From RBR.com
NBC launching 24/7 local news channel
07 May, 2008 05:34:00
WNBC-TV New York will be the first O&O to have its local news operation transformed to program a full-time local news outlet on a DTV multicast channel.
If the concept works, NBC Local Media President John Wallace plans for other NBC O&Os to do likewise.
Rebuilding and rebranding, WNBC’s Rockefeller Center operations are being transformed into a “content center” to create and distribute programming across various platforms. That won’t be completed until early next year, but the “hyper-local” DTV news channel should launch this fall. The WNBC call letters are taking a backseat and the local news product, in whatever form, is being branded NBC New York.
The New York market already has two 24/7 local news operations on cable: Time Warner’s NY1 in Manhattan and Cablevision’s News 12 Long Island.
RBR/TVBR observation: This is somewhat like what Allbritton Communications has been doing for some time now in Washington, DC, with WJLA-TV (ABC) and NewsChannel 8 on local cable systems. With local TV newsrooms already updating their news websites 24/7, we expect to see quite a few take the next step and launch a local version of CNN/FNC/MSNBC. If the potential ad dollars are there, stations will be rushing to be first with their full-time hyper-local news.
Art's comment: Of course, there have been 24/7 radio news operations for years. In NY, there are a couple, including the venerable WINS. Don't know if we'll ever see something like this in smaller markets. They could create an automated "Headline News" type product. But, as we all know, it's driven by the revenue. Last edited on Thu May 8th, 2008 12:59 pm by artmorris
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