![]() ![]() “Free local news is paramount for many of our elderly and poor to stay aware, safe and educated,” the person continued. “It’s a huge blow to a very vulnerable group of people,” said another axed employee from a station in a different market, which they noted served “some of the most impoverished citizens in the country. “To know that there is a big story out there right now … and not be able to is a challenge because the public deserves to know. “Very valid issues and complaints have been brought up against major corporations for doing the things that they’re doing right now within the news business,” said one of the dismissed Sinclair news team members. CBS blamed much of Diamond’s financial woes on the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down professional sports for a time in 2020. in 2019 at a reported cost of roughly $10 billion. ![]() Sinclair purchased Diamond from the Walt Disney Co. According to a CBS News report from March 15, Diamond “is negotiating a new agreement that will eliminate most of its roughly $8.67 billion debt.” That prospective pact will see Diamond separate from its parent company. The news outlet shutterings arrived six weeks after the Diamond Sports Group, a regional sports broadcast company owned by Sinclair, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. “We couldn’t hire anyone, the quality of work was diminishing and some of us, like me, were doing three positions.” “Some of us have seen this coming,” a third person said. We considered ourselves a lot more like family than we did coworkers, so it’s been especially hard to see the people I care about hurting as well and knowing there’s nothing I can do to make it feel better.” “It is hard because we, as a smaller newsroom, were very, very close to one another. “I’m trying to stay positive,” said another source. HR replied that they spoke with the union and didn’t say anything else about it.” Immediately, someone brought up union rules and that they were owed 90 days’ notice. “We were all in a room together when a person from Sinclair announced news was not meeting ratings expectations and therefore not appealing to high-dollar sponsorships. “I’m still in shock, and just really sad,” said one of the former news team members. Collectively, they said 28 people in the two markets lost their jobs. They did not wish to reveal their identities out of concerns that Sinclair might take legal action against them or thwart future job opportunities. Most interview requests went unanswered and two were declined, but three sources from within two of the stations were responsive. TVNewsCheck reached out to several employees from each of the stations. According to a local digital publication in Oregon, Medford Alert, Sinclair is expected to reveal more details about the layoffs prior to the news broadcast changeover. Some of them may be reassigned to other positions within the company. Sinclair did not reveal the number of employees let go across the five stations. ![]()
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