Those words are from an internal memo at Tegna, owners of KING, KGW, KREM in the PNW and many others all over the country. Our friends at ftvlive.com got a hold of it, posted it on the wib site and distributed it thru their newsletter today. I copied a portion of it below but the full story is at the link. It appears ominous for TV news and TV personnel at the company, and seemingly is being pushed by the former CBS Corporate lady who wound up at Tegna:
"Just when you thought you’d heard it all, one of the country's largest station owners has decided to share its vision for the future. And if you work in television news, you might want to sit down for this. In an internal memo announcing a major reorganization, Tegna CEO Mike Steib dropped a line so stunning, so perfectly corporate, that it deserves to be framed. He wrote, “We will not make news for TV.” You read that right. A company that owns dozens of television stations, that employs thousands of people to produce television newscasts, has declared it will no longer be making news for... well, you know. Of course, this is all wrapped in the heroic language of saving local journalism from the clutches of "Big Tech." The plan is to create a "story-first news making approach" to serve audiences "24/7 on CTV streaming and mobile." So, let's unpack what this masterpiece of corporate communication really means for the people in the trenches. https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2025/7/17/major-tegna-reorganization There is also a story on the site about Tegna handing out stickers! |
I have to wonder what this will actually mean in practice for the Tegna stations. The "story first" approach reminds me of the approach that a number of stations owned by Scripps are taking: doing away with the traditional anchor desk and format and having everything (aside from weather in most cases) handeled from the field, all assembled in a playlist-like format.
ReplyDeleteI would not rule that out in some fashion, although I'm not sure that style has helped Scripps all that much, except to cut anchor salaries. I think there will be some significant adjustments with the creation of (now 5) regional content VPs. It plays more to hubbing.
ReplyDeleteTegna did try hubbing KREM's (Spokane) weekend weather in Denver earlier this year, but I saw something about that move being reversed not long ago, so I'm not sure if they're having much success with the idea of hubbing.
DeleteFor some unknown reason, the KREM weather came out of KUSA in Denver. May have been an idea that did not stick on air. But the regional marketing hubs (one at KING) and the five regional news executives (one at KING) just added at least means there is management consolidation, which I call hubbing.
ReplyDeleteThere is certainly management and marketing hubbing going on at Tegna, but it is still early days for the concepts, so I'd hesistate to call them a success just yet. If the Tegna stations broadly do well during the November sweeps, then I'd be more inclined to call it a sucess.
DeleteYes, far too soon to tell if all of it will work. But the trail is being carved out. They will need measurables on all fronts.
DeleteAfter reading the full post, it’s clear that TEGNA is strategically positioning key personnel for retention with promotions to corporate gigs while preparing for broader headcount reductions — including at the station level and potentially among general managers — ahead of an eventual sale. The financials all but demand it, especially given the escalating costs of sports rights, affiliation fees with a backdrop of cord cutting and declining ad revenues.
ReplyDeleteThe current CEO approaches the business with a tech-centric, platform-first mindset, more focused on transactions than on journalism or public service. It’s apparent that community impact and public interest are no longer priorities; the driving objective is to increase shareholder value. This may align with market expectations, but it's a fundamental shift in what local broadcasting has traditionally stood for.
It is indeed. Broadcasting has long been about serving the public interest. That ship is sailing. Shareholders do need to be kept satisified, but satisifcation should mean more than dollar signs and larger bank accounts.
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