The network news organizations, ABC News, CBS News and to a lesser extent NBC News, are in a period of extreme transition-that much is undeniable.
Last night’s resignation by ABC News president David Westin only served to underscore the point.
Without the benefit of cable subscription fees, CBS News and ABC News have been hit particularly hard during the recession.
In a wide-ranging and timely cover story today, Broadcasting & Cable‘s Marisa Guthrie looks at what the future holds for network news. It boils down to two points: strike a deal with a cable partner like CNN or Bloomberg, or make some serious cuts and changes to how TV news is produced.
“I’m on the record as saying there will be no broadcast television in 10 years,” says Andrew Tyndall, an independent news analyst. Tyndall, who catalogs the evening newscasts on TyndallReport.com, compares the trajectory of the broadcast TV business with the swift demise of network radio.
Guthrie also gets CBS News & Sports president Sean McManus to weigh in on the long long rumored partnership with CNN:
“If there is a deal that makes sense for CBS News and CNN in every way, including editorial control, efficiencies, quality control, I’m sure each of us would be willing to do that deal,” McManus says. “That deal hasn’t been reached. I don’t anticipate it being reached, and rumors about impending deals just are flat-out not true.”
The entire story is worth reading. Check it out here.