NEWS
WPLG-TV, known to Miami as Local 10, shocked fans Thursday with the announcement that it’s parting ways with the ABC television network. The relationship, which lasted nearly seven decades, will officially end this summer, when all ABC programming will be yanked and WSVN-7 will become the new ABC affiliate, in addition to Fox. The multi-year agreement was made between Disney Entertainment, which owns ABC, and Sunbeam Television Corporation, which owns WSVN. Under the terms of the deal, the new ABC affiliate will begin broadcasting as ABC Miami on sub channel 7.2 over-the-air beginning Aug. 4, moving from the Berkshire Hathaway Media owned station.
“We are incredibly excited to join forces with Sunbeam Television in South Florida moving forward as they not only share Disney’s enduring commitment to serving local communities, but they also recognize the value of ABC’s esteemed brand and the significant investments we’re making to our world-class network content,” said Susi D’Ambra Coplan, SVP, Affiliate Relations, Disney Entertainment. Coplan went on to thank everyone at Pembroke Park-based station for their service. “We are very proud to have brought some of the most compelling programming to our highly-valued, mutual viewers over the years.”
The move left many folks in the 305 wondering: What would happen to some of their favorite Local 10 personalities?
For now, not much.
Trusted, familiar faces like Louis Aguirre, Calvin Hughes, Nicole Perez, Betty Davis and Jacey Birch will ideally stay right where they are, according to their boss, E.R. Bert Medina, WPLG CEO and president. That’s a relief for viewers who have welcomed these personalities into their living rooms for years, getting to know them on and off screen. Aguirre briefly left for LA. to work for “The Insider,” and thankfully returned to Miami. Perez (and husband, reporter Roy Ramos) took us through the births of two babies. Davis documented a grueling battle with COVID. Birch recently switched shifts, going from early mornings to weekends, for some well-earned shut-eye.
Anchors and reporters all have individual contracts with Local 10, not ABC, so presumably they will live out their contracts then decide their next move. According to Medina, affiliation with ABC would have cost Local 10 jobs. “Broadcast television stations across the country have announced massive layoffs in recent years,” he said in a statement. “[It] became clear that if we accepted the deal ABC was proposing, we too would have been forced to lay off employees in order to pay the hefty price the network was demanding.” The Miami Herald reached out to the station for comment and did not immediately hear back. Sources told the Herald that WPLG employees have been kept in the dark about what the plan is for the station’s future.
READ MORE: “Remember these Miami TV anchors from years past?”
For WSVN – it’s a surefire win-win. ABC is the No. 1 entertainment network in adults 18-49 known for such beloved shows as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Rookie” and “Abbott Elementary.” It’s also home to top ranked live events in entertainment and sports, including the Oscars, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest and ESPN on ABC’s Monday Night Football. ABC News also includes “World News Tonight with David Muir,” the No. 1 newscast on TV, and “Good Morning America.”
Industry insiders told the Miami Herald that there are pros and cons to this new arrangement for Local 10. Not having a big player like ABC as your affiliate could put them at a disadvantage, considering the newscasts are lead-ins for popular network programming like David Muir at 6:30 p.m. and Jimmy Kimmel at 11:30 p.m. But on the positive side, Local 10 has the opportunity to reinvent itself however it chooses. Medina expressed that sentiment in his original statement: “We are Local 10. Local is in our name,” he said. “A majority of our staff grew up here. We are excited for the future of Local 10. Just watch us. We are about to serve this community in an even bigger and better way.”
WSVN’s “7News” anchor Craig Stevens posted on X that he was pleased by the “complicated transaction.” He spoke to followers from his station’s lobby in North Bay Village, where the logo will soon be redesigned, with “ABC” added. Stevens’ “7News” broadcast, with deskmate Belkys Nerey, will reportedly be featured on both channels 7 and 7.2 after WSVN begins carrying FOX and ABC programming. So burning question: Where exactly is channel 7.2, anyway?
“We are still in the process of working with the cable and satellite distributors,” Paul Magnes, Sunbeam’s co-president and GM, told the Miami Herald. “But we will be informing our cable viewers where to find ABC once the details are finalized.”
READ MORE: How will you find your favorite shows in Miami after the big ABC switch? Here’s a guide
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/miami-com-news/article302453264.html
