Under the plan, KRON would sell its news building at 1001 Van Ness and re-locate much of its personnel to NBC Bay Area's San Jose facility. Some of KRON's staff would be laid off.
The arrangement would require FCC approval.
NBC brass would love to buy KRON outright, (which it should have done in 2000) and form a duopoly, but its pending sale to Comcast has postponed discussions.
The proposed arrangement could solidify what now amounts to two fractured news outlets in Bay Area broadcasting. KRON has been in a virtual free fall the last few years, operating on a shoestring budget and having to resort to nearly 24/7 infomercial-programming just to exist.
NBC Bay Area is more stable with its network affiliation and programming, but its local news has seen dramatic cost-cutting so a KRON hookup would bolster its news operation and could conceivably offer up a more formidable force in Bay Area TV news.
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Elaine McKay was laid off yesterday. From what I hear they eliminated her position.
ReplyDeleteRich; any rumblings about which 'big talent" may get laid off?
ReplyDeleteIs FCC approval a formality or real hurdle?
Hate to be a nitpicker, but NBCU already has a duopoly in the Bay Area with KNTV and KSTS (Ch. 48), the Telemundo station in San Jose. It may not be the duopoly it wants, but it is the one they have.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking we always new NBC would return to channel 4 position, using the channel 11 frequency for Telemundo.
ReplyDeleteI can't see how KRON's news could help KNTV, especially if they are even giving up their location in the city. Other than a plum spot on the dial, what does KRON offer to the deal?
ReplyDeleteIt might be more like when KTVU (under Cox, I assume), took over channel 36. 36's news team didn't add to channel 2. KTVU gobbled up 36 and now we get rebroadcasts to KTVU's news and other junk programming that they can't fit between their SEINFELD and FRIENDS reruns.
Sharing? I just don't see it.
Get well, Urban!!