Has this Seattle news boss made a difference?

Let's get a conversation started on this first day of the year with a personal commentary:

On Dec. 31, 2024 one year ago, Mark Neerman was named the new news director for Sinclair's KOMO.  Amid my personal expectations as a former ND who had to push creative change, I want to ask viewers what changes or improvements they have seen during his tenure to make the newscasts better (or worse).   Has he been able to put a true stamp on the product?   

Most of the change that I have noted here came in personnel.  Meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson and weekend news anchor Hannah Knowles left, as did reporters Paul Rivera, Ryan Simms and Denise Whitaker.   New anchor Chris Nguyen was gone in February after just a couple of months.  On the plus side, he brought anchor Steve Soliz over from KING and reporter Claire Weber from SC.  Standard turnover in TV newsrooms.

On screen, the only tangible change I have seen is putting newscast anchors in a smaller one-box,while simultaneously voicing over video, which, I believe distracts a viewer from focusing on the key pictures.  We know what the anchor looks like.   Were there others I failed to catch?   Are there more changes ahead?    Has digital content improved?    Less emphasis on crime or more?  

There have been plenty of short anchor promos that claim the station 'holds officials accountable,' but I have noticed no breakthrough investigations or interviews.   Maybe I missed them?

Of course, I did see quotes from this memo apparently sent by Sinclair corporate news boss, Scott Livingston, on how the company's news departments should handle stories about the 'Epstein Files.':

"If there is a legitimate, verified development tied to this topic and confirmed through reliable sourcing and supported by facts, we will pursue.” The email concludes with the direction that "Moving forward, any story on this topic must be vetted by a corporate news leader and/or legal."

YIKES...corporate guard rails are not new, but this smacks of prior restraint and seemingly compromises unilateral power in the newsroom (or at least severely complicates it).

Not sure if Mr. Neerman agrees, but it doesn't look like he can do anything about it, given his company's previous positions.   BTW, he was a Sinclair news boss in Las Vegas, so he is no stranger to the company line, which is well-known in the industry.   

Full disclosure:  I knew Mark when we worked for the old BELO company back in the day.   Good guy, but I worry.   However, I make no apologies for my feelings about Sinclair, of which he is aware.    

I welcome your thoughts.