By Paul J. Gough
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) -
NBCUniversal is putting
two TV stations, WTMJ in Miami and WVIT in Hartford,
Connecticut, on the block.
The move comes amid major changes in the TV-station
business and the shedding of smaller markets by big media
companies like Fox and CBS. In an e-mail to station group
employees Wednesday, NBC Local Media president John Wallace
said that the company was focusing on its stations in the top
10 markets and its digital business.
WTVJ has been owned by NBC since 1987; WVIT was purchased
by NBC in the 1950s. There are no details on the possible sale
yet although the other half of NBC's duopoly in Miami, a
Telemundo station, would not be affected.
Wallace said that changes were being made to the network's
stations group, which in November renamed itself NBC Local
Media and recently bought LX.TV and Skycastle Entertainment and
boosted its out-of-home business.
"These growth investments are an important part of ensuring
our long-term viability," Wallace wrote. "They also need to be
self-funded. As a result, we've taken a hard look at our
portfolio and made some difficult decisions about what's best
for our business going forward."
When the sale is completed, it will leave eight stations
owned by NBC Local Media. Seven of them will be in major
markets like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the
eighth is a joint venture in San Diego.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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