Nexstar’s NewsNation channel is in turmoil as it faces staff defections amid concerns that the outlet is being pushed by management to lean to the right in its news coverage.
The simmering controversy for the channel previously known as WGN America gained steam on Tuesday when Nexstar confirmed that Jennifer Lyons, the WGN-tv Chicago news veteran who led the launch of the primetime “NewsNation” block last September, has resigned her post as VP of news. That follows several lower-level departures last week that appear to have been prompted by concerns that former Fox News executive Bill Shine is leading a charge to steer the channel to the right. Shine is a consultant to Nexstar and NewsNation but does not have a formal role at the company.
Nexstar chairman-ceo Perry Sook held an in-person session with NewsNation staffers at the channel’s Chicago headquarters. Sook reaffirmed Nexstar’s commitment to...
The simmering controversy for the channel previously known as WGN America gained steam on Tuesday when Nexstar confirmed that Jennifer Lyons, the WGN-tv Chicago news veteran who led the launch of the primetime “NewsNation” block last September, has resigned her post as VP of news. That follows several lower-level departures last week that appear to have been prompted by concerns that former Fox News executive Bill Shine is leading a charge to steer the channel to the right. Shine is a consultant to Nexstar and NewsNation but does not have a formal role at the company.
Nexstar chairman-ceo Perry Sook held an in-person session with NewsNation staffers at the channel’s Chicago headquarters. Sook reaffirmed Nexstar’s commitment to...
- 3/10/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
NewsNation relaunched on Monday, not that you would know it from these TV ratings.
According to Nielsen, NewsNation’s first primetime back on the cable airwaves drew just 37,000 total viewers, on average, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. In the key news demo, adults 25-54, the average across those three hours was only 8,000.
It gets worse: Ashleigh Banfield’s new program settled for a mere 17,000 total viewers at 10 p.m., according to Nielsen. Just 5,000 viewers aged 25-54 tuned in to that hour.
The NewsNation channel was previously known as WGN America, prior to the rebranding announced in January. Wgna was not always wall-to-wall news, airing just a two-hour primetime newscast under the “NewsNation” banner. (The primetime segment has since been renamed “NewsNation Prime.”)
Upon its relaunch and the addition of Banfield’s show, the channel also added “NewsNation Early Edition,” hosted by Nichole Berlie at 6 p.m. Et, and “The Donlon Report,...
According to Nielsen, NewsNation’s first primetime back on the cable airwaves drew just 37,000 total viewers, on average, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. In the key news demo, adults 25-54, the average across those three hours was only 8,000.
It gets worse: Ashleigh Banfield’s new program settled for a mere 17,000 total viewers at 10 p.m., according to Nielsen. Just 5,000 viewers aged 25-54 tuned in to that hour.
The NewsNation channel was previously known as WGN America, prior to the rebranding announced in January. Wgna was not always wall-to-wall news, airing just a two-hour primetime newscast under the “NewsNation” banner. (The primetime segment has since been renamed “NewsNation Prime.”)
Upon its relaunch and the addition of Banfield’s show, the channel also added “NewsNation Early Edition,” hosted by Nichole Berlie at 6 p.m. Et, and “The Donlon Report,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Tony Maglio and Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
On Tuesday evening comes a new entrant in the cable news wars: Wgn America’s News Nation, a three-hour primetime newscast that promises a just-the-facts approach to viewers’ daily diet.
No outraged hosts, no endless panels of talking-head commentary, no irreverent chyrons. The bet is that in an era of polarization, what consumers crave is a program without a point of view.
“We want to present a newscast every night that you can sit and watch with your other family member that doesn’t agree with you,” said Sean Compton, EVP of Nexstar Media Group, which owns Wgn America and operates almost 200 stations.
News Nation has created a newsroom at Wgn’s Chicago and hired 150 of its own staffers. It also will draw on the resources of Nexstar outlets.
The newscast will feature anchors Joe Donlon and Marni Hughes, as well as breaking-news anchor Rob Nelson and meteorologist Albert Ramon.
No outraged hosts, no endless panels of talking-head commentary, no irreverent chyrons. The bet is that in an era of polarization, what consumers crave is a program without a point of view.
“We want to present a newscast every night that you can sit and watch with your other family member that doesn’t agree with you,” said Sean Compton, EVP of Nexstar Media Group, which owns Wgn America and operates almost 200 stations.
News Nation has created a newsroom at Wgn’s Chicago and hired 150 of its own staffers. It also will draw on the resources of Nexstar outlets.
The newscast will feature anchors Joe Donlon and Marni Hughes, as well as breaking-news anchor Rob Nelson and meteorologist Albert Ramon.
- 9/1/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Nexstar Media Group announced Tuesday its anchor and correspondent lineup for Wgn America’s forthcoming primetime broadcast, “News Nation.”
The company revealed the three-hour nightly program, premiering Sept. 1, will be anchored by Joe Donlon and Marni Hughes. The breaking news anchor will be Rob Nelson and the meteorologist will be Albert Ramon. On the weekends, “News Nation” will be anchored by Rudabeh Shahbazi and Nichole Berlie along with Aaron Nolan on breaking news and Gerard Jebaily as meteorologist.
Together, according to a release, they’ll deliver “fact-based, unbiased news coverage” with the help of Nexstar’s 5,400 journalists in 110 national newsrooms. The program will air in traditional primetime hours, from 8 p.m. Et to 11 p.m. Et and content will be available around the clock on a yet-unreleased mobile app called NewsNationNow.
Also Read: Fox News' Brian Kilmeade Calls Out Double Standard on Social Distancing for Protesters
According to Nexstar, cable...
The company revealed the three-hour nightly program, premiering Sept. 1, will be anchored by Joe Donlon and Marni Hughes. The breaking news anchor will be Rob Nelson and the meteorologist will be Albert Ramon. On the weekends, “News Nation” will be anchored by Rudabeh Shahbazi and Nichole Berlie along with Aaron Nolan on breaking news and Gerard Jebaily as meteorologist.
Together, according to a release, they’ll deliver “fact-based, unbiased news coverage” with the help of Nexstar’s 5,400 journalists in 110 national newsrooms. The program will air in traditional primetime hours, from 8 p.m. Et to 11 p.m. Et and content will be available around the clock on a yet-unreleased mobile app called NewsNationNow.
Also Read: Fox News' Brian Kilmeade Calls Out Double Standard on Social Distancing for Protesters
According to Nexstar, cable...
- 6/2/2020
- by Lindsey Ellefson
- The Wrap
News Nation, the three-hour prime-time block of live news debuting September 1 on Wgn America, has set its on-air talent lineup.
Anchoring weeknight broadcasts from 8Pm to 11Pm will be Joe Donlon and Marni Hughes, accompanied by breaking news anchor Rob Nelson and chief meteorologist Albert Ramon. All bring considerable experience in various local markets — Donlon at Wgn in Chicago, Hughes at Kcpq in Seattle, Nelson at New York’s Wabc and Ramon at Kvue in Austin.
The weekend team will be led by anchors Rudabeh Shahbazi and Nichole Berlie, breaking news anchor Aaron Nolan and meteorologist Gerard Jebaily. Correspondents in four major cities were also named: Tom Negovan in New York; Nancy Loo in La; Markie Martin in Dallas and Brian Entin in Miami. Negovan and Loo are both Wgn vets. Martin was at Koco in Oklahoma City and Entin joins from Wsvn in Miami.
Nexstar Media Group, which took...
Anchoring weeknight broadcasts from 8Pm to 11Pm will be Joe Donlon and Marni Hughes, accompanied by breaking news anchor Rob Nelson and chief meteorologist Albert Ramon. All bring considerable experience in various local markets — Donlon at Wgn in Chicago, Hughes at Kcpq in Seattle, Nelson at New York’s Wabc and Ramon at Kvue in Austin.
The weekend team will be led by anchors Rudabeh Shahbazi and Nichole Berlie, breaking news anchor Aaron Nolan and meteorologist Gerard Jebaily. Correspondents in four major cities were also named: Tom Negovan in New York; Nancy Loo in La; Markie Martin in Dallas and Brian Entin in Miami. Negovan and Loo are both Wgn vets. Martin was at Koco in Oklahoma City and Entin joins from Wsvn in Miami.
Nexstar Media Group, which took...
- 6/2/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Wgn America has set the anchor team for the nightly three-hour newscast that is coming to the primetime lineup of Nexstar Media Group’s cable network as of Sept. 1.
Wgn America is set for a radical primetime makeover from a focus on scripted entertainment series to three hours of a nationally focused news. “News Nation” has been billed as a traditional just-the-facts newscast that will be fueled by the news resources of 110 Nexstar TV newsrooms around the country. Nexstar has hired about 130 additional journalists to produce the “News Nation” block that will originate from Wgn-tv in Chicago.
The primary Monday-Friday anchor duo will be Joe Donlon, a Wgn Chicago veteran, and Marni Hughes, who signs on after an eight-year run as an evening news anchor at Fox affiliate Kcpq-tv Seattle. ABC News and Wabc-tv New york alum Rob Nelson will serve as breaking news anchor. Albert Ramon, formerly of Kvue-tv Austin,...
Wgn America is set for a radical primetime makeover from a focus on scripted entertainment series to three hours of a nationally focused news. “News Nation” has been billed as a traditional just-the-facts newscast that will be fueled by the news resources of 110 Nexstar TV newsrooms around the country. Nexstar has hired about 130 additional journalists to produce the “News Nation” block that will originate from Wgn-tv in Chicago.
The primary Monday-Friday anchor duo will be Joe Donlon, a Wgn Chicago veteran, and Marni Hughes, who signs on after an eight-year run as an evening news anchor at Fox affiliate Kcpq-tv Seattle. ABC News and Wabc-tv New york alum Rob Nelson will serve as breaking news anchor. Albert Ramon, formerly of Kvue-tv Austin,...
- 6/2/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
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