The rumor has been out there (you've probably seen it) that Cox has found a buyer for their television stations, and supposedly the buyer is Hearst.
Here in Pittsburgh that could have some very interesting effects, as the door is now wide open for WTAE and WPXI to become co-owned.
This raises a lot of interesting questions.
Would they consolidate into one building? Most likely the relatively new WPXI studios off of I-279, abandoning the big barn on Ardmore Boulevard? I think probably so.
Would they combine newscasts with a resulting 50% reduction in news staff, with a combined team doing newscasts for both stations? Again, that seems likely.
Would this finally be the time for WTAE to petition to move their tower from Elizabeth Township to someplace in the center of town? A microwave relay from Perrysville to Elizabeth would be a bit challenging, and the short-spacing of VHF 4 is no longer an issue in the digital era.
Here in Pittsburgh that could have some very interesting effects, as the door is now wide open for WTAE and WPXI to become co-owned.
This raises a lot of interesting questions.
Would they consolidate into one building? Most likely the relatively new WPXI studios off of I-279, abandoning the big barn on Ardmore Boulevard? I think probably so.
Would they combine newscasts with a resulting 50% reduction in news staff, with a combined team doing newscasts for both stations? Again, that seems likely.
Would this finally be the time for WTAE to petition to move their tower from Elizabeth Township to someplace in the center of town? A microwave relay from Perrysville to Elizabeth would be a bit challenging, and the short-spacing of VHF 4 is no longer an issue in the digital era.
