Waypoint Media Acquires Media Gateway’s INN

INN, a division of Media Gateway, a company based in Little Rock, Ark., that provides what it calls “a high tech and cost-effective way for stations to produce local newscasts in their markets,” has been purchased by broadcast executives Bill Christian and Mike Reed, who own and manage 18 television stations through their Waypoint Media. The new company will be called NewsHub.

Christian and Reed took over on June 1 from Matthew Davidge who has been running Media Gateway since March 8 when founder Jeff Lyle died. Lyle was a pioneer of news hubbing where central anchors read for satellite stations. INN has been operating for over 10 years.

“We have been their clients for many years and strongly believe in the quality newscasts they provide,” says Christian, “We believed in them so much, we decided to buy the company.”

NewsHub will remain in Little Rock and will be managed by newly named corporate director of news for Waypoint Media, Elden A. Hale Jr. NewsHub has multiple news studios producing simultaneous newscasts for TV stations across the country, providing hundreds of hours of news each month.

“We will continue to serve as a professional outsource that coordinates professional studio, production, on-air talent with local stations’ reporters,” says Hale, “Our ability to create customized newscasts as well as digital only platforms in this format is unmatched in local television.”

Reed and Christian together own and operate network-affiliated stations in Mississippi, New York, Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana.

“As local broadcasters ourselves, we are proud to lead the way in providing quality local news for stations in a way that makes financial sense,” says new owner Reed. “As our industry changes, we see a bright future for NewsHub.”

Media Gateway started in 1999 in Davenport, Iowa, before relocating to Little Rock as a way for stations to have a low-cost option to produce professional newscasts in their local markets.

“I thank the news team members at INN for their work over the years. They are always hard-working, positive and innovative with a great ‘get it done on time’ attitude,” says Davidge. “Mike and Bill are great people and great operators who will lead the team to new heights going forward.”

NewsHub says it will continue looking for new stations that want to give their markets a professional newscast with local content “without the high costs that traditionally gone along with starting a news operation.”