Backchannelmedia

Tallahassee, Fla.)

Aug. 4--TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Two more local television stations have teamed up to work together.

WTLH Fox 49 (Comcast cable 10) is handling the local advertising sales and promotions for the WB's local station WBXT-WB6 (cable 6).

"We will be able to provide a better level of service to our clients," said David Hinterschied, general manager of WTLH-TV, which provides UPN prime-time programming on WTLF (cable 24). WTLH began operating the UPN station last year.

The partnership, said Hinterschied, allows the stations to advertise to a younger audience and gives WTLH three networks with buying power. WTLH is owned by the Bala Cynwyd, Pa.- based Pegasus Broadcasting.

"To the WB, this would be extra revenue," he added.

The WB features a popular lineup that includes "7th Heaven," "Smallville," "Everwood," "Gilmore Girls" and "Reba," starring Reba McEntire.

The deal, which was sealed earlier last month, is part of a trend that is happening nationwide, say broadcast officials. In 2001, WTWC (NBC 40, cable 12) and WTXL teamed up, combining their sales and operations staffs.

"This is the trend of creating a duopoly," said Russell Myerson, executive vice president and general manager of The WB 100+ Station Group, a local cable-delivered station group that is affiliated with The WB Television Network. "This is where one station is running two television stations."

Before joining with WTLH, The WB was in a partnership with WTXL (ABC NewsChannel 27, cable 7). Because its station in Gainesville is partnered with a Pegasus Broadcasting-owned station, WB officials decided to extend that partnership into the Tallahassee market.

Hinterschied said the station is in the process of installing new equipment, which should be finished in the next couple of weeks. The work won't interfere with the operational changes. Nor will there be job losses.

Instead, there will be an addition of more account executives to the Fox 49 staff. Hinterschied said once the hiring process is over, the station could have between eight and 10 account executives working in the Tallahassee office.

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