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Tony Cippola joins sheriff’s department

June 14, 2012

Tont Cipolla

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announced he has selected news anchor Tony Cipolla as the public information officer for the  department.

Cipolla is slated to began working with the sheriff’s department on July 1 with a starting salary  of $70,804 annually, plus benefits. He was chosen because of his high-test scores and good relationships with members of the local media, sheriff officials said in a press release.

“Our vision of an ideal candidate for the PIO position was someone who had connections to the local media, who could enhance the relationship we share with the community, who would bring a fresh perspective and who would be able to balance the sheriff’s office duty of investigating crime with that of keeping the public informed,” the press release says. “It became apparent through the testing process that Tony met every aspect of the ideal candidate we were looking for.”

Cipolla left KSBY in 2010 after 20 years as a reporter-anchor in a contract dispute. Reportedly making $160,000 a year in salary, Cipolla rejected a management request to drop his pay down to $110,000 a year. A few months later, Cipolla  began teaching broadcast journalism classes at Cal Poly and working as a co-anchor of the KCOY morning show with Sara Cole.

Cipolla succeeds Rob Bryn who passed away in March.


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I wish Tony good luck in your new career.


Rob Bryn was an old friend and I miss him, but a bit sensitive … I think you will handle the new job objectively and tactfully.


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This is an terrible or spooky thought but what would happen if David Congalton and Tony Cippola competed for the same position? It would be a difficult decision between the two.


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I don’t think it would have been a difficult decision. I have a lot of respect for Congalton and I think he is great at what he does, but Cippola is more well known for being an impartial reporter of the news, where Congalton has been more involved with debate and expressing his opinion on events through his talk radio show. Expressing your personal opinion is not bad, but it’s not a quality you really want in a PIO. Also, no offense to Congalton, but Cippola is a little more “camera ready” ;)


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seriously, at the podcast link below, go to minute #57


http://edbroadcasters.com/podcasts/congalton/05-21-12.mp3


“Call security!!! I will not be laughed at by you!!”


Would want this person as a county PIO?


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I’m sure Tony was just happy to escape KCOY. Now that Cowles Media has lost KCOY’s morning “talent,” how long will it be before they start using their talking heads from KION and generic corporate studio in Salinas to produce the “local” morning news (pre-reorded of course).


I’m suprised that nobody has thought of recording our “local” news programs in India. If they filmed the newscasts in Mumbai, which is on the western central coast of India, then they could still market it to us local dupes as “Central Coast News.” I’m not exactly sure why the owners of KCOY thought we would be happy with stale, pre-recorded local news that is produced in a studio 140 miles away? Didn’t we used to call stale news that was produced hours ago a “newspaper?”


Anyway, best wishes to Tony and his family, they are really good people. It’s nice to see Tony taking on something a little more stable as he gets older. News anchors who try too hard to stay on local television past their prime are doomed to spend their retirement years singing karaoke on cable access.


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A long time ago Tony did an interview on air about the book I had written about moving. “Moving Hell Made Easier”. He was friendly, professional in his questions, amd not in a big hurry to get the interview over with, like someone that had moved and suffered a lot of damage. He did his homework ahead of time. I liked that about him and I am quite certain that he is the same Tony. Great family also.


Tony is the typical man about town. Glad to see he is staying around here. Keep up the good work and hope to see you back on the news again. (If thats what you want). God bless you and your family.


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Congratulations Tony, I enjoyed you as an anchor and it was KSBY’s loss when you left in my opinion. On the other hand, I guess this means I can’t hope to anticipate any future entertainment coming out of the SLOSD PR Dept, as I’m reminded of the Pedo Bear Scare. LOL


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Whatever they do just don’t put Tony in charge of any finances. Tony you complained to the local media about losing 50 k in salary, pass that up at 110 k to settle on another 40 k less, for a total minus of 90 k. Glad for your job Tony but you should have taken the offer that KSBY put on the table and not so proud. Your pride has cost you quite a bit of money.


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Don’t worry, he’s a government employee now. He’ll be back to that $160k a year in no time.


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Too late, missed the window before the “pension reform.”


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Your comment is pretty clueless.


Tony was working two jobs at KSBY for that $160,000 salary and putting in over 80 hours a week. This PR job will probably be an easy 40 hours a week tops. If you consider the hours worked, he will be making more that this new job than he would have doing two jobs for $110,000 at KSBY. It also was well know that there was quite a toxic management environment at KSBY that Tony did well to escape from.


Tony was wise to realize that quality of life is far more important than purely how much salary you are making, and in my book that makes in far smarter than someone who just looks at the salary numbers in making a decision.


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I just comment on what I read at the time it was in the paper. I don’t recall anything about two jobs.


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