Wgn Layoffs: Eight to Nine On-Air Staff Cut in Major Chicago Shake-Up
The latest wgn layoffs saw eight to nine on-air staffers depart the Chicago station on Monday, part of a larger wave of newsroom reductions that managers link to cost pressures and corporate deals. Reports differ on the exact headcount, but the losses include long-tenured anchors, reporters, a meteorologist and a political analyst.
Wgn Layoffs: Who was let go
Accounts list the following on-air personnel among those cut:
- Dean Richards — entertainment critic and reporter
- Chris Boden — sports anchor
- Ray Cortopassi — news anchor
- Sean Lewis — weekend morning anchor, nearly two-decade veteran (anchored weekend mornings since 2010); informed of dismissal after filing his final noon report
- Judy Wang — news anchor
- Julian Crews — reporter (has covered city and state since 1996)
- Bronagh Tumulty — reporter
- Mike Janssen — meteorologist (contract reportedly not renewed on Friday; began as meteorologist at the station in 2010)
- Paul Lisnek — political analyst
Different accounts show variation in the count: one version lists nine names for Monday’s cuts, while other accounts list eight. There are indications that more staff could be laid off Tuesday. The sequence also included a notable mid-shift dismissal: Ray Cortopassi was removed during his shift, leaving Micah Materre to anchor solo that Monday night.
Numbers, recent rounds and newsroom impact
The on-air reductions follow a string of behind-the-scenes and technical cuts over recent months. Those prior moves included reductions among newswriters, technical directors and floor directors, and earlier cuts affected copywriters. Specifically, one set of reductions last month eliminated six newswriters and three technical director positions, and four floor director positions were eliminated in October. The cumulative effect has cast a pall over the newsroom, with colleagues describing the scale as unusually large for a single Chicago station.
Veteran talent, tenure and local reach
Several of the departed on-air figures had long tenures and broad recognition. Dean Richards joined the station in 1991 as a staff announcer and became a regular contributor in 1998. Julian Crews has covered city and state beats since 1996. Chris Boden’s sports career spans more than three decades across multiple Chicago TV and radio outlets. Judy Wang began at a now-defunct local cable channel in 1995 before joining the station in 2009. Some of the talents had national visibility from the station’s earlier era as a superstation.
Corporate context: merger, debt and executive messaging
Station ownership and corporate strategy are cited as drivers of the cost-cutting. Leadership has framed the reductions as steps to remain competitive amid substantial change. The parent company is pursuing a large acquisition that is under regulatory review; different reports cite the proposed purchase price as either $6. 2 billion or $6. 8 billion. That planned deal would require relief from a 39% national TV ownership cap to win final approval. The parent also still carries debt tied to a prior $4. 1 billion acquisition in 2019. The combination of existing debt and the anticipated borrowing tied to the pending purchase is presented internally as a rationale for trimming expenses at the station.
Industry moves referenced and remaining uncertainties
Coverage of related corporate decisions notes that a former national cable arm was converted into a 24/7 cable news channel that has struggled in the ratings compared with major cable competitors. In a separate programming decision last fall, the company pulled a late-night program from some affiliated stations after controversial comments by that program’s host; that action was viewed by some observers as linked to regulatory dynamics, including public comments from the Federal Communications Commission chair about potential license consequences for affiliates that continued to carry the program.
Statements from management emphasize the need to take steps to compete effectively in a changing industry; management declined to comment on individual personnel matters. Several details remain unclear in the provided context, including the final count of on-air departures, whether additional layoffs will follow on Tuesday, and the full scope of planned newsroom reorganization meetings announced by the local news director.
What to watch next
- Whether the roster settles at eight or nine on-air departures and whether additional staff are cut Tuesday.
- Announcements from station leadership about reorganization plans and how those will affect programming and schedules.
- Regulatory movement on the pending acquisition and any statements from federal regulators that could influence further cost decisions.
The situation remains in flux; more details may emerge as affected staff and station leaders respond in the coming days.
