Longtime KPIX-TV San Francisco general manager Jerry Eaton said he'll retire
as soon as the Viacom Inc. station group can replace him.
Station and CBS insiders said Eaton has been talking retirement for months,
and he has plans to sail to Europe.
KPIX-TV's local newscasts have gained recently in the tumultuous market, as
all stations are repositioning in the wake of NBC's affiliation switch from
KRON-TV to KNTV(TV).
Eaton announced his pending exit the same day word broke in local newspapers
of a racial-discrimination lawsuit against the station, although KPIX-TV, which
plans to contest the suit, said the stories are unrelated.
Three current and past station staffers charged that they were bypassed for
promotions, unfairly disciplined, paid less and marginalized professionally.
Reporter and plaintiff Lance Evans called it 'egregious racism,' according to
local media.
The station group said KPIX-TV had not been served with papers as of
Wednesday morning, and the charges will be proven
'groundless.'
