Report: Fox and NBC Stations to Share Video Gathering

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By Felix Gillette

November 14, 2008 | 11:08 a.m.

Cost-Cutting Measure, circa 1980s

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In The New York Times today, Bill Carter reports that a Fox station and a NBC station in Philadelphia are teaming up to share video operations in a bid to save money.

According to Mr. Carter, the move is a part of a broader plan which the stations' parent companies, News Corporation and NBC Universal, hope to roll out in cities across the country, including here in New York.

As we've previously noted, WNBC is New York is currently undergoing some major changes, which have already resulted in a downsizing of the station's roster of cameramen and camera crews.

More from today's article:

Al Primo, a news director in the early days of Eyewitness News at WABC in New York and who now consults on local television issues, said, "I think this is inevitable. It's a sea change."

He said that such pool coverage would probably mean a reduction in certain kinds of additional reporting on events that might have the same visuals, like a mayor's news conference. A station would not be able to add to the pool coverage of the mayor's comments by interviewing an aide at the scene without also sending a separate truck and crew, which would undermine the cost-savings strategy.