Flagstaff, AZ is officially loosing it’s local news coverage. KNAZ-TV/ 2News is being taken off the air, it was officially announced to employees the afternoon of August 6, 2008. KNAZ-TV/ 2News will do their last broadcast August 15 2008 at 10pm.
If you are interested in seeing the coverage channel 2 did on their own shutdown you can follow this link to view the report. Don’t expect to read about it in the local newspaper, they are slow to the punch.
Northern Arizona will still have a minimal news presence as KPNX Channel 12 plans to broadcast on Channel 2 from Phoenix with some Northern Arizona related news. Locals will still get to see weather and possibly a local story on the Channel 12 news but it just wont be the same as having an operating station and several news personalities residing within the area.
Unfortunately this has been coming for a long time now, in my opinion. Ever since they announced the station was being put up for sale back in November 2005 we knew something bad was coming we just didn’t know what or when. We all figured the station would sell and continue operating under a new owner like it has in years past.
After 3 years of the unknown it seems the fate of 2News has been decided. The station did not sell and the staff is simply being taken off the air. The loss is a big one for the the community, Channel 2 has been around since the 70’s.
“Channel 2 was the first television station in Flagstaff, Arizona. The station made its debut on May 2, 1970, and was originally owned by Wendell Elliot.
Channel 2 is an NBC affiliate. It was originally located in downtown Flagstaff and moved to its current location in 1984. The original call letters were KOAI-TV, and were changed to KNAZ after the sale of the station to Capital Broadcasting in 1981.
In 1988, the station was sold to Grand Canyon Television Company, Inc. On May 23, 1997, Gannett Broadcasting purchased KNAZ-TV.”
(from: http://www.azcentral.com/2news/about2news/articles/knazhistory-CR.html)
Gannett Broadcasting owned and operated KNAZ-TV/ Channel 2 for 11 years. After a 9 years they tried putting the station up for sale back in 2005. Today, 3 years later the doors to the station are being closed permanently.
The announcement to take Channel 2 off the air came 10 days before the actual turn off date which isn’t much notice for employees. However, employees were offered severance packages and other positions within the company during the meeting on August 6th 2008, they were given 48 hours to decide their futures.
Regardless of what staff members decide the lights will permanently go out at KNAZ-TV/ Channel 2 August 16, 2008 after the 10 pm newscast. For more discussion on the situation you can check here, over here and also here.
And there aren’t any buyers? I find that hard to believe.
lceels last blog post..Earlier That Evening ….
Bet you guys are wicked tickled to have a new job!
witchypoos last blog post..Psychic Boobies
Wow! Glad you guys have a new job.
Sandy (Momisodes)s last blog post..Running On Empty
In one sense, it’s so sad to see any business lost in this economy. In your case, I bet you’re super happy you’re on the way out with a new horizon to look to.
Hyphen Mamas last blog post..A Boy and His Trains
I am not sure what to think. You two are realy lucky or realy smart. I am glad for both of you and believe it is probably a little of both. Count your blessings and be happy that you recieved two or three years of experience. Stick with your intuitions. Rots of Ruck JB
Wow! Did you get out of there in time or what? Too bad for the people who came to rely on the station but obviously something had to change.
@Hyphen Mama: Yes, we are super happy to have already lined up our new prospects. It is also saddening for the community to loose it’s one and only news station.
@witchypoo: Yep, we are thanking our lucky stars!
@lceel: The station is really not well maintained and it is in such a small town. My guess is it is just the economy making buying up a news station so hard. Someone will buy it up eventually, just not in time to help out the contracted staff.
@Sandy (Momisodes): Yeah, we are stoked and very thankful!
@teeni: I know huh? We do feel really bad for all those new hires who moved here to work for the station and are now out of a job. I can’t wait for N to get home so I can find out what the resolution will be for all those people.
Well all I can say is YAY!!! You’re moving MUCH closer to me 🙂 Really though, I hate that this has happened to the station though… so many people will be without a job now??? I will say a special prayer that everyone at the station will now be able to move on to bigger and better things that they couldn’t even dream of before, just like you and your hubby!! 🙂 Talk to (and see) you soon!!!
Janelles last blog post..Above the Rain Clouds
We lost our ABC channel..it’s wild how stuff like that can happen in all different sized cities.
mps last blog post..I won a fuzzy bag!!
i cant believe it is really true. when they first started me and the friends would sit and drink beer while watching the 1000 pm news it was like saturday night live every nite. it was good for a laugh for a year or so. i figured they were staffing it with students from NAU.
i see 3 will stay good luck to the rest no one can afford to lose employment these days