Daily Archives: January 20, 2010

General News

New York Times to charge for web content in 2011

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The New York Times announced today:

Starting in early 2011, visitors to NYTimes.com will get a certain number of articles free every month before being asked to pay a flat fee for unlimited access. Subscribers to the newspaper’s print edition will receive full access to the site.

This is what the Peoria Journal Star ought to do. I’ve often wondered why I should keep subscribing to the print edition of the Journal Star when its local content is available for free online. It seems like such a business model is ultimately self-defeating. Offering full web access only to subscribers is a reasonable plan. The question I have is: Will they offer a web-only subscription at a reduced rate from their print subscription price?

City of Peoria, Crime

2010 Homicide #1: Stabbing at Adams and Wayne

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From the Journal Star:

A 38-year-old Peoria woman was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m. at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center after she was found about 45 minutes earlier next to a vehicle parked in the 800 block of Northeast Adams Street near Wayne Street.

Police said the victim, who suffered multiple stab wounds to her upper body and arms, was unresponsive when they arrived.

Police are calling it a domestic disturbance, and there’s a suspect already in custody.

Television

WMBD and WYZZ to split

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Nexstar Broadcasting Group, owner of WMBD channel 31, entered into an outsourcing agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of WYZZ channel 43, on December 1, 2001. In April 2002, WYZZ added a 9 p.m. newscast, produced by WMBD’s news department.

It appears that arrangement is coming to an end.

Requests for comment from Sinclair and local General Manager Coby Cooper have gone unanswered. But a reliable source tells me WMBD and WYZZ are splitting as of April 1, 2010. My source says that WYZZ will move back to 2714 E. Lincoln in Bloomington, and the WMBD news bureau that is currently occupying that building has been asked to relocate. A job posting on CareerBuilder.com shows Sinclair is looking for a “General Manager/GSM at WYZZ-TV in Bloomington, IL.” Reportedly they’re in the process of building a separate staff altogether.

Not known is whether that staff will include a news director or reporters. If not, then this move will likely be the end of Fox 43 News at Nine — not that it would be any great loss, considering it’s essentially the same newscast that’s on WMBD at 10:00.