Local video content sharing continuing to spread


Pooling video resources among competing TV stations has come to Dallas. Barry Shlachter of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram takes a look a month into local video sharing in that market Participating are Fox’s KDFW, NBC’s KXAS and Tribune Co.’s KDAF.  (KDFW and KXAS also agreed in January to share a helicopter.)

“Three or four years ago, they didn’t need to” share resources, said Phyllis Slocum, a former TV reporter who now teaches journalism at the University of North Texas in Denton.

“But the economic downturn has reduced advertising income. Remember all those new car commercials? Where are they now?”

“What’s new is that they are doing it full-time within the market,” said Harry A. Jessell, an ex-TV journalist who is editor and co-publisher of an industry Web site, tvnewsday.com. “This must run against the grain of many broadcasters, who have been fiercely competitive.

“They say this is going to free up resources for more enterprise reporting. They’ll probably just do more with fewer people. Everyone’s looking for ways to save. We had this helicopter ‘arms race’ between local stations, and now they are starting to share.”

The article also notes the Star-Telegram and The Dallas Morning News are swapping pro sports coverage and theater/music reviews.

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