Sinclair pulls the plug on Boris Epshteyn commentary in favor of investigative journalism

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Sinclair Broadcast Group is discontinuing its “must run” segments featuring political commentator Boris Epshteyn.

• Epshteyn is the company’s chief political analysts and previously worked as an aide to Donald Trump.
• “We have to shine a light on our value proposition every quarter hour, in every newscast,” the company said in a statement sent to staffers. “Therefore, we will be expanding our local investigative journalism footprint in our daily newscasts. We are excited to dedicate more time in our newscasts to report on critical and relevant issues.”
• The last commentary will run Dec. 13, 2019, and feature Epshteyn and Ameshia Cross.

Sinclair has come under fire for forcing all 193 of its stations to run Epshteyn’s commentary.

• Epshteyn’s pro-Trump and conservative views has repeatedly come under criticism.
• In at least one case the company was forced to issue a statement that Epshteyn’s views on immigration was not representative of the company’s.
• Sinclair has also come under fire for the so-called “hostage video” promo that featured anchors in multiple markets reading almost the exact same script criticizing so-called “fake news.”
• The company used to require stations to use “Code Red Day” for weather, which at least one local meteorologist claimed was a decision made at corporate headquarters and not by local meteorologists.
• It’s centralized “Terror Alert Desk” had similar criticisms.
• Sinclair also requires most of its stations to include an American flag motif as part of its graphics.