There were massive layoffs at News 12 today, with eight members of their New Jersey team and 30 across their tri-state cable news network being cut.
Among those departing are political reporter Alex Zdan and meteorologist James Gregorio, a hallmark of the TV station for decades. Also leaving: Rick Holmes, John Bathke, two veteran cameramen, a news producer, and an assignment desk editor.
Today’s announcement calls into question News 12’s coverage of local politics, especially with 120 seats in the New Jersey Legislature coming up in five weeks and the recent indictment of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. It’s not immediately clear who will replace Zdan as host of News 12’s popular weekly show, Power & Politics.
Zdan, the most well-known to the state’s political community, expressed appreciation to the network for giving him the opportunity to cover New Jersey politics.
“I am grateful for my time at News 12, the people I worked alongside of, and having a platform to present an unbiased picture of the beguiling fiasco that is New Jersey politics,” Zdan said. “All good things may come to an end, but I know even better days lay ahead.”
In a statement, News 12 said their coverage of local news will continue.
“News 12 is committed to its mission of connecting viewers to the hyperlocal, award-winning news they care about across the many platforms on which they consume content. As part of this mission, we are investing in more in-community reporting and events, creating content for streaming platforms, and making News12.com a user-friendly hub for all things local, said Janet Meahan, a spokesperson. “We are proud of News 12’s history and look forward to continuing to be the go-to source of news for new and loyal viewers across all channels, platforms, and mediums.”
This story was updated on October 3 at 9:04 AM with a comment from Meahan.