Local 12 is trimming its schedule and its staff, pulling the plug on its weekend morning newscast and cutting a small number of jobs in the process. Among those out is Doug Lillibridge, a 13-year Local 12 staffer who says he was fired on July 8 and is now looking for his next gig. Station managers say the shakeup will free up resources to launch a new weekday 3 p.m. newscast in September as part of a broader retooling of the lineup.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, owner Sinclair Broadcast Group said it had eliminated a small number of positions at Local 12 and framed the move as a way to position the station for long-term sustainability. The Enquirer reports that Lillibridge, who oversaw Local 12's 11 p.m. newscast and the channel 64 10 p.m. broadcast, was let go on July 8 and had worked on a special project that won an Emmy in 2022. The report also notes that weekend morning newscasts will end, with staff redirected to the new weekday 3 p.m. hour.
Station Details And Contact
WKRC-TV, branded as Local 12, is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and operates from Highland Avenue in Cincinnati. Local 12's contact page lists the studio address and newsroom tip line, confirming the station's ownership and giving viewers a place to send questions or concerns. Station leaders have not released a full breakdown of which roles were affected beyond the departures made public this week.
Part Of A Broader Industry Shift
Local 12 is not alone in pulling back on weekend live local news. Around the industry, broadcasters have been reevaluating the cost of staffing weekend shows against changing viewing habits, and Sinclair-owned stations have been part of that trend. For instance, DCRTV reported in March that Sinclair ended locally produced weekend morning newscasts at WJLA in Washington, D.C. These kinds of decisions typically shift newsroom resources toward weekday time slots or digital coverage rather than adding new live weekend hours.
What Viewers Can Expect
For viewers who relied on Local 12's weekend morning show for event rundowns, longer feature stories, and live local updates, the change means less live news on those mornings. The new 3 p.m. weekday newscast is expected to chase a different audience and could beef up afternoon local reporting, but it will not bring back those weekend morning windows. Local 12's tip line and newsroom contact channels remain open for anyone who wants to follow up, vent a little, or ask how the new schedule will work.
Next Steps For Staff
Station management has characterized the reductions as impacting a small number of positions, without giving a specific count. Some employees are being reassigned while others, like Lillibridge, are exiting the station. Lillibridge has said he is seeking new work following his dismissal, and Local 12's newsroom will continue to cover the Tri-State as it adjusts its programming hours. We reached out to Sinclair and Local 12 for further comment and will update this story if they respond.
