Bruce Haffner will, once again, fly his helicopter in the Phoenix market. A Meredith spokesperson confirmed, he will shoot and report for independent station KTVK and CBS affiliate KPHO starting in October.
We reported in May that the KTVK chopper pilot was moving on from the station after the lease between Haffner’s company, KTVK, which at the time was still owned by Gannett, and the helicopter’s sponsor expired.
“It’s unbelievable because really this is what I love doing.” Haffner told the PBJ. “To be able to do what you love to do for work, there’s just nothing like it in the world.”
“Suffice to say, (the deal) worked for him and it worked for us,” said Ed Munson, president and general manager of 3TV and CBS 5. “Overall we think it’s really going to enhance the coverage of both Channel 5 and Channel 3.”
Iowa-based Meredith Corp. recently purchased KTVK and KPHO from Gannett Co. Inc. Negotiations to continue Haffner’s old contract were stalled by the change in ownership.