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Special to Community Newspapers by Gary Nelson
WFOR main anchor Rudabeh Shahbazi’s parting from the CBS station in South Florida was not sweet sorrow. It was not even bitter sweet.
Shahbazi, who had three months remaining on her contract with CBS, was told she was not allowed to return to the station in Doral after informing CBS management that she had landed a “national reporting/anchor” position with a not yet disclosed network.
Shahbazi, WFOR’s main evening and 11 p.m. anchor for five years, informed her friends and co-workers of her departure via text, after WFOR took down her page on its website and deleted her CBS email account.
“I had planned to stay through my contract end date,” Shahbazi wrote in her message to co-workers. Shahbazi said the three months would allow the station time to recruit her replacement and permit a smooth transition to a new face on the main anchor desk, as well as permitting her to bid a grateful farewell to her viewers and colleagues.
WFOR General Manager and Vice-President, Adam Levy, would not hear of it, Shahbazi said.
“Adam inexplicably blindsided me on my vacation day and informed me BY EMAIL that I was not welcome back and that they were ending my contract that day,” Shahbazi said.
Shahbazi confirmed to Community Newspapers that her departure from WFOR was an unpleasant one, not of her choosing.
“Right now I am concentrating on moving forward in the new position, which I am very excited about,” Shahbazi said. “I am so blessed to have worked at WFOR with such talented, kind, hardworking, amazing people.”
Shahbazi also thanked the community and her viewers for her experiences and acceptance in Miami. She was active in multiple community projects, and known for her recurring series, Mentoring Matters, in which she chronicled those who have given of themselves to motivate and encourage young people in South Florida.
“Please know that this is not how I wanted my departure to occur,” Shahbazi said.
WFOR’s General Manager, Adam Levy, and News Director, Liz Roldan, did not return multiple voicemail, text and email requests for comment.
Editor’s Note: Gary Nelson is a broadcast journalist of 49 years, who resigned from WFOR after reporting for the station since 1992.
Rudabeh, you are a shining star. Beautiful inside and out. We love and miss you. Good luck and blessings to you.
Good bye WFOR,your contract is up in our house! You are terrible people!!
Rudabeh
It is shameful the way you were treated I was so proud of you going to school in Portland Oregon just like I did and achieve a successful news anchor career with so much class . Will be looking forward to watching you on National Network . I switched Chanel since you left greatly missed good luck to you .
Congratulations on your new position. It is very sad that you were not able to complete your contract with Channel4. You will be sadly missed. Go on to bigger and better in your life. You deserve it! You did a wonderful job for the station and yourself for the past five years. Look forward to seeing you in the near future.
WFOR should be ashamed of themselves. Everyone has a right to better themselves. You should be proud of someone that is talented enough to move ahead in their career. You robbed the people who enjoyed her telecasts to see her say goodbye. You have lost more than one fan in this house and also where it counts in the ratings.
Rudebeh,
You make the news worth watching…I am so disappointed that you are gone from Channel 4 and I miss you tremendously!
Congratulations on your promotion to the National Network and I will be anxiously waiting to find out when we can see you again.
God Bless!
hi mrs. rudabeb l read the news about you leaving channel four. you will be miss you are so beautiful and very talent person. every evening l watch you. you have brought such s strong present to the station in my opinion. but my prayers and blessing will be with always. good luck and stay safe.
RUDEBEH IS A CLASS ACT. i FOUND HER TO BE THE MOST PROFESSIONAL YET HUMAN ANCHOR AND FEEL PERSONAL LOSS WITH HER DEPARTURE.
I agree with Ana. CBS4 was my most-watched local news. After hearing what a-holes the management is, I will be tuning in elsewhere. There is no excuse for that kind of insensitivity to who was a valuable employee.
This is a slam to a very talented newscaster and to their viewers. Don’t know what the reasoning for this decision was but I think the viewing audience and Rudabeh deserve better.
There goes a WFOR viewing household! What a nasty way to treat an anchor who brought them many viewers. We always knew she’d go far. Best of luck, Rudabeh. We’ll look k for you in your new assignment.
Unbelievable classless handling of such a person of such class! God bless you Rudabeh in your new position as this Channel was not the one for you – nor for me! A new and better door has been opened for you! You were too good for a boss who did not appreciate your well-meaning notice to leave your employment!
An appropriate response by WFOR to Ms. Shahbazi’s departure should have been, “you will be sorely missed by us and our viewing public but we are proud that you have been chosen by a major national network and wish you much success.”
…Of course, this would have required appreciation and class.
Terrible way to deal with her departure. the Management handled it poorly, and it shows how they are.
Good by to that channel.
This is not the way a caring manager is suppose to act. How sad for me to read this. I will not watch this Channel like I have in the past. I hope Ms. R.S. will move on to a better working environment. Thank you Ms. R.S. for being a professional…your employer was not. Shame on his classless decision.
Ms. Young
Good luck Rudabeh! We will miss you.
You will be amazing on the National Network that had the good fortune of hiring you.
Goodbye to that channel. Rudabeh gave them 3 months notice working through to the end of her contract. Hopefully there is a clause there for severance pay, they broke the contract. She’ll be missed but is very talented and whomever her new employer is, they are fortunate to get her, a true, caring professional.
good luck, blessings .
hey going back to ralph renick wayne fariss and annie bishop days of yore it has been the same…backstabbing owners, NDs and producers whose own heads are on the line for mismanagement low ratings picking the wrong talent menu and rather sordid topics such as one might hear in an illicit chat room or tow or three….every owner ND producer always has his/her knife drawn ready to knife into whomsover the current six or eleven anchor talent may be…ratings make or break all these not so admirable power mongers…..the minute they drop from number one or two in the ratings do not turn your back on them for a NY minute…just ask Ms. Shabbazzi. sad but very very true/
Trump loving ass clowns. Goodbye and good
Luck rudabeh
Some management lets you leave with class. Some have no class.