Nexstar cuts creative services jobs across station portfolio, centralizes production in hubs

Nexstar Media Group has eliminated creative services positions at stations across its portfolio, according to accounts shared on social media by affected employees.

The cuts, which span numerous markets, have in many cases reduced entire departments to one or two people responsible for producing local promotional content and commercial materials.

The scope of the reductions was not confirmed by the company, but social media posts from former employees indicated the cuts are widespread, impacting stations in Memphis, Baton Rouge, Chicago and the Tri-Cities region, among others. One source noted to NCS that the total number of employees impacted is likely near 400.

In place of fully staffed local departments, Nexstar is moving to a hub model for creative services production, with centralized operations in cities such as Dallas and Nashville. 

The company has maintained a graphics hub in Nashville for some time, which produces the main graphics packages used by each station.

This round of layoffs follows a round of creative services reductions in December 2024, along with various creative cost-cutting initiatives, including moving station voiceovers to Spot Voice in late 2025.

The reductions come as Nexstar works to finalize its acquisition of Tegna, a deal reported at $6.8 billion and currently awaiting Federal Communications Commission approval. Tegna, which owns 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, already uses a centralized hub model for creative services production.

The creative services cuts come as Nexstar separately carried out layoffs this week at its former Tribune Media stations in the country’s three largest markets.

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At WPIX in New York, anchors John Muller, Craig Treadway, Kori Chambers and Arrianae LeBeau were among those let go. In Los Angeles, KTLA parted ways with meteorologist Mark Kriski, weather anchor Kacey Montoya, midday anchors Lu Parker and Glen Walker, and reporter Ellina Abovian. WGN in Chicago had previously announced cuts affecting at least eight on-air staff.

Roles in newsroom, production and sales were also affected across the stations, though exact figures were not immediately available.

In a statement about the cuts earlier this week, Nexstar said it would affect less than 2% of its workforce.

“Nexstar does not comment on personnel issues, but the company is taking steps necessary to compete effectively in this period of unprecedented change,” a company spokesperson said.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, the consolidated debt of Nexstar and Mission Broadcasting stood at $6.3 billion, including $3.6 billion in senior secured debt. That figure does not yet reflect the cost of the pending Tegna acquisition, reported at $6.8 billion. Analysts and industry observers expect the combined debt load to drive additional cost reductions across the company’s expanded station portfolio.