WPIX/11 axes four anchors and reporters in cuts by corporate parent Nexstar

TV station giant Nexstar laid off several prominent anchors and reporters at WPIX/11 Wednesday, according to trade reports, including one of Channel 11's most prominent weekday anchors, Kori Chambers.

Also let go were longtime morning news anchor John Muller, who most recently anchored the weekend morning editions; Craig Treadway — a 25-year station veteran, formerly with WNYW/5, who reported for various programs throughout the day, and was formerly Channel 11's early morning co-anchor — and weekday 4 and 5 p.m. anchor Arrianee LeBeau. 

LeBeau created the long-running in-show segment "Heart of the City," where "she tells stories of people who embody the spirit of New York." Among Muller's other roles at Channel 11, he hosted a Wednesday program, "Pet Nation," about pet ownership.

Per reports, cuts were even deeper at other major Nexstar-owned stations, including Los Angeles' KTLA and Chicago's WGN. The Los Angeles Times reported that weekday anchors Glen Walker and Lu Parker, and meteorologist Mark Kriski were cut. According to the Times, Kriski was a 35-year veteran at the station. A report in the Chicago Tribune said eight TV journalists had been cut at WGN.

Nexstar — which owns or operates more than 200 TV stations and is poised to buy another 64 when it absorbs TV station giant Tegna — said in a statement, "the Company is taking steps necessary to compete effectively in this period of unprecedented change." WPIX did not respond to a request for comment.

SAG-AFTRA, which represents some of the employees at affected stations said in a statement that "By laying off journalists across the country, Nexstar is eroding the resources and talent that local communities rely on for trusted news," adding, "These layoffs come as SAG-AFTRA is actively bargaining with Nexstar stations in multiple markets." The statement also noted, "These reductions in SAG-AFTRA talent also come as Nexstar finalizes its multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Tegna. This consolidation makes the decision to cut local newsroom jobs particularly troubling."

Bronx native Chambers joined WPIX/11 in 2013 as a morning anchor, then later moved to afternoons and evenings. Muller — who had two stints at Channel 11 — had earlier anchored at WNBC/4, and ABC News' "World News Now." Upon returning to WPIX, he became a weekday reporter and the first male anchor of Channel 11's "Morning News." Per his station bio, "His 11-year run on the ground-breaking show made him the third-longest-running New York City anchor to work on the same broadcast."