What TV stations have taken over news operations of other stations? When, and what were the circumstances? Mergers, newscasts from out of market, LMAs? For example in Boston, when WHDH-7's parent, Sunbeam, bought WLVI-56, channel 56 news personnel were laid-off and its news operation was taken over by channel 7.
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The closing or merging of TV newsrooms
- Thread starter Bill-in-CT
- Start date
Los Angeles when CBS took over KCAL-TV Los Angeles and their news operations merged with KCBS-TV Los Angeles in 2002. KCAL-TV was sold because its previous owner Young Broadcasting back in 2002 took over KRON-TV San Francisco.
In Sacramento the same thing happened in 2005 when CBS bought KOVR (Primary CBS affiliate in the Valley) and they merged it with (Former UPN/Former CW affiliate/now Secondary CBS affiliate) KMAX-TV operations and KMAX-TV moved their operations to West Sacramento where KOVR is located.
In Sacramento the same thing happened in 2005 when CBS bought KOVR (Primary CBS affiliate in the Valley) and they merged it with (Former UPN/Former CW affiliate/now Secondary CBS affiliate) KMAX-TV operations and KMAX-TV moved their operations to West Sacramento where KOVR is located.
It's pretty much exclusively one of two cases:
1. The station is failing and can't afford the investment that local news requires.
2. The station is acquired by a company that already has a local news presence, and will share that personnel on both stations
Listing such stations is a waste of time, because there is at least one duopoly in almost every market, and in many cases more than one.
1. The station is failing and can't afford the investment that local news requires.
2. The station is acquired by a company that already has a local news presence, and will share that personnel on both stations
Listing such stations is a waste of time, because there is at least one duopoly in almost every market, and in many cases more than one.
Just this week, NPG shut down the newsrooms of its CBS KION-TV/Telemundo KMUV-LD Monterey/Salinas. CBS-owned KPIX-TV San Francisco will provide content to KION-TV: Monterey station shuts down its local news operations
It's a shorter list than you'd think. In New England, WLVI was already mentioned, and soon WLNE in the Providence market. Fox affiliates WXXA in Albany and WUHF in Rochester had their newsrooms moved in when bought by other stations in their markets (WTEN Albany and WROC then WHAM in Rochester). WWTI Watertown (closed, simulcasts WSYR Syracuse)
In Pennsylvania, WYOU Scranton (WBRE), WATM Altoona (WJAC Johnstown), WSEE Erie (WICU).
WMGM Atlantic City NJ (closed)
In Ohio, WAKC Akron (went to Pax/Ion), WYTV Youngstown (WKBN), WNWO Toledo (closed)
In Michigan, WLAJ Lansing (WLNS), WOTV Battle Creek (WOOD), WGTQ/WGTU Traverse City (WPBN/WTOM)
In Delaware, WRDE Rehoboth Beach (WBOC Salisbury)
In Indiana, WISE Fort Wayne (WPTA), WSJV Elkhart (closed), WTVW Evansville (WEHT)
In Pennsylvania, WYOU Scranton (WBRE), WATM Altoona (WJAC Johnstown), WSEE Erie (WICU).
WMGM Atlantic City NJ (closed)
In Ohio, WAKC Akron (went to Pax/Ion), WYTV Youngstown (WKBN), WNWO Toledo (closed)
In Michigan, WLAJ Lansing (WLNS), WOTV Battle Creek (WOOD), WGTQ/WGTU Traverse City (WPBN/WTOM)
In Delaware, WRDE Rehoboth Beach (WBOC Salisbury)
In Indiana, WISE Fort Wayne (WPTA), WSJV Elkhart (closed), WTVW Evansville (WEHT)
KTVL Medford was one of a few Sinclair stations a few years back that laid off all employees and replaced local news with The National Desk or syndicated shows.
WDAZ Devils Lake dumped local newscasts at the end of 2018, and WDAY simulcasts to Grand Forks now.
In the case of WVPX-23 in Akron, during the time when NBC acquired a 32% stake in Paxson, WKYC produced newscasts for the station. Most Pax stations (like my then-local KWPX in Seattle) aired rebroadcasts of the NBC affiliate's late newscast at the end of the network's broadcasting day (before they went to infomercials and Worship Network overnight). WVPX newscasts were designed with Akron in mind, much like the previous WAKC era. Eric Mansfield was the anchor for PAX 23 News, and he was the Akron bureau chief for WKYC's newscasts.
Case in point, as PAX aired several episodes of The Weakest Link that were not broadcast on NBC (as part of the 32% share that the Peacock had with PAX).
WDAZ Devils Lake dumped local newscasts at the end of 2018, and WDAY simulcasts to Grand Forks now.
In the case of WVPX-23 in Akron, during the time when NBC acquired a 32% stake in Paxson, WKYC produced newscasts for the station. Most Pax stations (like my then-local KWPX in Seattle) aired rebroadcasts of the NBC affiliate's late newscast at the end of the network's broadcasting day (before they went to infomercials and Worship Network overnight). WVPX newscasts were designed with Akron in mind, much like the previous WAKC era. Eric Mansfield was the anchor for PAX 23 News, and he was the Akron bureau chief for WKYC's newscasts.
Case in point, as PAX aired several episodes of The Weakest Link that were not broadcast on NBC (as part of the 32% share that the Peacock had with PAX).
There are large TV markets that are at risk of having only three newsrooms given the recent proposed deal for Nexstar to merge with Tegna, Sacramento is one of them where Tegna currently manages KXTV and Nexstar manages Fox 40 KTXL. If that deal is approved then there will be only three newsrooms if you don't count PBS affiliate KVIE-TV or Univision affiliate KUVS-TV. If that happens commercial TV in Sacramento would be limited to Hearst, Paramount and Nexstar/Tegna.
News-Press & Gazette-owned KION in Salinas, CA just shuttered their newsroom and outsourced English language newscasts to KPIX in San Francisco, more than 100 miles away. This will make Monterey-Salinas (#128) a one-newsroom market (Hearst-owned KSBW has dominated the market for decades.) Sister station Telemundo 23 will have no local news coverage (the market has the highest concentration of Hispanics in California) and the Spanish speaking audience will have to make do with national news from Telemundo.
www.latimes.com
After 56 years on air, California TV station abruptly shutters news operations
Employees at KION-TV and Telemundo 23 in Salinas were told to pack up on Tuesday.
www.latimes.com
Until a couple of years ago, I think this would have been Detroit. Now that WWJ-TV has news, it might be St. Louis, which is market #24.
Improbably, the smallest market with 4 newscasts could be South Bend, market #100, with Univision affiliate WHME, NBC's WNDU, CBS/Fox affiliate WSBT, and ABC's WBND all producing news. I'm reasonably confident it will be a market where a Univision/Telemundo affiliate produces news, and I can't find a market smaller than South Bend where that is the case but my search was not exhaustive.
Idaho Falls KIDK CBS 3 merge with KIFI ABC 8.
Santa Barbara KEYT ABC 3 merge with KCOY CBS 12
Corpus Christi KZTV CBS 10 merge with KRIS NBC 6
Beaumount/Port Author TX KBTV FOX 4 merge with KFDM CBS 6
Chico Ca KNVN NBC 24 merge with KHSL CBS 12
Eugene Oregon KMTR NBC 16 merge with KVAL CBS 13
San Antonio WAOI NBC 4 merge with KABB FOX 29
Mobile AL /Pensacola FL WPMI NBC 15 merge with WEAR ABC 3
Phoenix KTVK IND 3 merge with KPHO CBS 5
Jacksonville FL WJXX ABC 25 merge with WTLV NBC 12
Ft. Meyers/Naples WBBH NBC 20 (Cable 2) merge with WZVN ABC 26 (Cable 7)
Honolulu KGMB CBS 9 (now 5) merge with KHNL NBC 13 (NBC 8 using their cable channel number at that time)
Anchorage KTUU NBC 2 merge with KTVA CBS 11 (CBS move to KYES 5 )
Fairbanks KTVF NBC 11 merge with KXDF-CD CBS 13
Palm Springs KESQ ABC 42 (cable 3) merge with KPSP-CD 38 (Cable 2)
Fresno KSEE NBC 24 merge with KGPE CBS 47
Albany NY WXXA FOX 23 merge with WTEN ABC 10
Little Rock KLRT FOX 16 merge with KARK NBC 4
Topeka KTKA ABC 49 merge with KSNT NBC 27
El Paso KDBC CBS 4 merge with KFOX 14
Toledo WUPW FOX 36 merge with WTOL CBS 11
Los Angeles besides mention of KCAL with KCBS-TV, there's KCOP UPN (Now MY-TV)13 merge with KTTV FOX 11
New York WWOR UPN(Now MY-TV) 9 merge with WNYW FOX 5
Minneapolis KFTC (Former FOX) merge with KMSP 9 (UPN at that time)
Portland KPDX 49 (Former fox) merge with KPTV 12(UPN at that time)
San Diego KUSI IND 51 merge with KSWB FOX 69
St. Louis KPLR CW 11 merge with KTVI FOX 2 and consolidate their newsroom
Denver KWGN CW 2 merge with KDVR FOX 31 and consolidate their newsroom. I think Kyle Clark of KUSA 9 mentions about what will happened if Nexstar and Tenga Merger goes thru.
There's a lot more.....
Santa Barbara KEYT ABC 3 merge with KCOY CBS 12
Corpus Christi KZTV CBS 10 merge with KRIS NBC 6
Beaumount/Port Author TX KBTV FOX 4 merge with KFDM CBS 6
Chico Ca KNVN NBC 24 merge with KHSL CBS 12
Eugene Oregon KMTR NBC 16 merge with KVAL CBS 13
San Antonio WAOI NBC 4 merge with KABB FOX 29
Mobile AL /Pensacola FL WPMI NBC 15 merge with WEAR ABC 3
Phoenix KTVK IND 3 merge with KPHO CBS 5
Jacksonville FL WJXX ABC 25 merge with WTLV NBC 12
Ft. Meyers/Naples WBBH NBC 20 (Cable 2) merge with WZVN ABC 26 (Cable 7)
Honolulu KGMB CBS 9 (now 5) merge with KHNL NBC 13 (NBC 8 using their cable channel number at that time)
Anchorage KTUU NBC 2 merge with KTVA CBS 11 (CBS move to KYES 5 )
Fairbanks KTVF NBC 11 merge with KXDF-CD CBS 13
Palm Springs KESQ ABC 42 (cable 3) merge with KPSP-CD 38 (Cable 2)
Fresno KSEE NBC 24 merge with KGPE CBS 47
Albany NY WXXA FOX 23 merge with WTEN ABC 10
Little Rock KLRT FOX 16 merge with KARK NBC 4
Topeka KTKA ABC 49 merge with KSNT NBC 27
El Paso KDBC CBS 4 merge with KFOX 14
Toledo WUPW FOX 36 merge with WTOL CBS 11
Los Angeles besides mention of KCAL with KCBS-TV, there's KCOP UPN (Now MY-TV)13 merge with KTTV FOX 11
New York WWOR UPN(Now MY-TV) 9 merge with WNYW FOX 5
Minneapolis KFTC (Former FOX) merge with KMSP 9 (UPN at that time)
Portland KPDX 49 (Former fox) merge with KPTV 12(UPN at that time)
San Diego KUSI IND 51 merge with KSWB FOX 69
St. Louis KPLR CW 11 merge with KTVI FOX 2 and consolidate their newsroom
Denver KWGN CW 2 merge with KDVR FOX 31 and consolidate their newsroom. I think Kyle Clark of KUSA 9 mentions about what will happened if Nexstar and Tenga Merger goes thru.
There's a lot more.....
In Yuma, AZ/El Centro, CA I think all of the majors merged, resulting in a full-power TV station shutting down and the El Centro stations moving 60 miles East to Yuma to join the other stations.
In that case, Rincon Broadcasting owns KYMA (NBC/CBS) which used to be KYMA (NBC) and KSWT (CBS). NPG owns KECY, which serves as Fox, ABC, the CW, Telemundo and My Network TV for the area. NPG also OPERATES KYMA, so they have an entire monopoly control on every network affiliate in that market. Entravision is the only other owner/controller - they take care of Univision and Unimas.
In that case, Rincon Broadcasting owns KYMA (NBC/CBS) which used to be KYMA (NBC) and KSWT (CBS). NPG owns KECY, which serves as Fox, ABC, the CW, Telemundo and My Network TV for the area. NPG also OPERATES KYMA, so they have an entire monopoly control on every network affiliate in that market. Entravision is the only other owner/controller - they take care of Univision and Unimas.
San Diego is at risk of having 3 commercial TV Newsrooms given the recent talks about Tegna merging with Nexstar. KFMB, KSWB and KUSI would be 1 newsroom, the others are owned by Scripps and NBC.
However in San Diegos case they also have San Diego State University KPBS-TV that do a local newscast similar to PBS Newshour that addresses some of the concerns of media concentration is by having a viable public media system.
However in San Diegos case they also have San Diego State University KPBS-TV that do a local newscast similar to PBS Newshour that addresses some of the concerns of media concentration is by having a viable public media system.
Asomrjsurfz
Banned
KY3/KSPR and yes KSPR still has Newscast on it but not their own people anymore and owned by same company that owns KY3 and CW in Springfield,MO.
Are the news teams of Fox 5 and KUSI still separate? I don't watch a lot of either so I haven't been following but it seems that they both operate separate news operations so far.
Nexstar Buying Independent KUSI San Diego For $35 Million
It’s paying $35 million to McKinnon Broadcasting to add the independent to its station portfolio that already includes the market’s Fox affiliate, KWSB.
tvnewscheck.com
Thats interesting I thought KSWB and KUSI merged their news operations in 2023.
Texas-based Nexstar set to own majority of commercial TV stations in San Diego
As part of a $6.2 billion acquisition of rival Tegna, Nexstar will take over longtime local CBS affiliate KFMB along with its secondary CW broadcast.
timesofsandiego.com
But Nexstar taking over KFMB is still being considered as of 2025. Who knows where this is going.