37 replies to this topic

[TSSZNews]

Deadline.com reports CBS has acquired WLNY-TV in Riverhead, giving CBS a duopoly in the New York market.

Quote

“The combined strengths of CBS 2 and WLNY-TV will give us a terrific platform for serving the entire New York area,” CBS TV Stations president Peter Dunn said in the release announcing the deal. “Our plans for the station include adding people and resources to fuel a significant expansion of local news programming well beyond the nightly half-hour that currently airs.” WLNY is distributed in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area and on Long Island, where an expanded news bureau is expected.

http://www.deadline....y-in-ny-market/

You have to wonder if they'll at minimum try to give News 12 LI a run for their money, or outright pull a KCAL for news expansion.

[HulkieD]

Wow, big news. Since there's no network affiliation available, you have to expect they're going to run it like KCAL - news-heavy, probably with a bit of a Long Island focus. Not that I live in the city but does LI complain the same way NJ does with lack of local news coverage?

[TennTV1983]

Likely the latter (going the KCAL route), even though WLNY doesn't have much of a news staff at present.

[Oprah]

Big news indeed. I would imagine WCBS would absorb any WLNY on-air talent worth keeping (what's the quality there? I would imagine it's not really NYC caliber.) and just hire new people to fill in the rest if they indeed go the KCAL route.

[SterlingNorth]

The Wrap says they will be using WCBS to give it news resources on WLNY.

[nynewsguy]

The plan is that CBS will turn WLNY into the NY version of KCAL in LA.
Look for the WLNY studios in Melville to turn into the Long Island Bureau for WCBS/WLNY - and the newscasts to eventually all originate from the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan. We were just talking about this today in my office. Have a couple of friends over at WCBS that I spoke to.
Don't look for much of the on-air talent from WLNY to stick around.... more than likely, only the current ND/Anchor Richard Rose. The rest of the place makes News12 look like it's a national broadcast.

[tvknowledge]

Say what you want about Long Island but it is a hotbed of consumer dollars. Outside of the 5 boroughs, radio & TV stations covet the Nassau and Suffolk audience.
WCBS newsradio has a huge presence and so do others in the cbs radio family, like 66 WFAN. So WCBS-tv having a larger presence by swiping up TV10/55 is
a big move to gain that. And joke all you want about WLNY's newscast but it does garner ratings. It's shoved between two Judge Judy and Inside Edition on the other
side so they hold those viewers despite it's lower quality (being nice) compared to other 11pm newscasts from the City.

[tvknowledge]

Another thought comes to mind in that they may change the time of the newscast unlike the moronic idea of what Fox5 did with their sister station My9. Why would you want to compete with yourself at 10pm? They use the same reporters and the same taped pieces with a different sig-out and they even
tape weather from one studio to the other if Nick Gregory or Audrey Puente are on vacation. I never understood that.
So I'm thinking TV55 may go back to 10pm. It would not surprise me if WCBS starts their people at 10pm to help report and that sports and weather come from the broadcast center on 57th. Great way to spread WCBS talent viewership and save money on people. If you read between the lines, Peter Dunn saying they will add new people doesn't necessarily have to be 'new' people, per say; just new to TV55.
Overall, I'd give the deal and its potential, a thumbs up.

[nynewsguy]

Trust me... once this transaction is finalized, and CBS owns WLNY, you will start seeing "TV10 news at 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10." Dunn has been dying to get the KCAL format out in market 1 for years, and now he's got the station to do it with.

WLNY will not compete with WCBS, rather just fill in all the gaps... It's going to be interesting. You'll start to see WCBS reporters anchoring on WLNY, and I would expect Richard Rose will remain as the anchor at 8 & 10pm with someone from WCBS.

Within the year, the broadcast will originate from W57th. There's no two ways about it. They'll maintain the transmission license for Long Island.

[anchorman93]

I can see Don Dahler playing a large role in TV10.

I'm excited about this. If nothing less, it will push News 12 to be more competitive. (Which they have started to do with the new studio, graphics, HD, etc.)

[nickp]

Broadcast a WCBS-produced three-hour prime-time news block from 8 to 11 P.M.

[Weeters]

nickp, on 13 December 2011 - 07:22 PM, said:

Broadcast a WCBS-produced three-hour prime-time news block from 8 to 11 P.M.

No.

[StudioTech]

Weeters, on 13 December 2011 - 10:18 PM, said:

No.

If CBS plans on turning WLNY into KCAL East, then that would be a "Yes".

[tvknowledge]

$55 mil for 55
http://www.mediabist...rice-tag_b33487

[AceHawk447]

A CBS-owned WLNY would also be the perfect over-the-air broadcast home for some local teams...specifically, the Islanders.

[TVNewsLover]

Wonder what newscasts they may add. I am thinking they will add a 7-9am newscast with the CBS 2 morning team (Rob & Mary) continuing on. My guess is they will probably add a 4pm newscast, anchored perhaps by Chris & Dana. A 7pm maybe or a 10pm maybe?

[anchorman93]

http://www.nydailyne...ksEnabled=false

[tvknowledge]

I think its a shame though not unexpected, that they'll do it on the cheap and just rotate their people in their bc at 57th. Why not make use of the facility on LI?
Can Long Islanders get all fired up and say they have to stay on L.I. similar to Fox having to keep My9 in NJ?
How does it work out in CA?

[TVNewsRI]

They spent $55 million on this station. Doesn't seem like they're in it to "do it on the cheap."

I bet they'll use the current Long Island studio as a news bureau.