Just saw this message on Twitter:
WCHL has sold minority ownership in the company to Barry Leffler, currently the General Manager of NBC-17 (WNCN-TV).
More details are available on the WCHL site, including "Leffler will assume the roles of CEO and Managing Partner with Heavner continuing as Chairman." Leffler is leaving NBC17 and plans to buyout all of WCHL.
What does it mean for the community? More or less resources for WCHL? What about local coverage, Air America shows, and CBS headlines? (And do we care about all of those things?)
Issues:
Comments
progressive talk
I listen to WCHL from 8 am till 3 pm while I am working. Please don't talk my progressive talk radio away.
I couldn't work without Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz!
Hope that doesn't change.
New Owner
Barry Leffler has been a reasonable man in the past and hopefully is prepared to bring more resources to WCHL. I would certainly hope he would keep the progressive talk portion of the station, and maybe expand the coverage to other parts of the Triangle (in other words, boost the signal, which can be very costly). I wish him and all of the WCHL employees all the best. I do hope he keeps the staff members, as they are wonderful people.
No expansion, please!
Presumably broadcasting to other parts of the Triangle would also mean covering those other places. There is little enough coverage of Orange County as it is, I would hate to see that watered down by our larger neighbors.
I liked NBC17's
Community Events thing: http://events.mync.com/I'm not sure it has taken off as much as it could have, but when I've used it, it has always allowed for more input than most triangle area tv news station online community calendars. And while I doubt their is a very strong organizational cultural connection between MSNBC & NBC17, I've always liked hearing Rachel Maddow when I tune to WCHL & then watching her on MSNBC.
Any more news
Is there any update on this?