Sinclair big boss Chris Ripley sent out a long memo to employees talking about a strategic restructuring. That translates into trouble His exact words were: “...unlocking new opportunities through innovations and scale." Scale. Is that code for consolidation.?
Sinclair owns KOMO Seattle, KATU, Portland and KVAL in Eugene and KIMA in Yakima. Sinclair now jumps on the bandwagon that started last week with Gray, Nexstar and Tegna either acquiring stations, selling stations or talking major deals that will jeopardize jobs and journalism.
That is a very worrying statement for everyone who works in the industry. It feels as though we are now diving head first into a wave of consolidation that will make all of the consolidation that occured throughout the 2010's look like nothing.
ReplyDeleteI’m always worried about profit affecting journalism. My knee jerk reaction, bring back the fairness doctrine.
ReplyDeleteRich
I share your concern. TV news wasn't about making money in its earliest days. It was seen as a public service for the greater good. A return to that way of thinking would be most welcome, even though there is next to no chance that will happen.
DeleteAlso, I agree about the fairness doctrine. Its long past time that was restored!
Tv was always about making money. It was just so easy to make a ton of it long ago that stations could do a little public service along the way so that the local GM or owner could have a little social cache.
DeleteIf the Fairness Doctrine ever came back, it would end the cable news networks and talk radio as we know them.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly would. I'd like to think we'd be better off for it. That being said, it would dramatically change our news landscape, and potentially accelerate its downsizing if the news consuming public doesn't go for it.
DeleteWayne. I would call that a good thing. We have media that profit off hatred and division. How many times can you repeat radical left wing lunatics
ReplyDeleteRich
Yep. Fair and balanced like Fox News. LOL.
ReplyDelete