SAG-AFTRA leaders are criticizing Nexstar for conducting widespread layoffs at local TV stations across the country, saying the action illustrates the dangers of media consolidation.
Local Los Angeles station KTLA, Chicago station WGN and WPIX in New York were reportedly affected by the cuts. In Los Angeles alone, broadcasters Glenn Walker and Lou Parker and meteorologist Mark Kreski have been swept up in a round of layoffs, Los Angeles Times I mentioned. SAG-AFTRA claims that eight union members at WGN in Chicago have been laid off.
Leaders of the Performers Union, which represents local television journalists, launched an attack over the layoffs on Wednesday. “By laying off journalists across the country, Nexstar is eroding the resources and talent that local communities rely on for reliable news,” union president Sean Astin said in a statement. “These actions highlight the risks of media consolidation and underscore the urgent need for regulators and the company to prioritize the public interest and the professionals who serve it.”
Nexstar, the largest TV station owner in the United States, said it does not comment on employee issues, but the company is “taking necessary steps to compete effectively in this period of unprecedented change.”
Nexstar is currently trying to complete a $6.2 billion merger with rival station owner Tegna. With his remarks, Astin appeared to be urging regulators to look into the deal more closely, even as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr previously indicated support for the deal.
Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA is currently negotiating several labor agreements with Nexstar stations. “At the table, Nexstar is pushing to eliminate severance pay and include burdensome provisions in the union contract that limit workers’ ability to freely negotiate the terms of their employment,” SAG-AFTRA claimed in its press release.
The union’s chief negotiator pledged to get a good deal for its members in those ongoing negotiations. “SAG-AFTRA will not stand idly by while the future of local news is at risk,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, National Executive Director of SAG-AFTRA. “We will continue to fight for strong agreements that protect journalists and the public who depend on them every day.”
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