The website CordcutterNews.com reported on Friday that Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the owner of WPMI in Mobile, WEAR-TV and more than a hundred televisions was shutting down some of its local news operations.
Sinclair has long wanted to step up its presence and be seen as the fourth national network, joining CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox. The local news programs will be replaced The National Desk, which will feature national and regional news but no local news.
Both WEAR-TV and WPMI have recently had layoffs. Lagniappe Mobile has reported WPMI laid more than 20 people in March.
CordCutter reported that both WPMI and WEAR-TV were dropping local news, but sources have shared that only the Mobile station is switching to The National Desk. The Pensacola newsroom is safe.
The Channel 3 website lists 20 people as part of its “News Team.” Seven don’t work “here.” They dial-in their news reports from elsewhere in the country. Six of the seven are also described as part of WPMI’s News Team. Of the other 13 here at Channel 3, four don’t actually do reporting (with some more infotainment personality types), one does sports and three do the weather. So does Kathryn Daniel but Channel 3 doesn’t regard her as part of its News Team. She was laid off as part of the March 2021 blood bath as reported here on this blog but not in the PNJ. I saw something very odd this morning. Darwin Singleton reported a story about Gulf Shores in Baldwin County. On the WPMI News Team he’s described as a “Local 15 Today Anchor/Reporter.” On Channel 3’s broadcast this morning, Singleton was identified as being with “WEAR Mobile.”