Tribune Company and Local TV Holdings said Sept. 16 that they have reached an agreement in principle to enter into a local marketing agreement for their TV stations in Denver and a shared services agreement for their TV stations in St. Louis.
In Denver, the agreements will involve KDVR (Local TV/FOX) and KWGN (Tribune/CW). In St. Louis, KPLR (Tribune/CW) and KTVI (Local TV/FOX) will enter a shared services arrangement.
The agreements will allow the stations to reside in the same facility, use combined news operations and share certain programming. In St. Louis, the stations will collocate in the offices of KPLR and use one newsroom to produce nine hours of news every day, with no overlap. According to Spencer Koch, market manager for St. Louis and general manager of KTVI, the move will position the stations to adapt to the way people watch TV today. “People today need local news programs throughout the day, not just in the morning, the early evening and at 9 or 10 p.m.," he said.
KPLR recently launched an hour-long local newscast at 7 p.m. News at 7 is one of the only prime-time newscasts in the country and the only one in St. Louis.
In Denver, both stations will operate out of the KDVR studios.
For more information, visit http://www.tribune.com/.
