Sinclair Cuts Deep In Seattle – KOMO, KPLZ

The STAR 101.5 morning team (Curt Kruse & Corine McKenzie) is GONE! Also out, the producer (Leonard Barokas), the Music Director, a KOMO sports reporter…
You have to wonder how Sinclair will spin this. Will there be a new morning team — or syndicated voice-tracking?

THE MEMO—

From: Christopher Ripley
Date: March 3, 2021 at 6:36:50 PM EST
To: Christopher Ripley
Subject: Staff Reductions
Team,

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 such as ours. 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 external forces and other economic indicators predicting a year of ongoing uncertainty, we are currently reviewing a number of options that will ensure we are well-positioned for future success. As part of this review, I wanted to inform you that we are announcing enterprise-wide reductions across our workforce of approximately five percent.

This decision was not made lightly. Over the last year, we saw many of our peers make reductions en masse, a step we refrained from taking while we took cuts elsewhere, including in capital budgets, discretionary spending, and non-essential expenses. We also managed costs via attrition and were judicious in filling open positions.

Because of the proactive steps of the past year, staff reduction will be significantly smaller than if we had not done those things. More importantly, impacted staff will receive severance and all will be offered outplacement services.

Difficult times are made worse by speculation and poor communication, so I share this difficult news with you in the spirit of transparency. As our business evolves and progresses in a world shaped by a pandemic and shifting market forces, it’s essential that we continue to examine our workflows, harness technology and maintain a workforce that not only meets the challenges today, but is poised to seize opportunities tomorrow. I want you to know that these are not easy decisions to make, but I find them necessary to ensure our future remains bright and full of opportunity.

This is, undoubtedly, one of the most difficult messages of my career. But despite the challenge, I remain immensely proud of the intellect, resourcefulness, and collective will of our team. You have proven to be the best team in the business. And, it is this spirit, in each of us and collectively, that I know will carry us through.

I will continue to update you as this process continues. If you have any questions, please reach out to your HR representative or General Manager who will be able to assist. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Chris