Sinclair Broadcast Group, the conservative news outlet that operates in multiple states, is staffing up in Texas ahead of 2020, according to a review of job postings by Texas Signal.
More than 30 job openings at Sinclair-owned TV news stations in Abilene, Arlington, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Amarillo, Beaumont have been posted on the job-hunting site Indeed.
The positions include breaking news anchor, executive producer, multimedia journalist, investigative reporter, and photographer.
The company owns 17 local TV stations in the Lone Star State.
As news outlets have reported over the past couple of years, Sinclair has aired “must-run” commentary segments backing President Trump on many of its almost 200 TV stations nationwide. A former Trump administration official delivered the commentaries. (You may remember this mashup.)
Earlier this month, NBC News reported that Sinclair is axing the must-run segments. But, as its corporate history suggests, Sinclair remains a conservative news empire– one that Trump tweets about flatteringly.
The Washington Post has reported that Sinclair-owned stations have been used “to attack Democratic candidates or to boost Republicans.”
In a November news release, the company said its broadcast business “outperformed on all key financial targets in the third quarter. Looking ahead to 2020, we expect to benefit from our biggest political ad revenue year on our record.”
Texas’ conservative media landscape
Beyond Sinclair’s growth in Texas’ TV market, conservative talk radio hosts and the digital powerhouse Breitbart continue to find receptive audiences in the state. And FOX News is a gift to Republican officials like Gov. Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, Dan Crenshaw, and Beth Van Duyne who can quickly get their message out nationally and inside the state. Their TV appearances get re-posted in Texas feeds on Twitter and Facebook.
Former and current GOP officials are jumping into the media arena. Koni Burton, a former state senator, opened up a fledgling digital news outlet this year in response to the familiar, if faulty, GOP cry of liberal bias in the mainstream media.
“Fake news stops here at The Texan,” she writes in a fundraising plea. “[I] f you subscribe today, you’ll receive a fun, free, limited-edition ‘Fake News Stops Here’ mug. Help us combat the mainstream media in Texas, tomorrow and for years to come.”
And this week, the Texas Department of Agriculture announced a new weekly television program featuring Ag Commissioner Sid Miller that reaches more than 50 million viewers nationwide.
Photo: Getty Images
