Coming To A Scripps Station Near You Posted on July 22, 2026 at 08:49:00 PM by FTV-LIVE
FTVLive told you how Scripps-owned KMGH might have killed news chopper reporting for the entire Denver market.
Think it can'y get worse?
Strap in.
After we posted that story, a Scripps insider reached out to FTVLive and told us what was happening in Tucson. It makes Denver look like child's play.
Let's face it, we are all used to The Scripps Company finding new ways to do TV news on the cheap.
But what is happening at KGUN, the company's Tucson, Arizona station, takes cost-cutting to a whole new level.
According to our source, KGUN has completely eliminated live newscasts.
Let that sink in. A network affiliate in a top-70 market is no longer doing live TV news.
Instead, the station has shifted entirely to an in-house automated system known as
"Stacker."
Here is how the automated assembly line works:
One-Man Bands: MMJs shoot, report, edit, and tag their own individual video packages.
The Algorithm Takes Over: The finished elements are dumped into the Stacker playlist, and the software decides when and where each clip airs based on the metadata tags.
No Control Room Needed: Because the system auto-sequences the playlist, producers and directors have been rendered virtually obsolete and eliminated from the building.
Graphics staff were already kicked to the curb prior to this roll-out.
The new "Stacker" setup quietly went fully operational a few weeks ago. Station management reportedly promised a seamless transition, but sources tell FTVLive the on-air product is already suffering from major technical glitches. Just watch the video at the top of this story to see just how embarrassing it has gotten.
When you replace real newsroom professionals with automated playlists, the viewers are the ones who pay the price.
Scripps management continues to strip local stations down to the bare bones, calling it "innovation" while gutting the core of local broadcasting.
One commenter said that the same thing has happened at the Scripps station in Tallahassee. Replies: