> Why did Paramount decided to axe UPN 11 News back in
> December 1998. UPN 11 news did a lot better than Q13 news,
> even today if you compare ratings with Q13 and UPN 11(own
> produced news).
The big ownership disruption happened in 1997 -- When 11 had the news product it was originally Gaylord and they grabbed the CBS affiliation away from Bonneville (KIRO) as part of a package deal that was essentially based in Texas -- but Seattle's affiliate was to benefit as well.
Ironically, Gaylord never made MORE money than when they were a classy independent because the thing was carried all over the place on cable systems. When they got the CBS affiliation they lost much of the state coverage because all these smaller WA markets already had CBS affiliation.
As I remember the sequence Cox was going to buy KSTW. Providence Journal had purchased the KING TV stations already. Belo was going to buy KIRO. At the same time, Belo purchased ProJo, so they inherited KING and abandoned the deal to buy KIRO. Cox stepped up to buy the better VHF affiliate, and Paramount jumped in to buy the remaining VHF affiliate to add to their new UPN network.
With the Gaylord deal gone and with Cox' influence -- CBS moved the affiliation back to KIRO-TV. UPN, at that point, not wanting to spend 10c more than they needed to abandoned the news expense and canned the 10pm news.
I give those guys credit for putting together a decent news product with the staff and $ they had. Much of it done from Tacoma studio (where KBTC is now housed) -- but they had originally set up a remote newsroom at the transmitter on CapHill ... then added a larger facility in the United Airlines bldg. on 6th Ave. All that stuff basically shuttered after the Paramount transition -- including moving the station from a very nice facility (even at 25 years old) to a studio-less rack and business park setup across the street from the sewer treatment plant in Tukwila!
