Local stations org ALTV set to leave air
Demise attributed to record decline in TV ad sales
ALTV said Tuesday that its board of directors has voted to close up shop and begin winding down business immediately. The association said it has enough financial resources to meet all its obligations without asking member stations for additional funds.
"We won far more battles than we lost, always played by the rules and had a lot of fun along the way," ALTV prexy Jim Hedlund said. Hedlund, who was a full-time functionary of the association, announced no new plans.
ALTV attributed its demise to a record decline in TV ad sales and the loss of several major members, among other factors.
The death knell began pealing last year when Viacom bought CBS, acquiring 19 Paramount TV stations, and News Corp. purchased 10 Chris Craft stations.
At NATPE last month, ALTV canceled its traditional regulatory session, unable to meet the cost.
No longer relevant
The irony was not lost on ALTV board members, who noted the regulatory battles the org has fought along the way were instrumental in the same consolidation that has made it irrelevant. "We reluctantly concluded that a combination of events had conspired to put the long-term viability of ALTV in jeopardy," said Ray Rajewski, ALTV board chair and exec veep of Viacom TV Stations Group.
Rajewski and other members of the board said they hoped to carry forward ALTV's work in another fashion, but did not elaborate.
Founded in 1972, ALTV in its heyday had offices in Gotham, L.A., Chicago and Dallas, in addition to its headquarters in Washington.
