CBS to Purchase WLNY, Creating New York Duopoly

CBS has inked a deal to acquire independent station WLNY and form, with its flagship WCBS, a duopoly in the nation’s largest market.

“Our acquisition of WLNY-TV presents a tremendous opportunity for our TV Stations Division,” CBS Television Stations president Peter Dunn said, in announcing the deal.  “The combined strengths of CBS 2 and WLNY-TV will give us a terrific platform for serving the entire New York area.  Our plans for the station include adding people and resources to fuel a significant expansion of local news programming well beyond the nightly half hour that currently airs.”

WLNY is based on Long Island and the acquisition means that CBS will now have a two-pronged attack for covering news in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut tri-state area.

“We will continue to honor the station’s already deep commitment to serving the people of Long Island and the entire tri-state area,” Dunn promised.  “We also look forward to having a bigger and better news bureau on Long Island that will be a terrific resource for WCBS.”

When the company’s deal with WLNY Holdings, Inc. is finalized, CBS will own duopolies in 10 markets across the country.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

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