NBCU Launches Search for Community News Partners

Community web news operations looks in at least five TV station markets

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/23/2011 12:06:30 PM

NBCU Local Media has put out its request for proposals for nonprofit partners in community Web news operations it promised in at least five of its TV station markets as part of the Comcast/NBCU deal.

NBCU says it is looking for "robust news gathering capabilities, a track record of accuracy, fairness and independence in their journalistic efforts, and an ability to provide diverse viewpoints and programming."

Comcast SVP David Cohen last week signaled that the RFPs were about ready to roll.

The model is an existing partnership between NBC's KNSD San Diego and voicesofsandiego.org, which counts as one of those five markets, so that means there will be at least four more to comply with the deal conditions.

The markets in play are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington, and Hartford, Conn.

NBC local TV news teams will share footage, facilities and expertise as well as cross-promote web sites.

One of the pledges Comcast made to secure regulatory approval was that within a year of the deal's close (which was in January of this year) was that it would have five online partnerships in place. NBCU retains editorial discretion over what to use, or not use, from the partnership on its web sites or on-air. At least five such partnerships must be maintained for at least three years.