WNBC To Have 24 Hour News Channel in NYC
May 7th, 2008 by anthonyz |
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For FiOS and over-the-air TV viewers living in New York, cable’s local regional news may not be something important anymore. NBC Universal is creating a 24-hour local channel on WNBC’s DT feed, it was first reported in the New York Times website.
“It will de-emphasize the identity of the NBC network’s flagship station, WNBC, Channel 4 in New York, rechristening it a “content center,” and making it one part of a larger local media effort.” (Carter)
This operation will compete with Cablevision’s News 12 organization and Time Warner’s NY1. Currently, Verizon FiOS does not offer a local news service like cable. The new news platform will be delivered on the cable’s digital service on Cablevision, Time Warner, Comcast, Satellite, and FiOS. The channel will also be available out-of-house, such as taxis, gas pump televisions, and PATH stations.
No employees will be layed off, but a change of shifts is expected. The new channel will have “live headlines” every half hour, including weather and traffic. Currently being planned is the new space needed for such an operation. It is unconfirmed if the local newscasts will be relocated out of studio 6B, where The Tonight Show was once held, or if the news studio will have a new set.
WNBC’s website will experience a change as it might leave the IBS (Internet Broadcasting Systems) platform, which they have been with since 2001; most NBC owned stations use the same platform. Instead, it will go completely video and on-demand, (of what we understand, something similar to NBC Nightly News website).
“This is the next step in WNBC’s mission to diversify its operations and become the leading multi-platform content provider for the New York market,” said John Wallace, Local Media Division President.
The expected move is to be complete by quarter 1 of 2009. If a success, the seven other owned stations: KNBC, WRC, KNTV, WMAQ, KXAS, and KNSD, may follow a similar move.
