NEXSTAR ORDERED TO PAY OVER $2 MILLION TO FORMER ANCHOR

It turns out cutting corners and firing veteran talent can get real expensive, real fast.

A judge has ordered Nexstar-operated PIX11 (WPIX) in New York to pay former anchor Ojinika "Oji" Obiekwe more than $2 million following a legal battle over her wrongful termination.

Obiekwe, an Emmy-winning journalist who spent 22 years at the station starting as an intern, was fired in 2023 after speaking out about what she described as rampant racial discrimination and an excessive workload.

According to her lawsuit, Obiekwe was routinely forced to perform the duties of two to three people—acting as her own segment producer and copy editor—while white male counterparts in identical entertainment anchor roles at sister stations (like KTLA in Los Angeles and WGN in Chicago) received far better staffing support and higher pay.

When Obiekwe repeatedly voiced her frustration to management and HR—comparing the station’s grueling conditions to working on a plantation—management told her to tone down the "race rhetoric" because it was "making people uncomfortable".

Shortly after, news director Nicole Tindiglia booted her from the station, citing "insubordination" and "failure to perform job duties". When challenged by her union (SAG-AFTRA), PIX11 dropped those claims and simply refused to renew her contract.

The court wasn't buying Nexstar's excuses, and now the broadcast giant has to write a check for over $2 million.

H/T Page Six