PITTSBURGH 2 offers come in for TV station

The station to be sold and its sister station have been broadcasting the same programming for several years.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Should a Pittsburgh television station be sold and converted from educational to commercial use, an activist said he hopes that the new owner would be willing to provide more information than infomercials.
Jerry Starr, executive director of the Pittsburgh Citizens for Independent Public Broadcasting, said he hopes the station will select a buyer who's willing to get involved in the community and air shows reflecting the region's diversity.
"We're just hoping it's not home shopping," Starr said.
Trying to sell
WQED Pittsburgh, the home of "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" and several other nationally syndicated shows, has been trying to sell affiliated station WQEX since 1996, and recently got two offers exceeding $20 million to buy the affiliate, WQED Senior Vice President and Station Manager B.J. Leber said Tuesday.
Because the Federal Communications Commission granted a petition to change the station format from educational to commercial earlier this year, a sale would likely mean the end of public programming on WQEX, which first began airing classroom and home-instruction services in 1959.
"Our hope was that WQED would allow a not-for-profit to operate the station as a noncommercial, educational station. It was rejected. Now, it's a question of how bad is it going to be?" Starr said.
Starr said he hopes WQED will select a buyer who would be willing to hire managers with a strong sense of community. "Even a commercial station can find ways to get involved," he said.
Reason for sale
WQED officials have said the station sale is needed provide enough cash to pay off a $9 million debt, allow for repairs at the station's headquarters and switch the company's primary public station, WQED Channel 13, to digital broadcasting.
Leber said proceeds of the sale would also help WQED restore its endowment, which had been depleted by earlier financial problems.
Besides the two television stations, which have been broadcasting the same shows for the last several years, WQED has two radio stations and Pittsburgh magazine.
A proposal to sell WQEX to California-based ShootingStar Broadcasting company stalled in early November after WQED officials said the company failed to secure financing. Another bid from Cornerstone Television fell through in January 2000 after the prospective buyer balked at FCC restrictions.
Leber, who declined to identify the current two prospective buyers, said a buyer would not be selected until after the new year.
"We did get the two offers and we won't be making a decision until after the first of the year," she said. "And there's a chance more offers will be coming in."