Here’s an Update on NBC Boston

By Kevin Eck 

The latest development in the launch of of NBC Boston happened yesterday when current NBC affiliate WHDH sued Comcast over the loss of its NBC affiliation.

Despite that wrinkle, NBC has been adding and subtracting in its march towards the launch of Boston’s NBC-owned station. Here’s quick update:

Probably the biggest hot-button issue is how NBC will deliver the signal to the Boston market. WHDH says NBC Boston will transmit from Telemundo station WNEU. The Sunbeam-owned station even made a map of what that would look like as part of its argument against Comcast.
WHDH Broadcast Signal Coverage Map 05

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NBC hasn’t announced how viewers will see the broadcast, so the WNEU solution is pure speculation. For now, we only have what NBC OTS president Valari Staab said when the station was first announced, that NBC is “committed to expanding our over-the-air coverage of the market and are currently looking at a variety of options to accomplish that.”

As far as who viewers will see when they watch an NBC Boston newscast, The Boston Herald reports the station will share resources with NECN, meaning anchors and reporters will appear on both stations. NBC is busy hiring more staff in preparation for the launch.

This week, NECN added Karen Hensel as an investigative reporter and subtracted business editor Peter Howe and reporter Justin Michaels.

“As the ownership ramps up the NBC Boston channel, my skill set, talents, and background are different from the priorities for NBC Boston, and as Coach Belichick would say, it is what it is” Howe said in a statement on Facebook. Michaels had worked there since March 2012.

From The Herald:

The station also recently added former Channel 7 weatherman Pete Bouchard; former Fox 25 anchor/reporter Shannon Mulaire, who currently anchors “Early Today” on NBC and “First Look” on MSNBC; Melody Mendez, who began her career at Boston Neighborhood Network News and most recently anchored WFLD’s “Good Day Chicago,” and former Fox 25 anchor/reporter Joy Lim Nakrin to its roster.

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