Local television news broadcasts likely be will be coming to the region’s ABC, FOX and MyNetworkTV Utica-Rome, NY market) stations by September.
According to a story by Dan Miller at uticaod.com, Nextstar Broadcasting Group Inc. is committing $1 million for new equipment and the hiring of 12 employees to carry out the broadcasts, which will offer local stories, breaking news, sports and weather, said Stephen Merren, Nextstar vice president and general manager.
Merren made the announcement at a FOX 25th anniversary event Thursday night at the Radisson Hotel-Utica Centre that was attended by roughly 150 people.
“We have a chance to build something from the ground up that is very relevant,” Merren said. “I’ve had an awful lot of folks ask me when we’re going to offer competitive news in the market.”
Nextstar owns WFXV and WPNY — the local FOX and MyNetworkTV stations, respectively — and provides services through an outsourcing agreement to WUTR, which is licensed to Mission Broadcasting.
WUTR featured a local news broadcast from 1970 to 2003, but then-owner Clear Channel Television Northeast shut it down because of budgetary concerns, Merren said.
Nonetheless, Merren expressed confidence the region could support more local news broadcasts
The new broadcasts will include a 6 p.m. broadcast on WUTR and a rebroadcast of that news at 7 p.m. on WPNY. New broadcasts will be carried out at 10 p.m. on FOX and 11 p.m. on WUTR. The broadcasts will be 30 or 35 minutes long.
There will be two separate news teams, one for WUTR and one for FOX, Merren said. The FOX news will seek out a younger audience and be a “little more fast-paced,” he said.
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Tom's Take: Local news! Now there's a concept!! Too bad it took 8 years to correct a Clear Channel decision.
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