Local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC affiliates nationwide are slashing newsroom staff and operations as of January 2026, driven by plunging revenues and shifting viewer habits.
The most significant cuts are hitting TEGNA-owned stations, which operate about 64 outlets across the major networks. The company has begun eliminating positions effective January 2026, including high-profile roles like the sports director at Minneapolis NBC affiliate KARE 11.
TEGNA has also centralized weather coverage and reduced local marketing and production teams in recent restructuring.
Similar reductions are widespread across the industry:
- Nexstar Media Group, the largest station owner, cut roughly 2% of its workforce in late 2024/early 2025.
- Gray Television, E.W. Scripps, and Sinclair Broadcast Group have all implemented layoffs or closed local news operations at multiple stations in 2024–2025.
These moves contributed to more than 17,000 media job losses in 2025, with local TV newsrooms among the hardest hit.
Broadcasters cite declining traditional advertising (especially in non-election years), cord-cutting, competition from streaming platforms, and flattening retransmission fees as the primary causes. Many stations are shifting to centralized national or regional content to cut costs.
Critics warn the changes are creating “news deserts,” reducing in-depth coverage of local government, schools, and emergencies. Industry leaders argue the adjustments are essential for survival amid ongoing economic pressures in traditional media.
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