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FCC clears way to seal WLVI sale
Deal brings a new 10 p.m. newscast
By Robert Gavin, Globe Staff
| November 21, 2006

The Federal Communications has approved the transfer of the broadcasting license of WLVI-TV (Channel 56) to WHDH-TV (Channel 7), the last major hurdle to the sale of Channel 56 to Channel 7's parent company.

The approval, which came last week, clears the way for the sale to close Dec. 18, with WHDH launching a new 10 p.m. newscast on Channel 56 the following night, said Michael Carson, WHDH's vice president and general manager. More than 100 employees at WLVI will lose jobs when the sale is completed.

WHDH's parent, Sunbeam Television Corp., owned by Miami media mogul Ed Ansin, agreed this fall to buy WLVI from Tribune Co. of Chicago for $113.7 million. The two local news broadcasts will be consolidated at WHDH's Boston headquarters. WLVI's building on Morrissey Boulevard will be sold, Carson said.

Also yesterday, Carson, 65, said he would retire in July after leading the station, an NBC affiliate, since 1993. He will stay on as a consultant for a year following his retirement.

Randi Goldklank, the sales director, will succeed Carson. Goldklank joined WHDH in August 2005, after working four years in sales management at WSVN-TV in Miami, also owned by Ansin's Sunbeam Television Corp.

The transition at WHDH comes as traditional media -- broadcast television, radio, and newspapers -- grapple with new competitors and fragmented audiences as Internet, cable, and satellite technologies advance.

WLVI, an affiliate of the new CW network, was among several properties put up for sale in recent months by Tribune Co., which, like many other media companies, has come under pressure to improve financial performance and boost stock prices. Tribune Co., which publishes the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, is now considering selling itself.

WLVI in 1984 launched the Boston market's first 10 o'clock newscast, but has struggled to hold on to viewers in the face of competition from WFXT-TV (Channel 25), the Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliate.

WHDH is expected to revamp the 10 p.m. newscast to appeal to younger viewers. Owning more than one station in a market allows companies like Sunbeam to reach more viewers, while cutting costs by consolidating operations

posted by Allison @ 1:13 PM