I dont think its ever stopped, Hayes said of the conversation.
He said his long-ago predecessor at Hearst, David Barrett, first raised this in the late-90s with ABC.
And we continue to have conversations with the networks.
The control room of KHOU-TV in HoustonNick de la Torre/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
We see it as a win-win.
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I dont think its any secret, Hayes said.
Theres a lot of concentration on streaming platforms and scripted programs there.
Our place in the ecosystem is live news and community service.
At Nexstar, were probably having different conversations given our scale, he said.
There has to be a recognition that the affiliates bring a great deal of value to the broadcast networks.
Nexstar, which was already the No.
Next year is not a cliff at all for us, said Valari Staab, Chairman, NBCUniversal Local.
There are definitely challenges in the industry, but were well-positioned for them.
