WEHT, WTVW reportedly merging news departments

The beginning of the combination of WEHT-NEWS 25 and Local 7 WTVW is apparently at hand. Nexstar Broadcasting chairman, president and CEO Perry Sook and co-chief operating officer Timothy Busch visited Henderson (KY) for a meeting with the WEHT staff.

Those sources also report that Local 7, which operates from studios at 477 Carpenter St., in Downtown Evansville, is to be moved into NEWS 25’s studios at 800 Marywood Drive in Henderson. That move is expected to take place sometime in December. It also appears that NEWS 25’s personnel will have to re-apply for their current positions. Layoffs are said to be likely, although it is unclear at this point how many positions will be consolidated. The re-application process for NEWS 25 employees will begin in late September, and the sale of the station to Nexstar is now expected to close at some point between November and January. The changes are being made as a result of Nexstar’s pending purchase of WEHT from Gilmore Broadcasting, along with the spinoff of WTVW to Mission Broadcasting, both of which are awaiting FCC approval. WTVW, which must be sold because of FCC ownership limits in smaller markets, will continue to be operated by Nexstar under a local management agreement.