• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 10 hours ago

TV stations, including their programming and news business, are expected to see continuing cutbacks and staffing layoffs.

What’s the end game?

-- Massive layoffs are coming to Paramount Skydance in the wake of the news that it will buy Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion.

-- Nexstar Media Group, which has a $6.2 billion planned deal to buy Tegna later this year, is expected to lay off workers at some of its major market TV stations.

Expect more of the same as Sinclair Inc., Scripps, Gray and other remaining major TV station owners continue to fight for survival.

These billion-dollar deals look to disrupt the employment picture of the legacy TV-media ecosystem.

TV stations continue to be left in the lurch when disruptive industry moves affect network affiliation deals, while local digital-first competition becomes stronger.

TV Watch has talked up the issue of syndicated daytime talk programming becoming much weaker while the ranks of mainstay shows are disappearing or experiencing their producers and distributors considering non-TV station efforts.

What real alternatives remain for TV stations?

Doing more local newscasts, already at multiple hours a day? Weary but loyal local TV news viewers, who are typically older audiences, need a break.

There has been much discussion of the growth of video podcasts. But YouTube-like podcasts that are plain-looking, with underwhelming production attributes, may not represent a total replacement for daytime talk or perhaps general local TV news shows.

Expanding local TV news content has well passed its saturation point. All major TV station groups -- Nexstar, Sinclair, Grey and Scripps -- now see airing video podcasts as part of their core programming.

Where do we go from here? What remains of “premium” newscast content?

Nexstar Media says one piece of the puzzle will come with standardizing local connected TV (CTV) for all its 100-plus markets, where its stations and newscasts air.

Nexstar is already in the national news business with its NewsNation cable TV channel.

Do all local TV station groups need to do the same -- just for survival?

Where else can they cut costs -- while at the same time not alienating long-time viewers?

Those viewers may increasingly now see local TV station content as being only slightly better than what’s on YouTube or via their favorite social media outlet.

For TV stations, that can’t be a good place to be in. The answers aren’t easy.