Robertson firm buyssmall news agency p. 12

By: George Garneau

Robertson firm buyssmall news agency p. 12

A SUBSIDIARY OF televangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network has acquired Zapnews, a news agency serving small broadcasters and a few newspapers.
Broadcast Equities Inc., a subsidiary of Robertson's religious broadcasting company, acquired Fairfax, Va.-based Zapnews from Tribune Co. The price was not disclosed.
Zapnews was founded in 1989 by James Hood, a former Associated Press and United Press International executive, to provide abbreviated news reports at low cost to broadcasters whose news needs and budgets are limited. Tribune acquired a majority interest in 1991.
Broadcast Equities has merged Zapnews' textual service for small broadcasters and newspapers with its StandardNews radio network, a 1-year-old Virginia Beach, Va.-based company serving 260 radio stations with audio service.
Zapnews will move into StandardNews' Washington office in a merger designed to create a 24-hour, satellite-delivered text-and-audio service for radio and television stations, said John Rodman, StandardNews managing editor.
Rodman said Zapnews will increase its staff to 26 journalists, from 11, and will get access to reports from StandardNews' staff of 51 journalists, making it a news-gathering, in addition to repackaging, service, Rodman said.
Wayne Vriesman, who headed Zapnews for Tribune's broadcasting unit, said StandardNews "is in an excellent position to elevate Zapnews to its next level of performance. We wish StandardNews well in carrying the Zapnews concept forward."
Asked about the acquisition of Zapnews by a Robertson-controlled company, Michael Pelrine, managing editor of the Delaware State News in Dover, said his paper had no plans to drop Zapnews nearly a year after dropping the AP's full-service wire for Zapnews' abbreviated service.
"We intend to keep a close eye on the situation. If the ownership will compromise our integrity, we are going to act quickly," Pelrine said, adding that he had no reason to complain so far.
Robertson, a conservative cleric and one-time presidential candidate, is chairman and CEO of the not-for-profit Christian Broadcasting Network, whose for-profit subsidiaries include cable TV's Family Channel and the producer of the TV show Evening Shade.
"StandardNews and Zapnews are editorially independent for-profit news organizations created because of competition in the marketplace," Rodman said. He emphasized that both organizations are secular and that Robertson's religious and political views "have no influence" on news.
He said Zapnews, whose 365 clients include nine newspapers, "will continue to serve those newspapers, and you're going to see a more aggressive posture with respect to providing product to the print community."
In a renewed relationship with Zapnews, Reuters will continue to provide StandardNews with the Reuters report, which will be rewritten for Zapnews. Reuters also will transmit Zapnews over its satellite system, replacing Zapnews' fax and dial-up delivery.
Rodman said AP will continue to supply StandardNews with its report, but the report will not be accessible to Zapnews.