Medford TV station KTVL laying off news staff, changing operations in May

MEDFORD, Ore.– A handful of anonymous KTVL sources tell NBC5 News it will be laying off its news department.

Sources said the last day on air before the station restructures will be in the middle of May.

Then the station will run “nationally syndicated programming,” instead of locally produced newscasts, which have been run in Medford for decades.

KTVL was founded in 1961 and produced a number of award winning journalists like meteorologist Leon Hunsaker and Ann Curry.

Once the news department is off the air, anonymous sources said the station will broadcast national programming and a Eugene meteorologist will fill in for weather.

Sources said eventually the station plans to have one permanent that will cover Southern Oregon and KRCR in Redding will cover Siskiyou County.

NBC5 reached out to KTVL’s general manager for comment, and he sent this statement:

We are changing the way we produce news in Medford to ensure our long-term success. Beginning May 15, The National Desk, which provides real-time national and regional news from Sinclair’s television stations across the US, will air during our regularly scheduled news time periods.”

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NBC5 News reporter Derek Strom is from Renton, Washington. He recently graduated from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communications at Washington State University with a degree in Broadcast News and a minor in Sports Management. He played in the drumline with the WSU marching band. These days, he plays the guitar and piano. Derek is a devoted fan of the Mariners, Seahawks, and Kraken.
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