“We’re looking into the situation at WOOD-TV, as the communication regarding the station’s coverage of PRIDE month activities in the area is not consistent with Nexstar’s values, the way we cover the news, or the respect we have for our viewers,” the company said in a statement to CNN. Nexstar added that it will “take appropriate action as necessary to address this situation” and said that it “apologize[s] for offending members of the LGBTQ community and WOOD-TV’s viewers.
The memo came days after the station covered an inaugural Pride festival in the city of Grand Haven that drew thousands of attendees. While events recognizing Pride Month are underway across the nation, right-wing media figures and outlets have launched a series of attacks on the celebrations and companies that support LGBTQ causes, including Bud Light and Target, portraying them as “woke” and falsely claiming they are “grooming” children with radical ideology.