RATINGS-challenged NBC put the ax to "Access Hollywood" this week and abruptly fired 14 veteran staffers by heartlessly locking them out of the building as they returned from lunch. "It was really awful. Their ID cards wouldn’t open the gate, and then a security guard came over and told them they were no longer employed there," one insider told Page Six. "Of course, the bosses waited until they’d finished producing the day’s show before canning them." Among the casualties were: senior field producer John Davis and field producers Jennifer Lavin, David Garner and Jason Miller, our source said. Segment producer Lizza Morales, who was also booted, did manage to get inside and confronted executive producer Rob Silverstein. But he refused to talk and referred her to the show’s lawyer, Claudia Eden. The Thursday afternoon bloodbath in Los Angeles was the two-pronged result of NBC’s ratings woes and the show being more than $1 million over budget, our spy went on. "And a few months ago, NBC found out there’d been excessive spending by some executives on partying, champagne and strip clubs. There were worries some people might be let go, but NBC said, ‘No, no, don’t worry!’ And then this happened." "Access Hollywood" spokesman Joe Schlosser laughed when we asked him about the bloodbath, then got serious and said: "It has never been easy to make adjustments to the staff." He added the firings were part of a "restructuring of the show," then asked us not to report he had chuckled. He said he was unaware that those fired had been locked out. Some staffers who got tossed did get one consolation – they got calls and e-mails from host Nancy O’Dell, who said how sorry she was. Weekend co-anchor Shaun Robinson was seen crying after she learned what was going on. The bloodbath is a further black eye for NBC chairman Bob Wright, whom Page Six reported is soon to be replaced. Other sources say the troubled Peacock Network will soon begin across-the-board layoffs.
Page Six
That is some major FUS. Karma will bite them in the a$$ over this one.
