Wgn Layoffs: On-air names revealed in wgn layoffs round
wgn layoffs hit WGN-TV on Monday, with the station cutting nine on-air personnel and, in another accounting, eight newsroom journalists plus a contract meteorologist whose deal was not renewed. The departures included longtime figures such as Dean Richards and Chris Boden, and company representatives signaled the move is part of broader cost adjustments.
Wgn Layoffs: Names cut and roles
The on-air personnel let go in this round included entertainment critic and reporter Dean Richards and sports anchor Chris Boden. Others listed as departing were news anchors Ray Cortopassi, Sean Lewis and Judy Wang; reporters Julian Crews and Bronagh Tumulty; meteorologist Mike Janssen; and political analyst Paul Lisnek. One account described the change as eight newsroom journalists and a contract meteorologist not renewed this week, while another described the cuts as nine on-air personnel.
How the cuts unfolded
Ray Cortopassi was reportedly laid off in the middle of his shift, leaving Micah Materre to work solo on the anchor desk Monday night. The layoffs followed a recent round of behind-the-scenes reductions that included copywriters, a pattern that one veteran TV reporter said was unlike anything previously seen at a Chicago station. More layoffs remain possible.
Anchor schedule reshuffled
The cuts shook up the station’s anchor schedule. Patrick Elwood will anchor solo at noon, Lourdes Duarte will anchor solo at 4 p. m., Ben Bradley will join Duarte at 5 p. m., and Micah Materre will join Bradley at 6 p. m. Materre also will anchor solo from 9 to 10: 30. The popular morning-news crew is expected to remain intact.
Long tenures and career notes
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. 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. Boden has covered sports for more than 30 years at a half-dozen Chicago TV and radio stations. Wang began at the defunct CLTV in 1995 before joining WGN in 2009. Cries of alarm at the depth of the cuts referenced the decadeslong service of several of those dismissed; one description labeled the action a severe blow to local journalism.
Mergers, debt and financial pressures
Executives and industry observers have linked the layoffs to a pending $6. 2 billion deal in which Nexstar announced it would acquire Tegna in August, a transaction that would require the Federal Communications Commission to lift its 39% ownership cap. The acquisition was described as creating a broadcast behemoth that would cover about 80% of U. S. TV households. The station’s parent company already has been carrying debt from a $4. 1 billion purchase of Tribune Media in 2019, and the layoffs were framed as an effort to cut costs in anticipation of the additional debt expected from the Tegna acquisition.
Voices and reactions
Veteran Chicago broadcast journalist and DePaul University professor Carol Marin called the move "It’s a massacre, " adding, "Money is behind it. Money, and the merger with Nexstar and Tegna. These cuts are not about talent. The people they have let go are among their most talented. " Media observers including Timothy Franklin, the chair of the local news department at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, said, "There’s no question this is a cost-cutting move that does reflect the secular declines in local television news viewership, but the depth of these cuts has got to be related to the merger that’s pending with Tegna. " Franklin added that the step "presages a reorganization that could take place after these two companies combine. " FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had said the administration of President Donald Trump was supportive of the proposed Nexstar-Tegna merger less than a week before the layoffs; President Donald Trump wrote, "GET THAT DEAL DONE!" earlier this month in reference to the merger.
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. "
Ratings and station performance
Despite the cuts, the station was described as still very profitable. Ratings notes in the wake of the layoffs observed that WGN News performs great in the morning, dominates Fox 32 at 9 p. m. and is competitive at 10. Its morning-news show was noted as being emulated by other stations in the country.
For now, WGN-TV faces an altered newsroom and anchor lineup, with the departures, schedule changes and merger-related financial calculations shaping what comes next.
