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Michigan-Based Newsnet Ceases Operations

August 9, 2024

News Net LogoThe MAB was sad to learn that last Friday (8/2), Cadillac and Farmington Hills-based NEWSnet and sister network SportsNews Highlights discontinued operations, affecting 80 employees.  Crain's Detroit reported that owner Bridge News LLC said the networks were shut down permanently.  Bridge News CEO Manoj Bhargava said the reason for ceasing operations was due to a lack of a dedicated audience.

“We believed people would want to watch a clean, non-bias news network, but we were wrong,” Bhargava said in a statement sent to Crain’s. “Without a large audience, we just couldn’t continue to lose money. We hired the best people and talent, and we appreciate their hard work and effort. But we just couldn’t continue.”

Both networks were free ad-supported channels that were viewable over the air on 150 U.S. stations and on over 35 digital streaming TV services, according to the release.

Newsnet was founded by longtime Michigan broadcaster Eric Wotila and grew out of low-powered all-news station WMNN-LD in Cadillac.  The network signed on January 1, 2019.  In 2022, Bhargava's Bridge News purchased majority interest in the network and announced a $50 million investment for content creation and production.  The network opened additional facilities in the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills.  Bhargava is the founder and CEO of Innovations Ventures LLC (dba Living Essentials LLC), the company known for producing the 5-hour Energy drink.

At the time the network began ramping up operations more than two years ago, Bhargava cited rising advertising costs for his energy drink brand as the major impetus for acquiring the stations.

“For me, it's more of a media company than a news company," Bhargava said at the time.
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