Nexstar lays off eight veteran on-air reporters at WGN-TV

Nexstar Media Group cut eight veteran on-air journalists at its Chicago station WGN-TV, local reporting shows, removing anchors, reporters and on-air specialists in a round of layoffs that staffers said cast a pall over the newsroom. The reductions took place Monday and were confirmed by multiple local outlets, with the Chicago Tribune reporting the “final tally” reached eight and industry outlet TheDesk saying at least nine workers were affected.

Weekend morning anchor Sean Lewis, a station veteran and union steward, was among those let go. “This afternoon, I filed my last report for WGN on the noon show,” Lewis told the Chicago Tribune. “A lot of really good people lost their jobs today, and it’s a shame.” Tribune reporting said Lewis was sitting in a layoff meeting in his role as steward when managers asked him to stay and added his name to the list.

Nexstar declined to discuss individual personnel matters. Spokesman Gary Weitman provided a company statement quoted across outlets: “Nexstar does not comment on personnel issues, but the company is taking steps necessary to compete effectively in this period of unprecedented change.” Newsroom sources described the atmosphere as somber, saying it was “one of those days” that left a room of TV journalists speechless.

The cuts are the latest in a series of reductions at WGN-TV this season. Reporting by the Tribune and Crain’s said six newswriters and three technical director positions were eliminated last month and four floor director positions were removed in October. Industry outlets and local sources tied the moves to broader consolidation pressures that broadcasters face as they pursue scale to cut costs and refinance operations.

Corporate context sharpens those pressures. Nexstar bought Tribune Media, including WGN, in 2019 for about $4.1 billion and is awaiting federal approval for a proposed acquisition of Tegna that has been reported at $6.8 billion by some outlets and at $6 billion by others. Crain’s reported that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signaled he was prepared to approve the merger. Analysts and newsroom sources say cost reductions at local stations are likely part of strategies to manage the substantial debt large deals would impose.

Management action followed the layoffs. Akemi Harrison, who was named WGN-TV news director in August, is holding group meetings with staff to discuss the reorganization, sources said. TheDesk and other trade outlets named additional on-air staff reported as laid off, including Julian Grews, Bronagh Tumulty, Judy Wang, Ray Cortopassi, meteorologist Mike Janssen and political analyst Paul Lisnek; those names have not been uniformly confirmed across legacy local outlets.

The local cuts track a national trend of consolidation and centralization in television news, where owners consolidate operations, centralize functions like weather forecasting and trim payrolls to shore up margins. For viewers, the immediate consequence is thinner local reporting capacity in a major media market and for employees, the loss underscores continuing job insecurity amid industry restructuring. For Nexstar, the decisions reflect a balance between promises to bolster local news and the near-term financial reality of funding expansion through acquisitions.