WYTV and WKBN begin talks on sharing services

YOUNGSTOWN — Now that new ownership for WYTV has been approved, discussions shift to combining operations with that of WKBN-TV.

Executives of the two local television stations can now work on an agreement on what services will be shared, said Dave Trabert, general manager of WYTV Channel 33.

“We’ll be fast and furious in getting into those discussions,” he said.

There is no timetable for completing them, he said.

The Federal Communications Commission Monday approved the sale of WYTV by Chelsey Broadcasting of New York to Parkin Broadcasting of Los Angeles. The sale is expected to close later this month after legal work is completed.

Included in the package is a shared-services agreement between WYTV and WKBN Channel 27.

The proposal calls for WKBN to take over the newscasts of WYTV and provide other services for $750,000 a year.

Trabert said the exact nature of those services hasn’t been determined but mostly will be behind-the-scenes activities.

For more on this story, see The Vindicator or www.vindy.com Thursday.