Nexstar Media Group, the largest television station ownership group in the United States, has initiated a sweeping round of layoffs affecting veteran journalists across multiple local markets. The cuts, which include high-profile on-air talent in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, signal deepening financial pressures on traditional broadcasters as audiences migrate to digital platforms.
In Los Angeles, KTLA has lost several familiar faces who have become staples of the station's news programming for years. Glen Walker and Lu Parker, who anchored the station's late morning and midday newscasts, are among those departing. Walker has been with KTLA since 2010, while Parker joined the station in 2005, making their combined tenure nearly three decades of service to the Los Angeles market. Veteran meteorologist Mark Kriski, who has been part of KTLA's weather team since 1991, is also exiting the station. His departure marks the end of a 33-year career at the station, where he became one of the most recognizable weather personalities in Southern California.
The Irving, Texas-based media conglomerate has declined to comment specifically on individual personnel decisions, citing company policy. A representative stated that Nexstar is "taking steps necessary to compete effectively in this period of unprecedented change," framing the layoffs as a strategic response to fundamental shifts in the media landscape.
The reductions extend far beyond Southern California. At WGN in Chicago, a station long celebrated as "Chicago's Very Own" and a source of civic pride, Nexstar has eliminated 21 positions in recent weeks. The cuts include nine reporters and anchors let go on a single Monday, representing a significant brain drain of institutional knowledge. Among the casualties is Dean Richards, the station's longtime entertainment reporter and critic who has been a fixture at Hollywood press junkets and a trusted voice for Chicago audiences seeking insight into the entertainment industry.
In New York, WPIX has seen at least three on-air positions eliminated, including weekend anchor and reporter John Muller and afternoon anchor Arrianee LeBeau, who covered transit issues for the morning newscast. These cuts reflect a pattern of eliminating experienced journalists who have developed deep connections with their local communities.
The layoffs are part of a broader company-wide cost reduction initiative across Nexstar's portfolio of stations. This move comes as the company recently agreed to a $6.2-billion merger with station group Tegna, a deal that will further consolidate Nexstar's position as the dominant player in local television ownership. The merger, however, also creates pressure to realize synergies and reduce expenses to justify the massive investment.
The financial imperative driving these cuts stems from declining traditional TV viewership and the corresponding pressure on advertising revenue. As consumers increasingly shift their attention to video-streaming platforms, local broadcasters face a dual challenge: maintaining audience share while competing for ad dollars with digital giants that offer more precise targeting and measurement capabilities. This structural shift has created an existential crisis for many local stations that have long relied on retransmission fees and local advertising as their primary revenue streams.
Industry groups have been actively lobbying the federal government to lift restrictions that currently limit station ownership groups to covering no more than 39% of U.S. households. Broadcasters argue that these decades-old regulations put them at a competitive disadvantage against technology companies that face no such geographic constraints. They contend that greater scale would enable them to invest more heavily in local news gathering and compete more effectively with digital platforms for both audiences and advertising.
Nexstar's challenges are not limited to its local stations. The company operates NewsNation, a cable news network that launched in 2020 with ambitions of becoming a neutral alternative to established channels like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. Despite significant investment, NewsNation has struggled to make significant inroads against its well-entrenched competitors, further straining Nexstar's resources and strategic focus.
The human cost of these corporate decisions has not gone unnoticed. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing employees at both KTLA and WGN, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the layoffs. Union President Sean Astin characterized the cuts as an erosion of resources and talent that local communities depend on for trusted news. "These actions hurt the very foundation of local journalism," Astin said, emphasizing that the elimination of experienced reporters and anchors diminishes the quality and depth of coverage that viewers expect and deserve.
The situation at Nexstar reflects a broader trend across the broadcast television industry. As media companies grapple with the transition to a streaming-first world, many are choosing to reduce their most expensive line item: personnel. Veteran journalists with higher salaries and benefits packages often become targets for cost-cutting, even as their experience and community connections represent intangible value that is difficult to quantify on a balance sheet.
For viewers in markets like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, the departure of familiar faces creates a sense of loss and uncertainty about the future of local news. These journalists have served as trusted guides through major events, from wildfires and severe weather to political scandals and cultural moments. Their absence raises questions about whether stations can maintain the same level of quality and community engagement with less experienced, lower-cost replacements.
The long-term implications of these cuts extend beyond individual stations. As local newsrooms shrink, news deserts expand, leaving communities with fewer sources of reliable, locally-relevant information. This trend threatens democratic participation at the local level, where informed citizen engagement often depends on robust journalism holding public officials and institutions accountable.
Nexstar's strategy appears to prioritize short-term financial flexibility over long-term investment in local journalism. While the company argues that these measures are necessary for survival in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem, critics contend that dismantling experienced newsrooms undermines the very product that makes local television valuable and distinct from national streaming services.
As the $6.2-billion Tegna merger moves forward, industry observers will be watching closely to see whether Nexstar's cost-cutting continues or if the combined entity will find new ways to monetize local content in the digital age. For now, the laid-off journalists face an uncertain job market, while their former stations must rebuild with diminished resources in an increasingly competitive landscape.
The fundamental challenge remains: how can local broadcasters maintain their civic mission and journalistic standards while adapting to a business model that no longer supports the same level of staffing and investment? Nexstar's current approach suggests one answer, but it may come at the cost of the local news quality that communities have long taken for granted.