Wgn Layoffs: wgn layoffs hit on-air staff, names revealed
One report said nine on-air personnel were cut Monday in the latest round of wgn layoffs, while another said eight reporters and anchors were laid off Monday at WGN-Ch. 9. More staff could be laid off Tuesday.
Wgn Layoffs: who was cut
The names released in the rounds of cuts include entertainment critic and reporter Dean Richards and sports anchor Chris Boden. Others let go were news anchors Ray Cortopassi, Sean Lewis and Judy Wang; reporters Julian Crews and Bronagh Tumulty; meteorologist Mike Janssen; and political analyst Paul Lisnek.
Midshift departure and solo anchor
Ray Cortopassi was laid off in the middle of his shift, leaving Micah Materre to work solo on the anchor desk Monday night. Sean Lewis, identified as a weekend morning anchor and a nearly 20-year veteran of the station, said he was informed of his dismissal Monday afternoon after filing what became his final report for the noon broadcast.
Veterans and tenure details
Some of the talents let go are nationally known from WGN’s days as a superstation, when its programming beamed cable and satellite across the country. Dean Richards joined WGN in 1991 as a staff announcer and became a regular contributor in 1998. Julian Crews has covered the city and state since 1996. Chris Boden has covered sports for more than 30 years at a half-dozen Chicago TV and radio stations. Judy Wang began at the defunct CLTV in 1995 before joining WGN in 2009.
Behind-the-scenes reductions
The on-air cuts follow a recent round of behind-the-scenes layoffs that included copywriters. Additional reductions in recent months included six newswriters and three technical directors last month and four floor directors in October. One veteran TV reporter said they had never seen this many cuts at once from a Chicago station.
Debt, Tegna merger figures
The layoffs arrive as Nexstar works to merge with Tegna and manages related financial pressures. One account noted that in August Nexstar announced it would acquire Tegna for $6. 2 billion, creating a broadcast behemoth that would cover about 80% of U. S. TV households and that the deal requires the Federal Communications Commission to lift its 39% ownership cap. Another account described the transaction as a proposed $6. 8 billion acquisition of Tegna that is awaiting federal approval and would further expand the nation’s largest local TV station group. Last week FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signaled he is prepared to approve the merger.
The layoffs were described as an apparent effort to cut costs in anticipation of excessive debt Nexstar will incur from money borrowed to buy Tegna. Nexstar already has been carrying the debt from its $4. 1 billion purchase of Tribune Media in 2019.
Station standing and company comment
WGN is still very profitable, despite changes in viewing habits, but the cuts have to come from somewhere, through no fault of the employees affected. Ratings-wise, WGN News performs great in the morning, dominates Fox 32 at 9 p. m. and is competitive at 10. Its popular morning-news show is emulated by other stations in the country.
A Nexstar spokesperson said: "Nexstar does not comment on personnel issues, but the company is taking steps necessary to compete effectively in this period of unprecedented change. "
The immediate sequence of events included the disclosed cuts of the named on-air staff, the midshift layoff of Ray Cortopassi that left Micah Materre anchoring alone Monday night, and the notification to Sean Lewis Monday afternoon after his noon report that that broadcast would be his last for the station.
More staff could be laid off Tuesday as the company adjusts staffing amid the financial and regulatory developments surrounding the Tegna transaction.
Unclear in the provided context: whether additional names or numbers will be released and the precise timing of any further staff reductions beyond the possibility of Tuesday.
