Report: Sinclair To Shutter Local News In Five Markets

Five Sinclair Broadcast Group stations will cease all local news broadcasts in two weeks after layoffs eliminated most or all of their respective news teams. The affected stations are WNWO Toledo, Ohio; KTVL Medford, Ore.; KPTM Omaha, Neb.; WGFL Gainesville, Fla.; and KPTH Sioux City, Iowa, according to TV NewsCheck.

Instead of regularly scheduled local news, starting May 15 the stations will air The National Desk (TND), programming that, according to a Sinclair statement, “provides real-time national and regional news from Sinclair’s television stations across the U.S.

“We’re changing the way we produce news in these markets to ensure their long-term success,” the company statement also said. “TND has grown exponentially over the last year, reaching nearly 3 million viewers per week, across all dayparts. [The programming] offers an alternative choice for news, and there will be an opportunity for local news cut-ins in the newscast.”

Sinclair did not reveal the number of employees let go across the five stations. Some of them may be reassigned to other positions within the company. According to a local digital publication in Oregon, Medford Alert, Sinclair is expected to reveal more details about the layoffs prior to the news broadcast changeover.

“I’m still in shock, and just really sad,” said one of the former news team members. “We were all in a room together when a person from Sinclair announced news was not meeting ratings expectations and therefore not appealing to high-dollar sponsorships. Immediately, someone brought up union rules and that they were owed 90 days’ notice. HR replied that they spoke with the union and didn’t say anything else about it.”