TWC Launches YNN Channel in Buffalo
Bills-ville gets 24/7 news outlet
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/24/2009 12:37:31 PM
Time Warner Cable (TWC) launches its Buffalo news channel, called YNN (as in Your News Now), tomorrow. The channel will be staffed by 21 employees, who will work out of TWC's building in downtown Buffalo. Buffalo native Jim Aroune, formerly an anchor at TWC's cable channel in Rochester, manages the newsroom.
The news infusion is a welcome one for upstate New York, which saw a reported 40-plus employees at WTVH Syracuse lose their jobs recently when struggling broadcast groups Granite and Barrington announced a shared-services partnership. "The upstate markets have really seen contraction, but Time Warner Cable is willing to invest in local programming," says TWC Regional VP Steve Paulus.
TWC has a strong news presence in upstate New York, with round the clock channels in multiple cities, including Syracuse and Rochester. The channels share content when appropriate, such as news about the governor that affects the whole state. With Verizon's FiOS service stepping up its presence in Buffalo, Paulus says a news channel is a key factor in retaining cable subscribers. "The company really sees these as a churn-preventer," he says.
Buffalo, the #51 Nielsen DMA, has been in an economic slump for decades. But Paulus says it's a lively region where local pride runs as deep as the snow. "People that live there are very chauvinistic about the city," he says. "They feel like this is something Buffalo deserves."
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"People that live there are very chauvinistic about the city"
This is what I would want a VP of sales saying about the companies newest customers.
Moron.
Jeff - 6/4/2009 1:18:34 PM EDT -
TWC should offer both channels to their subscribers. I live in Leroy and Rochester is closer than Buffalo , and I work in Rochester. I am very disapointed to loose R-NEWS
Jim McL - 5/11/2009 7:54:17 PM EDT -
i live in Genesee County and i am use to RNews. I do not like YNN at all. it seems that it could be them same quality as RNews but it isn't. it seems very low budget like a Japanese movie. Two thumbs way down!!!!
john n - 5/3/2009 5:33:06 AM EDT -
I live in Medina NY in Orleans County. I miss RNews. We are between Buffalo and Rochester. R news covered more of Orleans County than the Buffalo stations do.
marilyn thurston - 3/31/2009 9:07:13 PM EDT -
We live in Wyoming County and have Time Warner Cable. Previously our 24 hours news was with RNews. We watched RNews daily. YNN now takes the place of RNews. Although YNN new is very informative and we like the station it does not cover Wyoming or Genesee County. I am lost without RNews and their coverage.
Amy Ciurzynski - 3/30/2009 11:56:05 AM EDT
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