Mark Kliski, an eight-time Emmy Award winner and longtime weather anchor for KTLA since appearing on the Los Angeles TV show when KTLA Morning News launched in 1991, has been fired from the station. Kriski’s departure is part of Nexstar’s nationwide layoffs, which include major layoffs at its flagship stations WPIX New York, WGN Chicago and KTLA Los Angeles.
KTLA also fired daytime anchors Glenn Walker, who had been with KTLA since 2010, and Lou Parker, who had been with KTLA since 2015. The Chicago Tribune reported eight layoffs at WGN, including Dean Richards, who had been with the station in various capacities since 1991.
The paper also said Sean Lewis (a union trustee who worked at WGN for 20 years), Ray Cortopassi, Bronner Tamarti, Judy Wang, Julian Cruz, Paul Lisnek and Chris Bowden were also fired. The Tribune also reported that Mike Janseen, a weather forecaster who had been with the agency since 2010, had his contract not renewed. The paper also said that “six news writers have been laid off and three technical director positions have been eliminated.”
Meanwhile, WPIX’s layoffs are said to include anchors Cori Chambers, Arianae LeBeau, John Muller and Craig Treadway.
“While Nexstar does not comment on personnel matters, the company is taking the necessary steps to compete effectively during a time of unprecedented change,” a Nexstar spokesperson said in a statement.
Nexstar’s job cuts come as the company is in the process of acquiring Tegna Broadcasting Group, which will give it greater oversight of television news departments in major local markets across the country.
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA condemned Nexstar for eliminating union jobs at KTLA and WGN, noting that the layoffs come as SAG-AFTRA is actively negotiating with Nexstar stations in several markets.
“By laying off journalists across the country, Nexstar is undermining the resources and talent that communities rely on for news they can trust,” SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said in a statement. “These actions highlight the risks of media consolidation and highlight the urgent need for regulators and businesses to prioritize the public interest and the professionals who serve it.”
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA accused Nexstar of “inserting onerous provisions into union contracts that promote reductions in severance benefits and limit workers’ ability to freely negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment.” These SAG-AFTRA staff reductions are also in conjunction with Nexstar’s completion of its $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna. The decision to cut jobs at local news stations because of this consolidation is particularly concerning. ”
“Our members are trusted voices in their communities, and they deserve contracts that respect their work and protect their future,” added Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator. “SAG-AFTRA will not stand idly by while the future of local news is at risk. We will continue to fight for a strong agreement that protects our journalists and the viewers who rely on it every day.”
Meanwhile, the Communications Workers of America, part of the AFL-CIO, has also criticized Nexstar for fighting employee efforts to unionize in some markets and retaliating against individual workers for unionizing.
“For the past two years, workers have voted for union representation in elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) at three Nexstar stations and one broadcast hub,” the CWA said. “In each case, Nexstar refused to recognize the union despite clear election results and instead filed frivolous appeals. …The NLRB has filed four complaints against Nexstar for firing employees who supported the union at its Denver location. The NLRB is also investigating five unfair labor practice charges in Henderson, Kentucky, alleging the company fired union supporters and unilaterally changed working conditions.”
As for Kriski, the meteorologist was the last remaining host of the KTLA Morning News from its inception. He suffered a stroke in May 2024 and was forced to take a break from broadcasting for a while before returning the following year.
