Scripps is eliminating 431 positions in an “enterprise-wide transformation,” the company said Tuesday, as layoffs and buyout offers reach nearly all of its television stations across the country.
In a memo to staff, President and CEO Adam Symson said the cuts affect employees who have made meaningful contributions to the company and acknowledged the impact on those leaving, their colleagues and their teams. He said Scripps hopes to fill as many newly created roles as possible with employees whose positions are eliminated.
Employees familiar with the cuts said they are affecting stations in markets including Detroit, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Denver, Phoenix and West Palm Beach. The layoffs follow a similar round in September, when Scripps restructured its local news operations under regional general managers overseeing stations in 11 territories.
 |
| Adam Symson |
The cuts come as Scripps expands a production method known internally as “Stacker,” in which newsroom managers assemble recorded segments into 30- or 60-minute newscasts. The company views the process as a way to reduce costs, according to two people familiar with the changes.
Some producers said they were reassigned to create content for Scripps’ website and 24-hour news streams instead of using Stacker. Another producer described the process as unstable, citing workflow errors—some of which were visible in broadcasts. Producers at stations adopting the method have received buyout offers, and some fear further job cuts as it spreads.
Symson acknowledged in his memo that eliminating roles while creating new ones may be difficult to understand, but said the changes are important to Scripps’ future.