[image-1]Longtime TV news anchor Denise Dufala was laid off this week from Channel 19 along with a few other staffers.

Dufala said on Facebook last night that she was leaving and looking forward to spending more time with her family, but neither she nor Channel 19, which shared her message on Facebook, acknowledged the reason for her departure.

Reached this morning by Scene, station general manager Erik Schrader said as a policy they don’t comment on personnel matters. The station has had quite a bit of turnover in the management ranks in the past two years as the station was rebranded from 19 Action News to Cleveland 19. Schrader took over as GM after Dominic Mancuso stepped down in August.

Dufala, for her part, has been a constant presence in Cleveland living rooms for more than two decades after starting her career at Fox 8 before jumping down the TV dial.

Here’s her FB message in full:


This article appears in Dec 14-20, 2016.

Vince Grzegorek has been with Scene since 2007 and editor-in-chief since 2012. He previously worked at Discount Drug Mart and Texas Roadhouse.

7 replies on “Denise Dufala Among Those Laid Off at Channel 19 This Week”

  1. The turnover in the management ranks was probably due to those who were unwilling to make major cuts in staffing levels and salaries……and it became a game to find someone who enjoys telling employees that they are fired.

  2. This is devastating news I truly love you all. Shame on MANAGEMENT!!! You will be truly missed, hopefully this will be a very very short layoff. Why would they do this at Christmas time? SHAME SHAME SHAME! ! !

  4. WOIO nineteen is going to release one of the best newscasters in the city? Who just happens to be a staple of Cleveland television?!
    And BEFORE Christmas too?! What the HELL, WOIO?!

    I’m actually heartbroken here…

  5. Who”s next Jeff Tanchek? Well I guess I will stick to Channel 8 for my news. They have shown true loyalty to those who work there..

  6. How can you lay off people when the news is bad every where wake up people what happened to kathyin bosley from your news

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