MIAMI -- South Florida’s television landscape is about to change. Those changes involve this station, WPLG Local 10, and WTVJ Channel 6.

The Washington Post Company, which owns Local 10, announced plans today to purchase WTVJ from NBC, creating what in our industry is called a duopoly.

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Read The Official Announcement

A duopoly simply means one owner with two stations. It has been a business model in radio for years.

In television, there are already three existing duopolies in South Florida. Univision’s Channel 23 partners with Telefutura channel 69. CBS 4 joined forces with My Network 33. NBC 6 currently partners with Telemundo 51.

This new deal replaces that duopoly with NBC 6 and Local 10.

WTVJ/NBC 6 was put up for sale in March of this year.

General Electric, which owns NBC, decided to sell some of its stations to free up cash for other business ventures, including the recently announced $3.5 billion purchase of the Weather Channel.

The media industry has been rocked in recent years by a sagging economy and advertising dollars going elsewhere -- to cable systems with hundreds of channels and to the Internet.

Many broadcasting groups, like NBC, have put stations on the market.

Other television groups and newspapers, like the Miami Herald, have announced layoffs.

But the Washington Post Company’s Post-Newsweek division -- which already owns six television stations around the country -- decided it’s time to buy, not sell.

Alan Frank, President and Chief Executive Officer of Post-Newsweek stations, said in a statement: “We are pleased to be able to reach an agreement to purchase such an historic station as WTVJ, the first TV station to broadcast in Florida. We look forward to both WPLG and WTVJ continuing to serve the South Florida community.”

Under this new duopoly, Channels 6 and 10 will move together into the new Post-Newsweek facility nearing completion on Hallandale Beach Boulevard in Pembroke Park -- one brand new high tech facility, two television stations.

Channel 6 will continue to be an NBC affiliate and carry all of your favorite NBC programming, like the Today Show, Jay Leno and your afternoon soaps.

Local 10 will continue to be an ABC affiliate. You’ll still find Good Morning America, Desperate Housewives, Dancing With The Stars and the ABC soaps.

It is a fact that television duopolies are designed to create operating efficiencies.

Technology does make it easier to run two stations with fewer people.

As for specific changes, the Washington Post Company is still sorting out its business model for this new duopoly and is not yet ready to announce those operational details. But Post-Newsweek President Alan Frank said today that serving the community is the company’s number one goal.

John Wallace, President of NBC Local Media, called Post-Newsweek seasoned broadcasters with a solid reputation in the industry.

The FCC must still approve this deal, which is expected to be finalized sometime around the end of this year.