After 27 years as a TV anchor I was suddenly pulled off screens. My boss’s explanation was a brutal lesson in loyalty

A veteran news anchor who has served as the face of her local network in California for almost three decades has stepped down after tense contract negotiations.

Darya Folsom, 60, has broken her silence after loyal viewers of the Bay Area Nexstar outlet, KRON-TV, noticed she was missing from the morning show and that her author page on the outlet’s website had been removed.

Folsom said her contract was set to expire on November 12, and she entered into negotiations with KRON just a few weeks prior.

After 27 years anchoring KRON’s flagship morning news show, Folsom said the network offered her a demotion as a producer for the publication’s app and streaming content.

She was shocked when KRON said her new role would be off-air, only once a week, and $50,000 less than her current salary. 

‘They made it clear that they’re cutting costs and they want to save money. And I think that they jumped at the opportunity to save my salary,’ Folsom told Daily Mail. 

She said the message she took from her former employer was: ‘Let’s get rid of old, expensive people.’ 

‘I kind of felt like it was a way to stick me in a closet or something. I was like, wait a minute, what?’ Folsom added.

Instead of taking the lowball offer, Folsom pushed for her original role back on the morning news show. 

Folsom said her agent argued that the network was trying to force her out by giving her a terrible offer. 

After pushing for her original role, KRON agreed, but declined to make her position eligible for severance. 

‘You’re old, you’re expensive, you get severance. So what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna have a new contract that says you don’t get severance. It’s only lasting for a year,’ Folsom said about the offer. 

Instead of continuing with KRON, she decided to let her contract expire in November and take the severance from that. 

Folsom claimed the network had been struggling and she had already agreed to a pay freeze and forfeited an allowance for clothing and makeup.

Folsom anchored news stations in Arizona and Washington DC, before going to KRON, a network she referred to as her ‘home.’ 

She had two children during her tenure with the outlet, noting that she even had a ‘puke bucket’ by her desk for morning sickness. 

Folsom said she connected with audiences over her decades-long career, and urged other companies to value older employees. 

‘There’s huge value in listening to older people,’ she added.

She said she developed a reputation with audiences, and the network benefited from her presence. 

‘They [viewers] can get the story from Google, but they tune in for me.

‘I remember when some headlines were so bad and full of death, and I remember saying: “But it’s okay. Good morning. It’s okay. We’re gonna get you through this morning.”

‘I’m the longest serving anchor. I have a lot of institutional knowledge about the Bay Area news and news in general,’ she added. 

Now that Folsom is off the morning news, she recommended that others not start their day tuning into harsh headlines. 

‘Don’t start your day with news – start your day with you,’ she said. 

Folsom is looking to create a YouTube channel called Wake up with Darya, where she’ll explore more positive stories. 

‘My life is me awakening,’ Folsom reflected. 

‘I do want a voice. I do. I’m not done. This was never me retiring. This was KRON not wanting me,’ Folsom tearfully confessed. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to KRON for comment.