WGN Layoffs 2026: Eight Veteran Anchors and Reporters Cut in Massive Nexstar Downsizing
Chicago's iconic WGN-TV is at the center of a devastating round of layoffs that has shocked one of the city's most storied newsrooms. On Monday, February 23, 2026, parent company Nexstar Media Group eliminated eight on-air reporters and anchors in a single afternoon, leaving staff speechless and raising serious questions about the future of local news in Chicago.
WGN Layoffs Hit Eight On-Air Staffers in One Day
Eight reporters and anchors were laid off Monday at WGN-Ch. 9, the latest round of cuts at the Chicago television station owned by Dallas-based Nexstar Media Group. Among those let go was weekend morning anchor Sean Lewis, a nearly 20-year veteran of the station. Lewis said he was informed of his dismissal Monday afternoon after filing what became his final report for the noon broadcast.
The abrupt layoffs of the on-air news staff sent some reporters packing in the middle of their shifts. Station management made it clear the reduction in force was due to budgetary constraints. "It's not often where you can leave a room full of people who work in TV news speechless, and today was one of those days," said a newsroom source. "It's been a pretty rough day."
Sean Lewis Among the Most Notable WGN Departures
The most high-profile exit from the WGN layoffs was a face that Chicago viewers had trusted for nearly two decades on their television screens every weekend morning.
Lewis was attending a union meeting in his role as union steward when a colleague was being informed of their layoff. When that meeting concluded, station management asked Lewis to stay, and he learned he was also being let go. His biggest regret was not being able to say goodbye to viewers on air.
Lewis, who grew up watching WGN as a child, reflected: "I have loved WGN since I watched it as a kid growing up, and I lived a dream for 19 years, being able to tell Chicago's stories. I can't wait to see what the next chapter of my story is, but I'm not moving. This is my city."
WGN Layoffs Are Part of Months-Long Downsizing Pattern
Monday's round of WGN layoffs did not happen in isolation. The cuts are part of a sustained and accelerating reduction that has been quietly hollowing out the newsroom for months.
The layoffs follow additional reductions in recent months, including six newswriters and three technical directors last month, and four floor directors in October, according to newsroom sources. The cuts come as Nexstar awaits federal approval of its proposed $6.8 billion acquisition of Tegna, a deal that would further expand the nation's largest local TV station group.
Nexstar Media bought WGN-Ch. 9 in 2019 as part of its $4.1 billion acquisition of Chicago-based Tribune Media, creating the nation's largest local TV station group and moving WGN's TV, radio and cable stations under Dallas-based ownership.
Nexstar's Statement and What Comes Next at WGN
Nexstar issued a brief statement saying the company does not comment on personnel matters and that it was taking steps to compete effectively during a period of significant change in the media industry.
Akemi Harrison, who was named news director at WGN-TV in August, is reportedly holding group meetings with newsroom staff to discuss the reorganization. Insiders say Nexstar is reducing the station to a shell of its former self — and the loss of institutional knowledge of the city and its news may prove even more costly to WGN in the long run.
A Proud Legacy Now Under Threat
For WGN, a station that launched from Tribune Tower in 1948 and built its identity around Chicago sports, local personalities, and community-focused news, Monday's events represent another step away from the institution it once was. Chicago journalism insiders fear the sustained WGN layoffs signal an irreversible decline for one of the Midwest's most beloved broadcast brands.
