Local Broadcasters' Quiet Consolidation

You probably haven't heard, but broadcasters are devising a new scheme that may undermine the news and information you receive on your local TV newscast. In an effort to cut costs, broadcasters want to merge their newsroom operations, including personnel, rather than compete against each other. These plans, sometimes called "shared services" or "news sharing," haven't received much press coverage, but in the last few months they have quietly cropped up all over the country.The agreements allow broadcasters to combine their news resources and staff so stations can reduce the cost of producing your daily newscast. Broadcasters argue they need to consolidate their newsrooms due to declining ad revenue. But in the process, they are reducing the number of competing voices serving the community.