For the first time in a Wisconsin media market, a TV station has taken over the newsroom of another TV station. Mike Simonson reports that this may begin a trend to reduce television newsrooms.

Federal Communication Commission regulations forbids one station in a single market from owning more than one of the top four stations. But the FCC is approving so-called "shared services agreements". That's allowing NBC affiliate KBJR in the Duluth-Superior market to control and manage the CBS station. Earlier this month, the NBC station fired all of its former competitor's reporters, photographers and producers, 30 in all and gave notice of lay-off to another 15. Only a news anchor and producer remain doing news, along with a sports and weather person. KBJR-TV President Robert Wilmers says it was a tough decision. "You never want to do this. But when the business places you in that position, you have to take action because if it wasn't done now, it would have been done later and it may have been much worse," said Wilmers. "Look, the law is clear. One company is not supposed to run two stations in the same market." That's former CBS affiliate reporter John Schadl who now works as an aide to Congressman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota. Shadl says the FCC is no longer looking out for the viewer by allowing corporations to own and operate large numbers of TV stations. He thinks that leaves little money for local news. "The only way to be competitive and make money was to put out a real quality product and excel with those stations you could own. Now the industry is looking at companies that simply acquire large numbers of stations and the debt service of these companies becomes huge." Shadl says that means one less set of eyes reporting local news in the Duluth-Superior market. CBS affiliate KDLH-TV's new owner is Sarasota-based Tony Malara. In spite of the lay-offs, Malara insists this will allow expansion of local news, even with the elimination of an entire news department. "(reporter) It does mean fewer reporters going out there to get stories. (Malara) There are people on the news staff who will be moving over to Channel 6. There are other reporters who will be doing double duty." KDLH-TV will continue to do newscasts, using stories from KBJR news people. Malara and Wilmers say other "shared services agreements" are being hatched in other markets, often eliminating the news department of one of the stations.

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