Chopper 4 will be no more. When WFOR’s contract with Helicopters Inc expires at the end of 2009 the station won’t be renewing it.
We have heard rumors though, about WFOR, WTVJ and WPLG possibly/maybe sharing a helicopter, but nothing we’re able to confirm yet just rumors and hear say.
So. Essentially, with Sky6 Chopper 6 already gone and Chopper 4 going away in about 6 months, Sky10 could end up being shared between WFOR, WTVJ and WPLG.
Our sources are telling us that WSVN has no plans of giving up on Skyforce.
The costs of operating a news helicopter are about $1million per year so 2 or more stations sharing a bird stands to save them quite a bit of money.
That chopper was their pride and joy, back in the Tom Zack era. My one request when I left the station was a ride in Chopper 4. I’ll never forget that day. Things sure have changed.
Another nail in the coffin…
This is going to hurt them! The chopper is such a Must have in a market like Miami. Maybe cut back. Just use it for major news. But you will need it for the next thing that happens out at sea or in the glades.
I agree Danny
Stop being CHEAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
WFOR, WPLG and NBC6
YAY 7news for keeping your chopper you better work Ed Ansin!!!!!!
If I were &news I would not give the other stations any chopper feed unless they paid big bucks.
Are we in the Ocala/Gainesville Market?????? or what
LOL LOL
That’s embarassing. You have to spend money to make money, people!
OMG…you people are morons. They DONT HAVE THE MONEY TO SPEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everytime these stations cut..you make it sound like the “bastards are killing this place”. its not their choice. their revenue is cut in half.
You got that right, Bob. You can’t spend what you don’t bring in. Perhaps the 20-somethings on this board don’t get that because they
live on credit. Don’t work that way in the business world, kiddos!
Wake up and smell the reality of what you report on every damn day.
SVN is struggling somewhere. Now they’re incorporating ads everyhere they can. The 7 on 7, if you look at the top right, there’s an ad. On sports, if you look at the bottom right hand corner where the time bug goes, it’s an ad. So you know something is up if they desperately need the ad money. Especially since they lost all that money after the ratings fault with Nielsen.
But, you have to realize that the local television stations are in thsi situation becasuse they were mismanaged for so many years. If Channel 6 had stuck with an identity and covered good news and kept experienced reporters, they may not be in such a bind. Do you agree? Did anyone hear that the former assistant news director and Yvette MIley bitch is coming back. Ilyas Kirmani. I wonder what people think at WTVj about him. I have heard he is awful
wow, they even laid-off the chopper
they should also move the station to Homestead, it’s cheap there…
why spend the money for Doral, they can purchase a foreclosed home and run the station from there. While charging rent for some of the spare rooms.
Problem solved
Listen up, children. Before you go jumping to conclusions about ‘for not having a chopper, chew on this. Their current deal goes until the end of the year, that’s 6-months. There is a super-secret deal already worked out for after that.
Go back to your usual chattering now…
Is it another ecological friendly HUMMER? This time with some beer and condom ads on the side.
Can’t wait!
Though I’m still partial to the baby blue, surround sound system, gas guzzler, 4 miles to a gallon one they have now.
Its not just these 3 stations in Miami. Stations all over the country are dropping the chooper, even the Big Apple has chopper-less news stations. If you cant understand the current state of the economt you are just showing your ignorance.
Why not close down that Broward bureau as well. Just can the rest of the staff up there, and completely give up on news all together. Just pathetic. I still see ads on tv, so money must be coming in from somewhere. Can’t wait to see the ineffective local management fall on their faces.
Listen to you a** h***s arguing about rich folks and they money.
Since I’m pretty sure none of you brainiacs read the Herald (neither print nor online) I’ll clue you into something. In today’s article about People Meters by Glenn Garvin, he wrote that WFOR and WPLG have signed a chopper sharing agreement.
Now maybe instead of spewing uninformed, generally mean and spiteful comments about stations and their people (not just WFOR), you should just wait and find out what the real deal is.
That is all.
@TheTruth
Super-Secret Deal? What, with Channel 10? We’re not stupid. They’ll keep paying for Metro’s feed and use Channel 10 as well.
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