a new agreement that would have allowed us to continue providing the hyber-local news content that communities we serve depdend on."
He added that the company was not able to "reach an agreement," and that "barring a change in direction from Verizon," RNN News will cease providing news programming for Verizon’s Fios1 News network at 12:01 a.m. on November 16, 2019,
That means the workers' employment would end on November 15, 2019, as these networks cease to operate.
"Our resulting exit from the market is a disturbing turning point in the news industry, as there will be only one option availble for consumers of hyper-local televison news in the regions we serve," French wrote. "If democracy dies in darkness, then the decision to end our contract is creating a black out."
A New York State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing made today, required in case of large layoffs, outlines the job losses at RNN, which "provides news programming and support services" for Verizon Corporate Services Group's Fios1 News network.
The filing indicates the cause is the expieration of a contract and a plant closing.
Fios 1 News's Long Island news operation launched in 2009, according to Fios 1 New Long Iland's Facebook page. It is one of many local news networks designed to serve customers of a cable provider.
News12 serves Altice’s customers on Long Island and in other parts of its coverage area, and Spectrum1 serves customers of Spectrum, formerly Time Warner, in New York City through NY1.
Cable companies have long provided their own local news coverage, which became particulary important in areas sudch as Long Island after some other local coverage dwindled.
"Later this year, Verizon will no longer be offering Fios1 News," Verizon spokesman Tony McNary wrote in an email to LoHud.com. "We have partnered with RNN for over 10 years to deliver award-winning hyper-local news coverage on Fios1. We wish RNN and their employees well during this transition."
Verizon itself has been performing well, reporting just under $5.2 billion in net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, up from $4.7 billion a year ago. But a big chunk of that is income from its wireless business.
Richard French III, RNN's president of news, sent an email to his employees about the decision.
"Barring a change in direction from Verizon, RNN News will cease providing news programming for Verizon’s Fios1 News network at 12:01 a.m. on November 16, 2019," French wrote to employees. "This means your employment will permanently end on November 15, 2019."