Creative growth stifled by low pay and poor recognition
Pros
Broadcast design moves fast, and I genuinely grew here. I came in invested, brought my full creativity to everything, and won an Emmy along the way. Which is cool. But at some point, I stopped doing that. Not because I stopped caring about design, but because it started to feel like the effort didn't matter. I just did what I was told and collected a paycheck. That's the most honest thing I can say about this place.
Cons
The title on my badge never caught up to the work I was actually doing. I was working as a senior designer and art director, leading creative direction, owning (some) projects end-to-end, while being compensated and classified well below that level. I was making as much as a Chick-fil-A drive-thru employee. That gap is real, and Nexstar is comfortable with it. Pay is LOW. It's not a secret. Other reviews say the same thing and they're not wrong. The company's revenue doesn't make it back to the people producing the content. There's also no real investment in creative growth. If you win an industry award, don't expect the company to care. Recognition flows up, not down. The Creative Services layoff was handled in the typical manner for layoffs at large media conglomerates. Efficiently, impersonally, and with little regard for tenure or contributions. Not surprising given Nexstar's track record, but still worth naming. It's a great job for someone starting out or straight out of college..But I worked there 8 years and couldn't even afford to buy a car.
