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CLEAR Temp: 48 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Tuesday, September 30, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 14, 2002 Fired weathercaster Galfano sues KTVL By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune A legal storm is brewing between a longtime local weatherman and the Medford television station that fired him suddenly last summer. Jon Galfano, former weathercaster at KTVL Channel 10, has filed a civil lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court alleging wrongful termination. Galfano is seeking $339,000 in back pay, legal fees and damages, as well as reinstatement to the post he’d held since 1993. Galfano, 49, claims in the lawsuit that KTVL officials breached a contract by firing him without notice and without cause on Aug. 24, 2001, just a week after a new two-year agreement was signed. "I was shocked," Galfano said Thursday. Susan Kelley, KTVL’s station manager and vice president, declined Thursday to discuss personnel issues or pending legal action. "The most I can tell you is that we don’t think the suit has any merit whatsoever," Kelley said. A trial date has not been set. Galfano’s firing came a week after the veteran weather-watcher signed an agreement granting him employment through July 2003 and a salary increase from $38,500 to $39,500. The contract, included in court files, said that Galfano could be fired "for cause." Listed causes included theft, dishonesty, moral turpitude, insubordination, nonperformance of duties and violating agreements about the use of his public persona. Galfano said Kelley told him his firing was sparked by two complaints from sources she wouldn’t identify. Court documents reviewed by Galfano’s lawyer, Tom Howser of Ashland, indicate that complaints came from co-workers, including an outgoing intern. "They said, ‘Somebody didn’t like the way you talked to them,’ ’’ Howser said. Galfano acknowledged that he may have spoken sharply to an intern under the pressure of producing a daily weather report, but said that the incident wasn’t unusual in a working newsroom. "I wouldn’t want to use the word ‘yell,’ " Galfano said, adding: "In a stress-related environment, a lot goes into each and every day’s production. Experienced persons who have been doing it for a number of years have high standards that have to be performed each and every day." In any case, Howser added, the incident didn’t warrant termination. "Turning around and yelling at someone because they screwed up doesn’t seem to me to be a court-martial offense," he said. Kelley declined to discuss any complaints against Galfano. Galfano said his firing was part of a larger effort on the part of Freedom Broadcasting of Oregon, which owns KTVL, to cut costs. He said some 30 employees have been fired, resigned or retired since Kelley took over in 1999. "I believe there’s a bigger picture going on here," he said. Kelley said she didn’t know how many people had left the station in recent years. "It’s certainly not excessive," she said. Another former KTVL employee, Brian Ojima, indicated this week that he’s also considering legal action to protest his termination. Ojima, a sports reporter for the station, was fired earlier this year. Galfano left the air abruptly last summer after nearly eight years as a local fixture on several daily broadcasts. Twice dubbed by the Associated Press as the best Oregon weathercaster in larger markets excluding Portland, Galfano said he remains a recognizable public presence. "I have a tremendous fan base," he said. "Each and every day — and today was no exception — I have people call and say, ‘We sure miss you on TV.’ " Galfano was replaced by weathercaster Kevin Lollis. KTVL’s local news programs, which include weather forecasts, have been consistently rated second among the area’s three network stations, according to industry figures. In the May 2001 ratings period that ended before Galfano was fired, KDRV Channel 12 led the pack with a 31 percent share of households watching their televisions, according to KDRV news director Mark Hatfield. KTVL was in second place with a 15 percent share and KOBI Channel 5 came in third with a 7 percent share. In the industry, ratings and shares aren’t the sole basis for personnel decisions, Hatfield said. "It’s one factor," he said. "You can’t pin everything on the talent." In the months since his firing, Galfano has been working as a ranch hand in Williams. He said he’s also been talking with other local TV stations, hoping to return to weathercasting. He doesn’t know whether the lawsuit will affect his chances for future employment, but Galfano said the unfairness of his firing after a dedicated 15-year career inspired him to seek legal redress. "The one thing that propels this lawsuit is for the truth to be told, and we look forward to that," he said. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465 or by e-mail at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times