Sinclair Launches Subscription News Brand The National Press on Substack

Sinclair Broadcast Group is launching a national subscription news brand on Substack called The National Press, executives told Axios. The family-controlled local broadcast giant will use reporting from roughly 1,200 journalists across 60 local newsrooms. The venture launches with free and paid tiers and will distribute video and audio on YouTube and other platforms. It features three original programs, including a daily news show anchored by Lyndsay Keith. Paid users receive ad-free, extended shows and subscriber-only content. Sinclair is partnering with startup New Media, which receives a monthly production fee plus a revenue share. CEO Chris Ripley said revenue growth is the top success indicator, followed by subscribers; he declined to give targets. Advertising is not in the initial plan. New Media investor Shane Smith, a Vice co-founder, is a partner in the venture. Ripley acknowledged Sinclair's earlier digital news brand Circa, acquired in 2015 and shuttered four years later, was a "failure."