Layoffs hit the KATU-TV newsroom on Wednesday, according to reports posted on social media and confirmed by sources with knowledge of the situation. On social media, reporter and anchor Brian Wood, who joined KATU in 2008, wrote, in part, “I was let go today ‘for business reasons’ according to management. I appreciate all your support over the past dozen or so years.”
Photojournalist Ric Peavyhouse took to Twitter, where he posted, “We just had a round of layoffs today and I’m a bit lost for words. I still have a job but eight of my colleagues are out. So feel free to pass along any jobs you see for photogs, producers, writers, and reporters.”
According to a Hollywood Reporter story, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns KATU and more than 150 local stations across the country, “will lay off more than 550 employees as the pandemic continues to slow economic growth.”
In a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter, a Sinclair spokesperson said: “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt across all sectors of the economy, something that can have a profound impact on a company as diversified as ours.”
According to the statement, “From local businesses and advertisers to distributors and partners, no component of our business’s ecosystem has been fully shielded from the impact of the global pandemic. In response to this, we are currently undergoing enterprise-wide reductions across our workforce, including corporate headquarters, to ensure we are well-positioned for future success.”
CNN also reported on the layoffs, noting that that Sinclair Broadcast Group said it would “reduce its workforce by approximately 5 percent, amounting to hundreds of layoffs across the country.”
We have contacted KATU for further comment, and will add that information if it becomes available.
The news about Wood being laid off came just hours before “Lost Ground,” a documentary about Portland’s homeless crisis during the pandemic, reported by Wood and Angelica Thornton, was set to air at 6 p.m. Wednesday on KATU.
-- Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist
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