Scripps Continues to Drive Station Into the Ground

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At one point, WKBW in Buffalo had one of the highest-rated newscasts in the nation. But then it was bought by Granite Broadcasting and driven straight into the ground. When Scripps later bought the station, there was hope for a turnaround.

But it turned out to be false hope.

According to a commentary from the Buffalo News, the latest round of cuts and structural shifts at the station represents both a sad reality and a massive lost opportunity. The paper takes dead aim at station and corporate leadership for failing to articulate any coherent strategy following recent staff reductions.

Here are the key takeaways from the Buffalo News critique on what has gone wrong at Channel 7:

  • A Total Vision Vacuum: Station leadership failed to communicate any clear path forward or explain how WKBW plans to transition into a digital-first operation. Instead of leading through a period of contraction, management has effectively gone into hiding, leaving a vacuum where local leadership used to sit.

  • Lack of Local Authority: Unlike the golden era when decision-makers were embedded in Western New York, no one currently on the ground appears authorized to speak with clarity, destroying both internal morale and public credibility.

  • The Death of "Appointment Viewing": The tradition of sitting on the couch to catch a scheduled broadcast is dead for anyone under 70. Expecting modern consumers to wait hours for breaking news is rooted in legacy arrogance rather than modern news consumption habits.

  • Talent and Demographic Missteps: Local TV newsrooms rely heavily on young, transient workers reading off teleprompters, while the traditional broadcast audience skews much older. The Buffalo News notes that at least two solid journalists with genuine personalities were recently laid off in the latest cuts.

  • Discarding an Iconic Brand: One of the biggest blunders highlighted is WKBW’s decision to abandon the legendary "Eyewitness News" branding—a move the paper compares to Coca-Cola rebranding itself as simply "Beverage" on the advice of a consultant.

The Buffalo News argues that instead of stripping the operation down, Scripps should have taken that iconic local brand and modernized it for today's on-demand consumer.

Instead, Western New York viewers are left watching yet another corporate owner struggle to find a direction.