Ahead of earnings later this week, The E.W. Scripps Company is laying off 268 workers across its broadcast television operations as part of a new phase of its transformation plan, CEO Adam Symson announced Tuesday in a company-wide memo.
Symson said pink slips went to “teammates who have helped build and serve this company in important ways,” adding that the company is “deeply grateful for everything they have contributed.”
The cuts hit local stations in markets including New York, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, affecting roles from newsroom production to local sales, according to sources. Newly acquired stations in places such as Colorado Springs and Twin Falls face deep consolidation and cost actions aimed at “fundamental changes in the product.” Newsroom resources will shift toward enterprise-level reporting instead of competing for the same stories.
.png)
Symson said this will create “efficiency and sustainability while preserving our ability to serve local communities across every platform” and make it easier to “stay aligned on strategy, execute best practices and evolve at the speed digital demands.”
Like other broadcasters, Scripps faces declining traditional TV viewership as audiences shift to streaming platforms such as Peacock, ESPN Unlimited, Fox One and Paramount+, some of which carry the same national programming found on Scripps stations.
Advertising dollars have followed. Local stations have responded by raising retransmission fees on cable and satellite, which has accelerated cord-cutting and reduced per-subscriber affiliate revenue.
Rumors of layoffs surfaced last week after a senior executive at a Tennessee station accidentally disclosed planned cuts during a conference call with local media executives.