NH Bureau

[bostonmediaguy]

Today's Boston Herald reports that WBZ will close their New Hampshire news bureau.

news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view/2009_01_05_We_Hear:_Ellen_DeGeneres__Will_McDonough___more___/srvc=home&position=also

That Channel 4 continues its cost-cutting measures and will shut down the WBZ New Hampshire bureau. Who knew they had a New Hampshire bureau???

The bureau opened in 2006 after signing a five year lease, noting that 18% of the station's viewership is from New Hampshire. Given the economic climate it is not surprising, but I cannot imagine the cost of the small office space was all that much. I suppose every last dime does count, though.

[chrisnh]

I knew they had it, yet it always seemed to be woefully underused.

[dotcomeditor]

I haven't seen a report from neither the Worcester, Mass. or New Hampshire bureaus in eons. Why they ever spent money to open them never made much sense to me.

[chrisnh]

The irony is that the Manchester (NH) bureau was likely put together as a ramp-up to the campaign year, but as 2008 wore on the finances at WBZ got so dire that they probably couldn't invest incrementally to do anything with it. That's a guess on my part, but it's unfathomable that the bureau was almost a non-entity at the height of the campaign season. I realize that NH is one of 50 states, but it became a battleground for McCain and Palin toward the end. Aside from the perfunctory 'reporter' sent to cover the events, there was nothing 'special' done that a dedicated bureau might have made happen (like a sit-down with Palin while she was here).