In having some time to digest what has happened over at GH with Genie, I couldn't help but want to share with y'all something that happened at our local Nashville station. I know it is not quite the same but nevertheless jaw dropping. Our local NBC station got new management. The first thing they did which really upset me was move our beloved morning weather guy to weekends. He has since gotten another job in North Carolina as I'm sure he did not like what he saw happening. The biggest blow though was when the new management did not renew the contract of an award-winning veteran newscaster who had worked at the station for over 30 years as the evening news cohost. No explanation. Nothing. Gone with no "thank you", "we appreciate your years of service to the station". Nothing. Middle Tennesseans are livid and devastated at this outrageous treatment of a beloved local icon who made the station what it is today. As an aside, 3 other employees- two reporters and another weatherperson- were let go earlier last year and have filed an age discrimination suit against the station. Outcome is yet to be determined, but reportedly, the management was making age related comments about the cohost I spoke about earlier. Keep in mind though that she looks great. According to what has been said, management is trying to attract teens and 20 somethings. Newsflash: this demographic is not going to watch a news broadcast much less a local one! They will get their news from Twitter or some other online source. Genie's situation just reminded me so much of all of this local drama. I work in a high school. No kids watch soaps anymore- at least that I know. They are all watching Netflix and other streaming services. My niece is in college. She has never watched soaps. She loves great soapish shows like Downton Abbey, Grey's, etc, but has never watched daytime soaps. I hate that management at my local news level and the GH level do not seem to understand their audience. If they do understand the audience, then they are choosing to disregard what the audience wants. I thought we, the audience, were the consumer?? It is baffling and makes me exasperated. I don't buy the whole money thing. There are plenty of people on contract with fewer ties to the history of the show and desires of the audience who could be let go to keep Genie. Basically, it just seems like GH execs are doing exactly what our local execs did: what they want without regard to their audience. I can not believe that GH is so stupid as to pull this again in light of everything that is going on now with sexual harassment, etc. I'm sure they will have something to use to say that age didn't play a part in their decision for Genie and maybe it really doesn't (which is even more unbelievable), but man, removing her from contract now was such a stupid move. I hope this backfires so bad on them! More than that, I just hate this whole thing for Genie. They have been such a roller coaster for her over the years and have never given her the respect she deserves. Where is that big storyline they promised her in 2015 anyway? I thought they were finally going to give her something challenging and fun with the run for mayor, but no. Instead, they just axe the story and drop her. Brilliant! Selfishly, I want her there as Laura, but they don't deserve her.