BOCA RATON, FLA. — There’s been significant growth across the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast of native Spanish speakers, all of whom seek in-language news that’s relevant to them. With two Miami Spanish-language TV stations on local MVPD lineups and little else in the way of local español news, Sinclair Inc. is stepping up to the plate.
It’s thanks to artificial intelligence, and it is being implemented in three other areas experiencing growth in Spanish-speaking audiences.
In a first-of-its-kind test, Sinclair is pioneering the use of AI to provide real-time live language translation of local newscasts at WPEC-12, the CBS affiliate in the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton DMA, which includes the fast-growing Florida counties of Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River.
Flagship FOX affiliate WBFF-45 in Baltimore is also participating in the test, as are KABB “FOX 29” in San Antonio and KSNV-3 in Las Vegas, an NBC affiliate.
Sinclair says it’s a first, and the implementation of live AI-powered translation for local newscasts is designed “to enhance accessibility and engagement, enabling non-English-speaking viewers to stay informed with accurate, real-time translations of critical news, weather, and community updates.”
For the initiative, Sinclair collaborated with generative AI language editing company Deeptune. “We’re thrilled to partner with Sinclair on this groundbreaking implementation of our real-time AI translation technology,” said Tim Lupo, the company’s founder and CEO. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in making critical news accessible to diverse communities and demonstrates how AI can be deployed responsibly to serve the public interest.”
Commenting on the technology, Sinclair COO and Local Media President Rob Weisbord commented, “At Sinclair, we are committed to leveraging innovative technology to expand access to local journalism. By implementing live AI translation of our newscasts, we’re breaking down language barriers and ensuring that more viewers can engage with Sinclair’s trusted news coverage.”
Sinclair’s use of generative AI began in 2024, when the company began using AI for language translation with “Petko Unfiltered,” a Tennis Channel series, as part of Tennis Channel International’s expansion into additional territories. It also pioneered in newscasts for use with severe weather at WPEC-12 during its coverage of Hurricane Milton in fall 2024.
Sinclair also addressed concerns pertaining to the responsible use of AI by reiterating its commitment to that. The company is a member of multiple organizations working to protect content provenance and address misinformation, including Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), and the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). In addition, Sinclair has created SAIF – Sinclair AI Forum, an internal, interdepartmental AI workgroup to facilitate knowledge sharing, governance, compliance, and strategic guidance across the company.
