Local TV News Employment Falls 2.2% to 26,458 as Original-News Stations Drop to 689
Updated
Updated · rtdna.org · Sep 9
Local TV News Employment Falls 2.2% to 26,458 as Original-News Stations Drop to 689
2 articles · Updated · rtdna.org · Sep 9
Summary
26,458 full-time local TV news jobs remained in 2025, down 2.2% from a year earlier and marking the industry's second straight annual decline.
689 stations now produce original local news, down from 695, as mergers including Nexstar-Tegna, Sinclair-Scripps and Gray's station purchases further concentrated ownership.
2 unfilled jobs per station were reported on average, but hiring eased slightly: 76.1% of news directors said they could fill openings, up from 73.9% a year earlier.
61.8% of newsroom departures were tied to salary, followed by work-life balance at 50% and burnout at 38.2%, while replacement hiring still far outpaced newly created roles.
Nearly two-thirds of stations now use multimedia journalists as their primary reporting model, underscoring how shrinking staffs are reshaping local TV news operations.