Watch: Viewers shocked as news anchors quit on the air
BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Two news co-anchors for a Maine television station shocked viewers and colleagues by quitting on the air, later citing frustration with their management.
Cindy Michaels and Tony Consiglio announced their resignations at the end of Tuesday's 6 p.m. newscast on WVII.
The two didn't give specific reasons on the air for their sudden departure. Consiglio said that while they enjoyed reporting the news, "some recent developments have come to our attention, though, and departing together is the best alternative we can take."
Michaels said she and Consiglio were "are very sorry for having to say goodbye for now, but we'll still be around." She plans to pursue a writing career and paint, and Consiglio said he would continue his career "in a different capacity."
Their boss said Wednesday they had been on their way out the door anyway. He said he was not surprised by the action they took.
"Sometimes people leave before they're officially told to leave," said Mike Palmer, station vice president and general manager. He declined to discuss issues that may have caused disagreements but said, "There are things that they know."
The Associated Press left messages with Michaels and Consiglio. Both told the Bangor Daily News after their last newscast that they were frustrated with management and cited a dispute over journalistic practices.
Asked about reaction from viewers in the small market served by WVII, an ABC affiliate, Palmer said, "I have not heard from a single viewer."
But he said he had received about 20 applications for their jobs after posting them Tuesday night on an industry website.
"I've had people from all over the country send resumes and audition reels," Palmer said.
WVII and another station Palmer manages, Fox affiliate WFVX, have made headlines before. In 2006, The New York Times reported that Palmer prohibited his staff from doing stories on global warming.
Consiglio, 28, started with WVII as a sports reporter in April 2006. Michaels, 46, was the news director and spent six years at the station.
It is my honor to congatulate and thank those who know that news isn't being served by it's owners, masters and managers.
Just another reason why I will not put my son in this school system.
 @SandyC huh?
No animals were harmed while these two newscasters rather politely bowed out and left their boss without a qualified pilot to fly the plane. We can only hope that someone new will continue making and selling twinkies.
Epic :-D
Nice to see people with professional integrity.
@Old29 ......integrity and journalism sadly, can no longer be mentioned in the same sentence.
I'm Mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!...
@nummnutts IT'S MY MONEY AND I NEED IT NOW!
 @beernpizza hahahaha i love saying this!! that commercial is great--people sticking their head out their window and yelling that loudly to no one in particular
Asked about reaction from viewers in the small market served by WVII, an ABC affiliate, Palmer said, "I have not heard from a single viewer."
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Right, buddy... and Global Warming isn't real either...
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**cough** B*llsh*t **cough**
They weren't allowed to bring up Obama's involvement in the Benghazi killings. Others can believe in man made global warming, I'll believe four Americans died because the Obama administration refused to respond with aid when it was asked for.Â
@last boyscout I believe over 3000 Americans died when Bush ignored the warnings of the Clinton and his own administration were warned about being attacked with commerccial jetliners which was worse.
@last boyscout Keep on believing all that, and lose the next election and the one after that and.....
 @last boyscout Don't believe everyting you think.
 @last boyscout LUB, really?  Couldn't you see the tension between the two?
Well now that there are very few small/ local owned TV stations. We have corporations owning them and some really don't want professional journalism. So no stories on this or that. It is all about almighty dollar even on the news or the owners political agenda. not the public service of the news as it was originally with factual accurate reporting not talking ken and barbie and opinion pieces.Â
If you read entire article it is clear what the problem was. Their boss will not talk about Global Warming. Global Warming is a natural cycle that has been excelerated by burning fossil fuels. Dinosours and space aliens or any other critter never drilled the earths crust and extracted oil then burned it. Some are to closed minded to think its even possible. I have had the oppertunity to work with some very educated people that can comprehed reality. I have also met many very uneducated people and or politically motivated people who just do not understand physical science. I am sure their superiors were suprised. I think it is awesome. Hopefully they will be much more successful in their futures.   Â
So all the models that are showing a cooling pattern are wrong? I know alot of smart people who will say that global warming is a scam to make money. Almost all the evedance on global warming has been found to be made up or lied about. If you qustion them about it they call you stupid and to remove the blinders. But then again if you talk to other people it's not global warming we need to worry about. It's December 22, 2012 but then again that is buttkiss also.
 @cpt.iceman I think the smartest people I know (and happen to be fairly highly educated in the earth sciences [PhDs]), summarize / characterize the situation as follows:
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'The earth *may be* warming [in our limited, relatively small window of observation or analysis -- in the geologic 'view' of earth's history]; however, it is a much more difficult connection to draw [eg. CAUSATION] to say that ALL of that warming or change is due to human induced activities [thereby excluding any forces in nature that may be latent or secondary in nature -- especially, ones that are not well understand by human science at this time]. Â In short, there *may be* change in the short term, but WHY there is change is a much harder thing to show as exclusively CAUSED by humans. Â The real earth scientists don't pretend to believe they have ALL the answers.
hmmm better them going this way than finding out at the end of a show that they had been terminated  as a lot of newsanchors have had done to them
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meh...if anything, maybe Stephen King will pinch off another novel.
Hint Hint, eh KATU? Â *wink*
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Take this job and shove it ...!
....and that's the way it is.
 @WendyTeagarden It's not over til it's over.  Oh, it's over!   And the fat lady has sung!
@Michael L. @WendyTeagarden you can say that again....
Goodnight Irene!
 @WendyTeagarden ...and that's all folks!
At least they did it in a classy way.
I've allways wanted to see a mad news anchor throw a fit on live T.V and quit.. You know the fit I'm talking about where they cuse and screem durring a live news cast about thier job. Or someone who has worked at his/her job for over 20 years and hates it. So on the last day they throw a Tantrum.
That was a bit of a let down. I was expecting some bleeped expletives and flying laptops.