'Six is news' execs mum; analysts disagree on Murdoch's impact

Publisher and broadcaster Rupert Murdoch, whose name is synonymous with racy tabloid-style journalism, has made Milwaukee's WITI-TV (Channel 6) part of his holdings, raising questions about the future direction of "Six is News."

Not to worry - for now, anyway - is the official word from the "Friends You Can Count On." The station said it doesn't know what Murdoch's takeover will mean for the news organization.

WITI's corporate parent, New World Communications Inc., New York City, said July 17 it had agreed to be acquired by Murdoch's News Corp., also of New York City. The transaction is expected to close by early 1997, adding 12 more stations to the 10 Fox affiliates his company already owns. News Corp. owns Fox Broadcasting Co.

The local news format on WITI has resisted change since New World Communications switched the station's network affiliation from CBS to Fox in December 1994. But upheaval of Channel 6's neighborly approach is more likely under Murdoch. The question is: How much?

Views vary widely, Rita Zanella, an analyst who follows media stocks for Gruntal & Co. Inc., New York City, takes the conservative view.

"Murdoch is not going to come in and radically change what you're looking at," she said.

ON THE OTHER HAND...

At the other end of the spectrum is Art Rockwell, an analyst with Yaeger Capital Markets, Los Angeles.

"Obviously, the Fox group thinks they can run the stations better than New World has been running them," he said. "They will obviously make 'em full-blown Fox monsters."

News Corp. executives declined to comment for this story, as did WITI president and general...