TV news operations at KGMB-TV, KHNL-TV and KFVE-TV will be consolidated under a shared services agreement announced this morning by Paul McTear, president and chief executive officer of Alabama-based Raycom Media, which owns KHNL and KFVE.

The three stations employ 198 people and while McTear, KGMB General Manager Rick Blangiardi and KHNL/K5 General Manager John Fink would not discuss the number of potential layoffs, sources, including the KGMB Web site, report that 68 people will be let go as the deal is implemented over the next 60 days.

In accordance with state employment law, employees at KGMB were notified today that their jobs will be eliminated. Employees of all three stations will be interviewed by the new employer, Raycom, which will determine which employees remain in the new setup.

Those interviews begin Thursday.

Station management will meet with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union which represents technical staff at the stations as well as reporters at KHNL, to discuss a consolidated union contract.

None of the station’s licenses will change hands under the shared services agreement.
While both stations will share a news department, which McTear said would be the largest TV news operation in the state, advertising sales for the stations will remain separate, he said.

Network programming on each station will remain the same. KGMB is the CBS affiliate, KHNL is the NBC affiliate and K5 is an independent that airs University of Hawaii sports.