*
Some random yet interconnected happenings from the weekend…
Not Done Yet. There was movement last week in the on-going tug of TV between Media General, Nexstar and Meredith Corporation. While it looks as if the momentum has swung toward a Media General/Nexstar deal, Meredith is still in the mix and several more weeks(or months) of merger and acquisition brinksmanship lay ahead.
Not Competitive – Broadcasting and Cable
Merger Standoff – Wall St. Journal
Need we remind you that a Media General/Meredith merger might require the sale of either WFSB or WTNH?
Not Live. The Huffington Post has announced it is effectively ending its eight hour a day live video news feed. The website says it will still provide special live anchored coverage of important events but it is “pivoting” toward a new model that will emphasize video packages meant to be shared easily through social media.
BBC Shrinking? Even the taxpayer supported BBC is facing difficult decisions based on what is becoming an outdated revenue model. The BBC is funded through a license fee on televisions using the service. Since the Internet era is leading to fewer TV’s, revenue from the license fees is decreasing and the worldwide news leader is being forced to make decisions that could lead to reductions in coverage or a new focus on new delivery systems.
Both the HuffPost decision and the BBC problem highlight the struggles news organizations are having blending old forms of news delivery with new expectations from the news audience. Last week we posted on similar challenges for Bristol based ESPN.
NBC Boston. Meanwhile, in Beantown, we’ve been keeping our eye on an on-going battle between NBC and the owner of WHDH. Owner Ed Ansin is vowing to fight a plan by the network to yank HDH’s NBC affiliation and move it to O and O WNEU – a year from now.
*The title of this post inspired by the naval warfare periodical of the same name.
