…the reason they are consolidating NOW is due to the economy. If the country hadn’t tanked, all these TV stations would have kept on truckin’ as they always have.

The economy just sped up reality for these stations. I don’t believe any of the stations in our town know how to cope with the new technology (web, mobile, direct, dvr, etc). Despite their focus groups, they are determined to hang on to the Blue Hair demo as long as possible. What they don’t seem to understand is they need to work now at building the framework to serve the young demo while ALSO continuing to serve the old demo. If they did then when that demo-change happens (read, the older ones finally die) they’d be prepared.

What I don’t understand in this specific case is why do you want to help your competition? Assuming NBC4 has more bank than ABC6, if I was 4 I’d let 6 suffer. One less person to worry about. But the effects of lack of competition is another article and debate for another time…

Or, option C is to follow in the steps of many of the failing papers…just move to an all on-line model. Cut clean from the Blue Hairs and go where the bulk of people are.

Eitherway, I’m looking forward to seeing what outlets/companies survive or are created out of the ashes of the old guard. You gotta clear cut the forest to let new trees grow.