Nexstar Media’s NewsNation, a Chicago-based cable news network launched on September 1, 2020, celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2025, evolving from a fledgling operation into a competitive player.
Originally a three-hour prime-time block on WGN America, it has grown into a 24/7 network, carving a niche behind Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN with a middle-of-the-road approach.
NewsNation topped CNN and MSNBC in viewership during its coverage of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on September 21, 2025, signaling its growing influence.
- Early Struggles: Launched amid a pandemic and polarizing election, the network faced low ratings, programming shakeups, and management exits, including VP Jennifer Lyons in 2021. An early Trump interview in 2020 was criticized as weak, failing to boost traction.
- Turnaround Under New Leadership: Since 2021, former Fox News executive Cherie Grzech and ABC News veteran Michael Corn have driven expansion. High-profile hires like Chris Cuomo (2022) and new studios in New York and Washington, D.C., bolstered prime-time offerings. Grzech, now president of news, oversees 550 employees, with 5,500 local journalists from Nexstar’s 200 stations enhancing breaking news coverage.
- Cultural Impact: A 2024 Saturday Night Live parody marked NewsNation’s rising profile, with Grzech noting that being “noticed” reflects success.
Unique Edge Headquartered in Chicago: NewsNation leverages Nexstar’s local TV network for unmatched on-the-ground reporting, earning its “scrappy underdog” label. Despite trailing the “big three,” its focus on unbiased news and local resources positions it as a growing force in cable news.