Sinclair Broadcast Group said it plans to launch a headline news service next year that will air from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on its CW and My Network affiliates as well as on the STIRR streaming service.
Sinclair said it plans to fill 25 new positions to staff the new service including anchors, producers, reporters, editors, photographers and directors.
Sinclair, which has been criticized in the past for forcing stations to run conservative commentaries, said the content on the headline news service will be commentary-free.
Another big station owner, Nexstar Media Group, is planning to launch a national newscast on its WGN America cable network on Sept. 1.
The new Sinclair service will have both local and national news. In addition to stories from Sinclair’s stations, the headline news service will have original content produced specifically for the show.
The headline news service was hatched after the launch of channels focusing on COVID-19 and Election 2020 on STIRR were well received by viewers, the company said.
