By Jonel Juste
When WPLG, Miami’s longtime ABC affiliate, announced last March it was parting ways with the network after more than 60 years, it marked more than just a local programming shakeup. It was a signal flare from the shifting frontlines of a media war that has been brewing quietly for years, a conflict between broadcast tradition and the rising tide of streaming.
As of August 4, 2025, viewers tuning in to Channel 10 will no longer find Good Morning America, World News Tonight, or The Bachelorette. Instead, WPLG plans to fill its newly unshackled schedule with 93 hours of locally produced news each week, one of the most ambitious news expansions in the country. The station’s gamble is that its brand, built on decades of trust, community ties, and local journalism, can thrive without a national network behind it. They believe that viewers care more about what is happening on their block than what is trending in Washington.
The reasons behind the split are rooted in financial realities and digital disruption. According to statements from WPLG, the station’s parent company declined to pay the fees ABC demanded to continue carrying its content. These fees, known as reverse compensation, reportedly exceeded the revenue generated from retransmission deals with cable providers. “Our parent company made the decision not to pay for programming that’s now easily found on streaming,” one employee said. This speaks to the larger issue reshaping the industry.
The Rise and Fracture of the Affiliate Model
For decades, the affiliate system operated as a mutually beneficial partnership. National networks produced expensive, high-quality programming such as dramas, national news, and live events. Local stations paid for the right to air that content and in return received prestige, consistent viewership, and a share of advertising revenue.
Streaming services have upended that arrangement. Platforms like Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount Plus now offer full seasons of primetime shows, live events, and next-day news directly to consumers. What once aired exclusively on the local affiliate is now available at any time, on any device, often without commercial interruption.
As more viewers abandon traditional television for on-demand alternatives, the value of network affiliation has diminished. From the station’s perspective, the cost of carrying a national brand has begun to outweigh the benefits. If audiences can already stream the same shows independently, what incentive does a local station have to pay a premium for access?
WPLG’s move suggests the answer is none.
The Challenge of Reinvention
WPLG now faces a critical test: whether a local television station can remain competitive without the backing of a national network. The loss of ABC programming means losing marquee events such as the Oscars, the NBA Finals, and popular prime-time series including Grey’s Anatomy. These programs traditionally draw high ratings and national advertising dollars. Their absence creates a notable gap in the station’s schedule and revenue potential.
In response, WPLG has opted to expand its news programming significantly. The station has hired 40 additional employees and plans to fill much of its airtime with local news content.
Whether that strategy will succeed remains uncertain. While local news remains a trusted source for many viewers, maintaining consistent audience engagement without national entertainment programming presents challenges. Expanding coverage into underreported areas such as arts and culture, education, housing, and small business may help broaden appeal, but it requires sustained editorial investment and audience interest.
Miami’s diverse population offers opportunities for more inclusive and representative coverage. The city is home to large Haitian, Cuban, Venezuelan, Black, and Jewish communities, among others. Addressing the concerns and interests of these groups could enhance the station’s relevance, but doing so will require a deliberate shift in newsroom priorities and content strategy.
Ultimately, WPLG’s reinvention will depend not only on the quantity of news it produces but on the quality and breadth of its journalism. Its ability to redefine itself in the absence of network support may serve as a test case for other stations facing similar choices.
A Turning Point for the Industry?
WPLG is not the only station reexamining its role in the media ecosystem. Across the country, broadcasters are quietly evaluating their affiliate relationships. While some, like NBC6 and CBS4 in Miami, are owned directly by their parent networks and thus shielded from some of the pressures WPLG faced, even those stations are not immune to change. The same companies demanding higher affiliate fees are simultaneously investing billions in streaming platforms that bypass local stations altogether.
This may not be the end of the affiliate model, but it is clearly the beginning of its transformation. WPLG’s departure from ABC could be remembered either as a desperate retreat or as a visionary pivot. If the station is able to build a new kind of relationship with its viewers, rooted in community and originality, it may become a model for others navigating the same crossroads.
The affiliate system was designed for a world in which the only path to national content was through local airwaves. That world is vanishing. What remains to be seen is whether local stations can remake themselves not as transmitters of someone else’s programming, but as creators of something uniquely their own.
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