December 2nd, 2008 
joel The rumor mill is going in overdrive regarding the future of the news operations of WICU and WSEE in the new year.
Details of an internal memo have been released on GoErie’s forum and referred to by commenters here at The Press and Tower. Requests for comment and confirmation by WSEE management have not been returned.
According to the leaked reports, in order to prepare for a projected double-digit decline in revenues, the idea attributed to owner Brian Lilly is to expand the facilities at the WICU plant on State Street to accommodate both staffs and to consolidate the newsteam, combining producers and reporters from both stations to create all the news products for both. In the process some 15 to 20 employees would be eliminated.
For some years now the technical operations of the stations have been handled at WICU so it’s not a leap that news, sales, and front office would follow.
One commenter on GoErie was specific as to who would stay and go, listing long term anchors Joey Stevens and Gary Drapcho as vulnerable in the aftermath of a consolidation.
Because we are talking about major changes to peoples’ lives here, I want to be careful about too much speculation and conjecture. However, after two weeks of a significant undertone, its time is now for an open discussion of this issue.
If this report is true it begs the question of whether one news set and the same anchor team would be used for both stations, either staggering or simulcasting those newscasts that may happen at the same time. Or would they just build a new studio at 35th and State to accommodate WSEE? Could we see the return of a 7 PM newscast, or the elimination of the 11 PM cast on one of the stations? Perhaps this news team would add at 10 PM cast on the CW to challenge WFXP’s news in this new digital era.
One thing is for certain, that 2009 is likely to bring seismic change to the Erie media market and to markets across the country. This supposed move by Mr. Lilly may just be another in a long line of tectonic shifts that we have already endured, with more to come.
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Gary Drapcho is the only reason for watching Newswatch 35.
If management was stratigic, they would retain Drapcho and put their money into a sports stronghold, similar to FOX Sports Pitts. and Ohio. With the CW under their umbrella, they could easily program some great local sports including a Friday night variety show featuring player/coach interviews, in studio demos, even a “live” studio audience…not to mention countless local sports “live” commitments with all three colleges now in the PSAC! This type of programing can easily be adjusted for football coverage in the fall, hunting/fishing skiing in the winter, baseball, track and more fishing in the spring and summer.
As for news….Have at it! There is only one way to go….and that is up.
sorry for the Typo…”Strategic”
Hmmm…no comment from Lilly Management (or Scott Bemner) strongly denying your story. Must be a shred of truth then!?
oops…Bremner (sorry for the misspelling!)
Curious the Times-News won’t touch this story with a 10-foot pole! Even more curious is no response (or denials) posted by anyone associated with Lilly!
Nice scoop Joel!
Sadly, consolidation is a mainstay in the broadcast industry.
Despite who may ‘stay’ or who may be shown the door in a 12 and 35 consolidation, this huge snowball points back to 1996 when deregulation occurred through the FCC.
I was smart to walk away from the business in 1997, because I had a hunch what was about to happen. The Clear Channel’s and other humongous broadcasting companies gobbling up broadcast properties like a vacuum fresh off the showroom floor.
What’s happening here is happening EVERYWHERE. Let’s face it, the veteran broadcasters across this country can command huge salaries. Uncaring broadcast owners are ‘trimming the fat’ without any regard to viewer or listener loyalty.
Get used to it, our opinion doesn’t matter anymore.
Consolidation has already happened in Youngstown. Both WKBN and WYTV (basically co owned) aired a live local story on the 11pm news with the same reporter keeping it generic by saying “back to you.” I checked both stations and it was the same reporter with a plain mic airing the live shot at the same time on both stations.
I hear nothing but bad things by most bloggers on this subject. I personally think it will be a good thing, IF THEY (Lilly Broadcasting) DO IT RIGHT. I am not for more unemployment but, like the American auto industry a downsize is warrented. My wife and I watch the news for the news. Not who is delivering the news. This hour and a half Erie local news that is repeated from 5 to 6:30 is stupid. The blog above mine knows how Youngstown has been doing there locals between WKBN-DT and WYTV-DT. Its the same but a little different on two different stations. Can’t watch them both at the same time anyway. I hope Lilly’s will take care of WSEE-DT and WICU-DT as they are our two origional stations in Erie. Like I said if done right this COULD be a great thing.
Consolidation had happened all over the country in TV markets both large and small. A market the size of Erie (DMA 146) CANNOT support the amount of TV stations that Erie has – maybe in 1968 but not 2008, and especially in the current economic climate.
WJET does a fine job managing and running FOX 66. WICU can do a good job running WSEE “IF” both stations are merged responsibly. Given its past track record in Erie and in other markets it owns stations in, I highly doubt Lilly can pull this off without problems. For instance, the power grid at 3514 state is (I hear) “overloaded” trying to integrate TV-12 MCR, TV-35 MCR, CW MCR and WSEE Sat MCR. How can they also integrate the news editing and ingest systems of WSEE Newsroom without blowing the grid to smithereens???
Anyway, congratulations on your scoop. Must be true since Scott Bremner didn’t hop on the board and vehemently deny the rumor…read some of Tirak’s old posts and see Scott blow off steam – CLASSIC!
Griswold Park is being developed into condo city.
WSEE has to go to make way for the development.
The Erie Redevelopment has a pretty picture of the plan.
When you blow it up to 100%, you can scoot around the Park there and see new playground and 20 town houses, to match the 8 townhouses on the east side of Peach St.
Arby’s remains; WSEE building bites the dust.
Ithink the merge has as much to do with the future of Griswold Plaza and the money folks at work behind the scenes now, as it does with consolidation schemes.
Check the pretty park coming to our community with
NO plans for WSEE anywhere in the vicinity.
from the Erie Redevelopment website (projects)
(strategic map plan) :
http://www.redeveloperie.org/pdfs/Erie%20Site%20Plan.pdf
No building? No broadcast.
Go up and down all of your streets on that map, and see Erie tomorrow,….today.
No matter how things shake down…in the end, a dozen or so people, some with a lot of years invested in the business, are going to become unemployed. That is most unfortunate.
What is most frustrating is the fact that through all of the LMAs, acquisitions and mergers (if you will) the quality of the news product in this town still stinks….
at all stations. WJET maintains the mantra “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and the result is mediocrity.
Over at ICU “Fred Flintstone” continues to sensationalize the most minor of events trying to hoodwink viewers into thinkinig that is actually newsworthy. And at WSEE….well, you know.
If we relied on the Corporate Suits to provide jobs in the media world, we’d be waiting forever. If we relied on the Corporate Suits for job security… well that just isn’t meant to be. As long as the radio and TV people in our area are CONSIDERED to be disposable, then they are going to be out in the cold before long. A sad truth, indeed.
The key is to become more valuable than the computer. If Howard Stern and Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh can hold a job, then I truly believe there is hope for future aspiring talent.