Says it violates federal antirust law A federal judge blocked the $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Friday evening, setting the stage for a long and perhaps costly court battle. As first reported by The Desk, U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley in Sacramento issued the 52-page injunction, stating the mega-merger violates antitrust laws, and declared it illegal, […]
Approved despite lawsuits by states, DirecTV In a historic move, the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice approved the $6.2 billion merger between Irving, Tex.-based Nexstar and McLean, Va.-based Tegna, despite a lawsuit filed by eight state attorneys general and DirecTV. The deal officially closed Thursday night. The FCC granted waivers to Nexstar despite the national ownership cap […]
Comes after WGN layoffs [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on March 7 at 10:30 a.m.] As reported by the Sun-Times Thursday night, Fox-owned WFLD-TV/Fox 32 parted ways with anchor Scott Schneider after a decade, and executive news producer Marissa Rubino. Schneider has co-anchored the 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. newscasts with Dawn Hasbrouck since late 2023, succeeding the now-retired […]
WPIX New York and KTLA Los Angeles also hit with staff cuts, drawing the attention of SAG-AFTRA Fresh off of laying off nine employees at WGN-TV Monday, Nexstar made even more cuts on Wednesday, announcing layoffs at its KTLA Los Angeles and WPIX New York (which it operates through Mission Broadcasting) KTLA laid off five on-air personnel, including longtime meteorologist […]
Sean Lewis and Ray Cortopassi among those cut on the same day four Black lawmakers announced their opposition to Tegna deal Editor’s Note: This story was updated on February 24 at 11:10 a.m. Nexstar-owned WGN-TV announced Monday night it has laid off nine on-air anchors and reporters from its Bradley Place headquarters. The biggest name laid off was WGN evening […]
Moves took place within a few hours of each other Monday Within a few hours Monday evening, two syndicated talk shows saw their runs come to an end, but for different reasons. As expected, Kelly Clarkson announced on social media that she would be leaving her NBCUniversal Syndication Studios show this spring after seven seasons. The news doesn’t come […]
Show to last only 15 minutes [Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on January 27.] Nexstar’s WGN-TV announced Wednesday it is launching a new, weeknight political show called The Point, anchored by political editor Tahman Bradley. But in an unorthodox move, the program will air weeknights from 6:45 p.m to 7:00 p.m. starting January 26 for only fifteen minutes, […]
Respondents have varying opinions on AI as younger people leave legacy media behind Last month, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University released its second annual study on how viewers in the Chicago area consume and receive local news. The study provided valuable insights into trust, how viewers consume local news, and a significant issue: artificial intelligence (AI). Surveyed across […]
WGN-TV, Fox 32 expands local programming [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on Sept. 8 to reflect the last-minute scheduling changes made at Fox 32 and Fox Chicago Plus.] If there’s any indication about the struggles of first-run and off-network syndication, look no further than this season’s new crop of shows, in which you count on one hand whereas in […]
“Mike” looks to break the mold in local TV With the future of late-night TV iffy after the cancellation of CBS’ The Late Show, one local station in Philadelphia is jumping into the ring. Fox-owned WTXF Philadelphia (known as Fox 29) will air Mike, a new late-night talk show hosted by Mike Jerrick, beginning September 8 at 11:30 p.m. ET, […]
Jumps from rival NBC 5 to take position Nexstar-owned WGN-TV Chicago announced on Wednesday the hiring of Akemi Harrison as the station’s news director, succeeding the now-retired Dom Stasi in the role starting August 25. Harrison arrives from rival NBC-owned WMAQ (NBC 5), where she held the same position. Harrison’s official title is Director of News and Multiplatform Content, overseeing […]
Eanet has been with station since 1996 WGN Radio sportscaster anchor Dave Eanet announced his retirement this morning, but isn’t entirely going away, as he will continue to do play-by-play for Northwestern football and men’s basketball for the station, and he will continue as a fill-in sports anchor for WGN-TV newscasts and late-night sports wrap-up show GN Sports. WGN-TV and […]
Comes after the network agrees to concessions [Editor’s note: This post was updated July 25.] After months of waiting, the FCC has officially approved the Skydance-Paramount merger, which will bring changes to the nation’s most prestigious television network. Technically, the FCC approved the transfer of 28 FCC licenses of CBS stations to Skydance. CBS operates stations in eight of the […]
Event saw ratings drop this year due to network shifts It might be a while before you hear the roar of NASCAR engines downtown. NASCAR released a statement Friday stating it will not hold the Chicago Street Race in 2026, but hopes to return in 2027 on a later date: The Chicago Street Race debuted in 2023, but the NASCAR […]
Lands on ultimate tier [Editor’s Note: This is an article that was originally published on June 4 and has been updated to reflect recent developments. Updated June 7.] The long, local nightmare is over for Chicago-area sports fans who are Comcast subscribers – but for a price. In news surfacing late Wednesday night, the Chicago Sports Network struck a […]
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