Eight people at WSAZ-TV have lost their jobs in a cost-cutting move, the television station's general manager said Monday.

"From a simply economic and technical standpoint, it wasn't a hard decision to make," said Don Ray. "From a people standpoint, it was a hard decision to make."

Three full-time and five part-time production positions have been cut, he said. These positions are behind the scenes, including directing, audio, camera operating and graphic design work, he said. The announcement was made Friday.

No on-air personalities, reporters or photographers are affected, he said.

The layoffs will help the station afford the equipment for the transition to digital programming, he said.

In February 2009, all television stations will be broadcast on a digital network. With the change comes equipment upgrades, which are very expensive, Ray said.

With two sets of production staff at two newsrooms (in Charleston and Huntington) the cost of the upgrades was more than $7 million, Ray said. The station will now produce the newscast out of Huntington, he said.  

By running the newscast this way, only one set of equipment will require the upgrade, he said.

The new antennas, digital transmitters and other technology will now cost the station between $3 million and $4 million, he said.

Eight people at WSAZ-TV have lost their jobs in a cost-cutting move, the television station's general manager said Monday.

"From a simply economic and technical standpoint, it wasn't a hard decision to make," said Don Ray. "From a people standpoint, it was a hard decision to make."

Three full-time and five part-time production positions have been cut, he said. These positions are behind the scenes, including directing, audio, camera operating and graphic design work, he said. The announcement was made Friday.

No on-air personalities, reporters or photographers are affected, he said.

The layoffs will help the station afford the equipment for the transition to digital programming, he said.

In February 2009, all television stations will be broadcast on a digital network. With the change comes equipment upgrades, which are very expensive, Ray said.

With two sets of production staff at two newsrooms (in Charleston and Huntington) the cost of the upgrades was more than $7 million, Ray said. The station will now produce the newscast out of Huntington, he said.  

By running the newscast this way, only one set of equipment will require the upgrade, he said.

The new antennas, digital transmitters and other technology will now cost the station between $3 million and $4 million, he said.

The anchors and reporters will remain in their newsrooms in Charleston and Huntington, he said.

"They won't notice the difference," Ray said. "Only, instead of being on the other side of the wall [in Charleston], they will be 50 miles away."

Those laid off will receive severance pay and job-hunting help. Some will be gone in two weeks; others will stay until early April, he said.

Also, WSAZ has closed its weather newsroom at the Clay Center's Avampato Discovery Museum, Ray said. However, that closing has little to do with the station's other cost-cutting moves, he said.

"Part of it was technology-based, but we really didn't have a clear vision of what we wanted when we went in," Ray said. The station opened up the exhibit about four years ago, he said.

Traffic at the exhibit was inconsistent, with Clay Center traffic higher when the education station wasn't manned and vice versa, he said.

Equipment from the Clay Center was removed on Monday, but the exhibit has been mostly dormant lately, he said. The Clay Center has known about the closing for months, he said.

To contact staff writer Sarah K. Winn, use e-mail or call 348-5156.