News 12 has carried out significant layoffs across its New York metropolitan area newsrooms, impacting journalists in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Westchester, and Connecticut. The restructuring, described by one laid-off employee as effectively dismantling standalone operations, will replace separate local newscasts with a single regional broadcast featuring brief local segments.
Long Island and New Jersey will maintain their distinct broadcasts due to stronger ratings, according to an employee familiar with the changes. The layoffs affected at least three dozen individuals, including veteran journalists with decades of service. Among those losing their jobs are Emmy- and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist Mark Sudol and anchor Becky Suran from News 12 Connecticut. The Norwalk, Conn., bureau will reportedly be left with only seven journalists and photographers, with reporters now expected to handle their own filming.
"They're basically going to combine" the regions into one shared newscast, one laid-off employee told The Post. "If you were to turn on the TV in Westchester, you would start getting news from Connecticut and Westchester and the Bronx and Brooklyn kind of all in one half-hour show."
A spokesperson for Altice USA, the parent company of News 12, stated that "Local journalism is changing, and News 12 is evolving with it." The company added, "As audiences increasingly consume news across platforms and formats, we are taking proactive steps to ensure News 12 remains strong, relevant, and sustainable for the future." Altice USA declined to provide specific numbers regarding the layoffs.
The employee estimated that at least three dozen employees were let go across the affected regions, considering this figure potentially conservative. The cuts reportedly came with little warning, with affected staff being informed via a Microsoft Teams meeting on a Tuesday morning.
Remaining staffers have expressed concerns about safety, particularly regarding breaking news coverage. The reduction in the number of available photographers raises worries about reporters being sent to dangerous crime scenes or confrontational situations alone. Historically, News 12 has utilized two-person crews for safety reasons, especially in unpredictable environments.
These layoffs follow previous rounds of job cuts at News 12 under Altice, which acquired Cablevision in 2016. Approximately 70 jobs were eliminated in 2017, leading to litigation from the Dolan family concerning staffing commitments. Further layoffs occurred in 2023 after a settlement on minimum staffing levels expired, resulting in the loss of 30 to 40 employees. The current restructuring appears to represent a more fundamental shift in the operational model for several of News 12's local channels.