When company owners sell their business to another company, and a solid employment contract is in place, the expectation is they will remain with the new entity. When that happens, everyone wins, including the clients.
But it didn’t work out that way for Mike and Britta Fayette who last December sold their Post Effects production house to AnswersMedia.
On Saturday May 12, Answers president Jeff Bohnson telephoned Mike Fayette at home and in a few terse sentences fired the couple.
“We were completely surprised, disappointed and upset to be let go without any notice or any explanation” for the abrupt dismissal, said Fayette, who has a lucrative, long-term employment contract with AnswersMedia.
“We believed we were doing everything possible to help the new owners meet their ambitious production schedule. It was always our intention to become part of Answers Media and help them to the best of our ability,” he added.
AnswersMedia had named Fayette Chief Creative Officer in charge of production to service Post Effects continuing clientele, and to develop the content of internet-delivered, corporate and advertising-sponsored medical, cooking and lifestyles shows.
Production of hundreds of episodes in 2007, requiring massive numbers of personnel, would have come under Fayette’s jurisdiction.
Britta Fayette had been Manager of Client Services at AnswersMedia. She had been Post Effects’ VP/business manager for 18 years, since leaving her Emmy-award winning, 21-year tenure as a producer at Ch. 5 in 1989.
Neither has been replaced.
Radical remodeling changes, massive production
Starting last January, AnswersMedia began planning an ambitious remodeling of Post Effects’ 30,000-sq. ft. facility spread over three floors and a basement.
Post Effect was already one of the region’s biggest HD facilities, but despite this, AnswersMedia began major construction and remodeling. They bought new equipment and made radical changes to what everyone agreed had been a once-beautiful space.
Almost half of Post Effects’ 16 former employees have either voluntarily resigned from AnswersMedia or were let go. The number of current employees is estimated at around 40, including freelancers.
One resignation ? from supervising producer Kristen Godzecki — came on the heels of the Fayette sacking. She said it was not in protest over the firings, but for other undisclosed reasons.
The Fayettes still have things they want to accomplish.
“We are actively looking to develop new ventures ourselves or work in partnership or as part of another team to continue the traditions we built over our 25 years as Post Effects.
“This is a wonderfully exciting time to be part of this industry,” he said.
Phone calls to CEO Jeff Bohnson and COO Sean Murray were not returned.
Mike Fayette can be reached at 312/848-0855; Britta, 312/848-0404; Emails, mfayette@aol.com. brittafayette@aol.com
