Sinclair has continued to make cuts to its local news programming. Now Sinclair has announced that it will stop offering local news on CBS4 in El Paso. Instead, it will move all its news assets to KFOX14, resulting in some layoffs, according to a report from El Paso Matters.
Last year Sinclair made cuts to other local TV stations. KTUL, Channel 8, a Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned ABC affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will soon produce its news out of Oklahoma City.
“Beginning December 11, we will be making changes to the way we produce news in Tulsa and refocusing our resources, establishing a regional content center to super serve the Tulsa and Oklahoma City television markets,” KTUL said in a statement shared on Facebook. “This will allow hyperlocal news and weather content from both markets, as well as regional content, to be included in every newscast.”
For several years, Sinclair has been cutting back on how many stations offer local news to reduce costs as cord cutting continues to grow in popularity. Local stations are facing increasing challenges to remain profitable in a soft ad market.
In a release, NBC 24 said The National Desk would offer “an alternative choice for news and provides an opportunity for local news cut-ins.”
Sinclair has also taken to remote broadcasting local news. The ABC station in Greensboro, North Carolina, is also seeing its local news produced out of Sinclair Fox San Antonio branch as it works to cut costs.
Local news, like many services, is struggling to find a way to be profitable as ad revenues have been down and cord cutting continues to grow.