Chicago TV stations pooling news coverage

In Chicago, NBC-owned WMAQ-Ch. 5, Fox-owned WFLD-Ch. 32, CBS-owned WBBM-Ch. 2 and WGN-Ch. 9, which is owned by Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co., announced Monday that they have joined forces to establish an independently run local news service that will share newsgathering resources to provide pool coverage of non-exclusive events. It will be up to each rival station how or if the shared video is incorporated into its respective newscasts and Web site. ABC's WLS-Ch. 7, the market's No. 1 station, was the lone holdout among commercial broadcast news outlets. Participants say it is a more cost-effective use of manpower and equipment, although some rank-and-file at the stations fear it may make it easier to reduce staffing. "It has never quite made sense to me that you have a podium with a cluster of mike flags on it," Channel 2 boss Bruno Cohen said. "I've always been thinking, as a former news director, what are we doing? What is the point of this?" Tony Capriolo, a WMAQ sports producer, has been selected as managing editor of the service, which will be based at WBBM's headquarters across from Daley Plaza but separate from Channel 2's news operation. Said Pat Mullen, Channel 32 boss, "It's a more efficient method of gathering news video at a time when we have to look for every efficiency we possibly can."