Eight experienced on-air reporters and anchors lost their jobs at WGN-Ch. 9 in Chicago on Monday, February 23, in a sweeping round of cuts that rattled one of the city’s most storied newsrooms. Some staffers were informed mid-shift and cleared out before the day ended. By Monday evening, the full picture had come into focus — leaving colleagues stunned, shaken, and deeply uncertain about what lies ahead.
The reductions were confirmed by multiple insiders at the station, with budgetary pressures tied to parent company Nexstar Media Group cited as the driving force. Station management told those affected that the cuts were unavoidable but provided little additional explanation. Nexstar released a brief statement saying it does not comment on personnel matters and was taking steps to stay competitive during a period of rapid and significant change across the media industry.
The Faces Behind the WGN Fallout
Among the most recognized names to exit was Sean Lewis, a weekend morning anchor who had spent nearly two decades at WGN and had held his role since 2010. In a particularly striking turn of events, Lewis was attending a union meeting in his capacity as a union steward while a colleague was simultaneously being informed of their own layoff. When that meeting wrapped up, station management asked Lewis to stay behind — and then delivered the same news to him. His final on-air appearance had already come and gone during the noon broadcast earlier that day.
Lewis, who grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, watching WGN as a kid, has been open about his departure. He expressed pride in his years of service and deep sadness for those who were let go alongside him. His most pressing regret, he said, was not having the chance to say a proper goodbye to the viewers who watched him for so long.
A Newsroom Hollowed Out Over Months
Monday’s cuts were far from an isolated event. The layoffs are part of a sustained and months-long downsizing at WGN-TV that has reached across multiple departments. Six news writers and three technical directors were eliminated in January. Four floor director positions were cut in October 2025. Taken together, the reductions have stripped dozens of jobs from a newsroom that was once considerably larger, leaving remaining staff anxious and unsettled.
Despite the erosion of its workforce, WGN’s ratings have held up. The station’s morning news block continues to perform well, and its evening newscasts remain competitive against local rivals. But insiders expressed serious concern that the departure of so many seasoned professionals would drain the institutional knowledge that has long defined WGN’s coverage of Chicago and its communities.
The Nexstar-Tegna Deal Driving the Cuts
The larger backdrop to all of this is Nexstar’s pending $6.8 billion acquisition of rival broadcast group Tegna — a megamerger that would dramatically expand the Dallas-based company’s national presence. The deal still requires FCC approval, including a waiver of the 39% national TV audience ownership cap. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr signaled last week that he was prepared to greenlight the merger, pushing it closer to the finish line.
Nexstar was already carrying significant debt from its $4.1 billion purchase of Tribune Media in 2019, the deal that originally brought WGN into the company’s portfolio. Industry watchers widely view the latest round of cuts as a calculated move to ease the added financial weight the Tegna deal will bring. Nexstar also made recent headlines after briefly pulling Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its ABC-affiliated stations before reversing course nine days later following intense public backlash.
What This Means for Chicago’s TV Legacy
For WGN — a station that launched from Tribune Tower in 1948 and built its identity on Chicago sports, beloved local personalities, and community-rooted journalism — Monday’s events mark another painful step away from the institution it once was. The losses are not just numerical. They represent decades of relationships, institutional memory, and a connection to the city that cannot easily be replaced. What comes next for WGN’s remaining staff, and for Chicago viewers, remains an open and deeply uncomfortable question.
