Sinclair Broadcast Group has handed down a round of layoffs at its newly-acquired stations in Seattle and Portland, TVSpy has learned.
A source at Seattle ABC affiliate KOMO tells TVSpy that there were 10 layoffs in the station’s newsroom and close to 20 across all Sinclair’s properties in Seattle. They include satellite truck operators, editors, producers and radio reporters and editors.
The source describes the mood at KOMO as “a combination of sadness and nervousness,” noting that the newsroom is a “very tight-knit group” that has been through a lot, including the death of Kathi Goertzen, over the past two years. Staffers are said to be banding together to help laid-off employees find new jobs.
KOMO news director Holly Gauntt declined to comment. General manager Janene Drafs did not respond to an email from TVSpy.
In Portland, The Oregonian reports nine people were laid off at ABC affiliate KATU, including “three editors, a writer, a producer, two truck operators and two folks who work with KATU’s web operation, including an executive producer.”
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