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Tribune, Knight-Ridder end coproduction of WPHL newscast
An innovative experiment to pool the resources of a TV station and a major daily newspaper to produce a nightly local news show has come to an end. Dec. 29 marked the final broadcast of Inquirer News Tonight, a joint venture of Tribune Broadcasting's WPHLTV (Channel 17) and Knight-Ridder's The Philadelphia Inquirer and KR Video.
The Inquirer had viewed the 2 1/2-year-old venture as an opportunity to increase readership and strengthen its franchise at a time when many newspapers are struggling to reshape themselves as information purveyors rather than simply the morning news. WPHL, a WB affiliate, wanted to use the paper's sizable news-gathering staff and expertise to make a run at Fox Broadcasting's WTXF-TV, which holds a commanding lead over second-place WPHL with its 10 p.m. newscast. Last October, WTXF's 10 p.m. news averaged a 4.5 rating, while INT averaged a 2.4.
The partners reportedly spent about $10 million on Inquirer News Tonight. The end of the project contains some lessons for those who would attempt to mix the "oil and water" of...