Rumor in the WPEC newsroom has it that staff cuts could soon be coming down the pike. Now that the station lost production rights of the WFLX newscasts to WPTV, and with them the rumored $1 million per year from WFLX owner Raycom, it has extra on air staff and no place to re-assign them. Anchors Eric Roby and Suzanne Boyd (who also anchors WPEC newscasts) are said to be the most likely to go if cutbacks do happen and sharp-eyed SFLTV readers have noticed Boyd hasn’t been anchoring the 5:30pm newscast as regularly as she used to, instead main anchors Curt Fonger and Liz Quirantes are handling that show (temporary?).
In addition to Boyd and Roby, it’s possible that either part or all of the sports department would be cut. With WPTV gutting their sports department and getting hitched with ESPN Radio 760AM to cut costs, it isn’t hard to imagine WPEC won’t downsize or just forgo sports altogether. After all ABC affiliate WPBF hasn’t had a sports department in a decade.
The other rumor is that WPEC may be put up for sale “in the near future”. The station’s parent company Freedom Communications came out of bankruptcy in May 2010 but had to give all of itself up to JP Morgan Chase in exchange for a 60% debt reduction. With a big faceless company on the lever that just took more than half a billion dollars hit on the chin they could very well try to recoup some money. Plus it’s not the first time WPEC was put up for sale, Freedom tied it 10 years ago but canceled the sale after a while.
If a sale really transpires we can see Cox Communications as a potential suitor, they own The Palm Beach Post and are already news partners with WPEC. CBS had interest in WPEC last time it was for sale but in this climate and after dumping WTVX, WTCN etc CBS might not be in the mood to shell money out for a mid-market station.
:\ Well, this sucks. Exponentially.
Freedom may have to sell WPEC, and perhaps a few other stations, now that both of them are in the state they’re in now…
I wonder if WTVX would be willing to return to 10pm newscasts?
If the sports department is outsourced: The only other sports radio station in the Palm Beaches is WMEN 640, a Fox Sports affiliate which is a sister station to WFTL 850 and brands itself as such.
It’s a lot to ponder. We’ll see what happens in the next few months.
Roby will go. They’ll keep Boyd. Worry more for Claudia Shea than Boyd.
i think morning anchor emily pantelides and eric roby will go. boyd will stay.if wpec go for sell i can see post-newsweek,cox,newscorp potential suitor.if newscorp buys the station will turn to a fox affliate
i forgot about cbs for potential suitor for wpec.cbs always wanted a station in palm beach now they will have a chance
CBS was interested in WPEC….when they owned WTVX….at one time in the late 90s they even considered moving CBS programming to WTVX again creating a hub with nearby sister station CBS 4 and not renewing WPECs contract. But, none of that ended up happening and CBS has since sold WTVX to Four Points Media.
WP-EICE-OF-SHIT. They are so far behind their competitors in funds,equipment, and talent it’s not even funny. And to think this is freedom’s flagship station….now that’s funny. That station needs a thorough colon cleansing. Only one owner can turn it around and BEGIN to compete with WPTV and that’s post newsweek.
I don’t know about that, Cox would be the one to benefit most financially in this situation. They have owned The Palm Beach Post since the 1960s and already own the ABC station for Orlando.
i will take out newscorp to buy wpec
Call me crazy, but what about Post-Newsweek?
The News Corp. idea makes sense. Rupert buys 12, kills 29 and moves the FOX shows. Doesn’t he want a South Florida station since WSVN is a non O&O. WFLX would become CBS and would likely end the news partnership with WPTV. It’s tricky but News Corp. would get 12 dirt cheap.