After thirteen years, NBC-TV news reporter, Lynda Baquero, may be forced to leave the station.
According to an e-mail that is being circulated by Angelo Falcon, President and Founder of the National Institute for Latino Policy (NILP) , Ms. Baquero is "too expensive and thus expendable."
In view of the Hispanic community's underpresentation in the major broadcast news media, NILP believes Baquero's departure would pose a "real setback."
Here's the text of an e-mail I received from NILP earlier today:
Our good friend, Lynda Baquero, who anchors the NBC-TV News in New York, may be forced to leave the station after working there 13 years! Many of you know her not only as the popular news anchor, but also the host of Visiones and someone who knows firsthand and has been supportive of the Latino community over the years.
Well, you may have been reading about all of the changes at NBC, with the shifting of executives and a series of cutbacks, changes that are foreboding for Telemundo as well, which they now own. It seems that with all of the changes in the industry, many of the Latino veterans journalists are becoming too expensive and thus expendable. We need to turn this around as a community.
It is urgent that the Latino community show our support for Lynda now while she is renegotiating her contract with the station. We are already underrepresented in the major broadcast news media as it is, losing a veteran like Lynda would be a real setback for all of us.
Below is a letter that the New York Chapter of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (which I co-chair with Marta García) has sent to Jeff Zucker and other NBC executive express our support for Lynda. We urge you to send them your own messages to let them know that Lynda has a board base of support in our community.
Un abrazo,
Angelo
