Ollie Howie canceled his scheduled radio appearance Wednesday morning just eight minutes before the broadcast was set to begin.
Howie, who acquired The Roanoke Rambler on March 30, was slated to appear on WFIR’s “On The Record” at 7:45 a.m. to discuss the mass termination of the outlet’s reporting staff. The cancellation followed a Tuesday open letter from Howie. In it, he claimed the Rambler’s monthly salary costs were more than double its total revenue.
The sudden leadership shift has left the Roanoke Valley’s investigative outlet without its founding editorial team. It has also sparked a public dispute between Howie and the site’s founder, Henri Gendreau.
Wednesday, April 15: Financial claims and the ‘Community Correspondent’ model
In a letter to subscribers and a news release Tuesday, Howie argued that the Rambler’s previous operations were financially unsustainable. He said the Rambler brought in about $6,800 a month from 830 paying subscribers, while costs approached $4,000 a week.
Howie stated that the proposed contracts offered to the former staff included a “livable hourly wage” and equity opportunities, rather than the previous salary structure.
“Our decisions have been guided by integrity, respect for our team, and a mission to ensure this publication thrives long-term,” Howie said.
The publication now plans to move toward a “Community Correspondent” model. This initiative seeks local writers to participate in coverage alongside a new slate of reporters expected to be announced soon.
Access restricted and buy-back claims
While the Roanoke Rambler previously allowed readers to access content by providing an email address, the new leadership has tightened access. The recent “letter to our sponsors” explaining the transition was placed behind a login requirement. This prevented long-term “free” account holders from viewing the explanation.
This change coincides with a breakdown in communication between the new and former owners. Howie’s letter said he offered founder Henri Gendreau the opportunity to buy the company back within a week of the sale. Howie claimed he received no response.
Tuesday, April 14: Former staff cite pay cuts in mass termination
Former journalists at The Roanoke Rambler say they were fired after refusing new contracts that slashed their base pay and proposed other changes to their employment terms.
In a joint statement emailed to WFIR on Tuesday, editor Todd Jackson and reporters Jeff Sturgeon and Sinclair Holian confirmed they were terminated April 10.
“The former staff is deeply saddened to be unable to continue the mission of bringing high-quality investigative journalism to the community,” the group said.
The staff members chose not to sign the new contracts offered shortly after the sale. Their departure leaves the publication without its core reporting team. Signs of a transition were visible last week when the Rambler released no new investigative stories and the weekly radio segment on WFIR did not air.
Monday, April 13: Founder expresses ‘betrayal’ over broken assurances
The staff’s statement aligns with a Monday release from Rambler founder Henri Gendreau. He said he feels “shocked and betrayed” by the recent events. Gendreau, who moved to New York earlier this year, said he was specifically assured during the sale process that the newsroom’s integrity and compensation would remain intact.
“Before the sale closed, I felt assured that staff would be retained, that they would be compensated at the same rates, and that the mission of local, investigative news would continue,” Gendreau said.
Alleged outreach to non-journalists
Before issuing Tuesday’s letter, Howie had not publicly addressed the staffing dispute. However, an anonymous source told WFIR that Howie allegedly sent a message to individuals outside the journalism trade proposing a move toward a contributor-based system.
“We are going to do freelance open source articles that folks that are qualified like you can get compensated to publish as one new initiative,” the message allegedly stated.
This alleged shift toward a “Community Correspondent” model stands in contrast to Howie’s initial public comments on April 6. In a letter posted to the Rambler’s website, Howie said the acquisition was about “preserving a trusted community voice” and “strengthening local journalism.” Howie has not publicly detailed how the “Community Correspondent” model will operate.
The future of local accountability
The departure of Jackson, Sturgeon and Holian marks a significant shift for local journalism. The trio was known for deep-dive reporting on local government and societal issues. The newsroom received support from the Google News Initiative, LION Publishers and Report for America.
One of the terminated reporters, Sinclair Holian, held a position specifically supported by a grant from Report for America. Jeff Sturgeon, a veteran local reporter, served as the most frequent guest on WFIR’s “On The Record” segment.
Howie, 30, is a managing partner of Mount Auburn Venture Partners and a member of Roanoke’s Economic Development Authority. With the cancellation of Wednesday’s interview and the transition to the “Community Correspondent” model, residents are left questioning the future of the accountability reporting that defined the Rambler’s first five years.
The post Roanoke Rambler owner cancels interview after claiming costs exceed revenue first appeared on News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR.
