NBC announced this morning they are launching a 24-hour local news channel in NY and revamping its studios at 30 Rock, to turn it into a “content center” capable of producing and distributing multi-platform content.
According to the NYT, NBC plans to rebuild WNBC’s newsroom and “meld” its content with the new 24-hr operation and the existing local Web site. The network will remove the WNBC name off its local news Web site and just call it NBC New York.
The channel will be available on the digital tier of cable systems in the New York area starting November. Execs told employees there would be no layoffs, but “extensive retraining” for producers and other staff members, whose shifts will probably change.
If NBC succeeds with this project, other network stations, like Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia will undergo similar changes.