90stvland 1 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 From WTIC: Tribune Company, owner of WTIC-TV and WTXX-TV and the Hartford Courant announced today that it will combine the operations of the stations and the newspaper later this year. In a station meeting Monday, Richard Graziano, senior vice president/general manager of the Fox 61 and WTXX television stations, was named publisher of the Hartford Courant effective immediately. According to a press release, Steve Carver, who has served as the Courant’s publisher since November 2006, will leave the company following a short transition period. The press release also quoted Randy Michaels, Tribune’s chief operating officer. “Whether in print, over the air, or online—the delivery mechanism isn’t as important as the unique, rich nature of the content provided. Bringing these media properties together will enable us to bring more resources to our news coverage, improving and expanding what we can offer readers, viewers and advertisers in the area.” Fox 61 produces local newscasts from 4:30 am to 9 am, and a 10pm and 11pm broadcast. Management said there are plans to expand news broadcasts in the fall. Graziano has been in charge of the duopoly since 2005 and last July was promoted to senior vice president/general manager, assuming additional oversight responsibility for the company’s stations in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The press release quoted Ed Wilson, president of Tribune Broadcasting, “We are focused on serving Hartford and Connecticut and Rich is the best person to lead our efforts. He’s talented, experienced, and has great leadership skills. But most importantly, Rich knows the market better than anyone.” The Courant, the oldest continuously published paper in the country, reaches 800,000 customers daily. The TV stations are and will remain the only stations operating in the state’s capital city. Not a big surprise here, since the Tribune Company is looking for ways to cut costs. The good news is that,according to the Courant, WTIC will broadcast their news in high-definition in the Courant's newsroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qunewsguy 376 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The bad news, from what I'm hearing, is they're not adding any staff and may be cutting even more from both sides of the operation post-move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpfl89 1 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I'm not sure where you're getting that info from... but staff has been added both on-air and off for the past 6 months in preparation for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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