• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, December 4, 2009

In what could serve as a template for other stations with the opportunity for cross-promotion, an NBC TV affiliate in Florida is turning to a local radio outlet for its sports anchors.

WPTV in West Palm Beach has let its two sportscasters go -- and struck a deal with the local ESPN radio affiliate to use its talent at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Steve Wasserman, general manager at E.W. Scripps-owned WPTV, said it is not a cost-cutting move but aimed at accessing more resources. The radio station has more talent on hand and stronger connections with local sports teams and personalities, he said.

Wasserman said the deal, with an undisclosed financial arrangement, will cost his station more than the salaries and work done by the two departed sportscasters. WPTV also has the highest ratings in the market, so the move is not made out of desperation.

Sports coverage on WPTV will be branded something akin to "ESPN 760 on NewsChannel 5." In turn, radio personalities will plug WPTV during their shows, including specific content to expect that night.

Starting Jan. 1, ESPN 760 talk-show host Evan Cohen will anchor the WPTV sports report Monday-Thursday on the 11 p.m. newscast, along with a Sunday 15-minute wrap-up-style show. ESPN 760 reporter Jason Pugh will do the anchoring on Friday and Saturday.

WPTV has no traditional sports report at 6 p.m.; it runs features integrated into the newscast, which will be done by the radio talent. Cohen and Pugh will also offer commentary for wptv.com.

Cohen's on-air reports are expected to include opinions akin to his radio show and break from the 50-year-old rundown of scores and highlights.

While it is unusual, the arrangement is not unprecedented. In Atlanta this fall, hosts on sports station 790 The Zone began contributing to the newscasts on the CBS station.

WPTV has had a loose relationship with ESPN 760 for some time, where radio personalities like Cohen would appear on TV, but no money was exchanged.

Wasserman, who came to the market about a year and a half ago, started talking to ESPN 760 general manager Steve Politziner about ways to advance the arrangement, which culminated in the deal.

As for the two sportscasters who were let go at WPTV, Wasserman said, "they've done a good job, given the limited resources." One had been with the station for six years, the other for three.

ESPN 760 is owned by Good Karma Broadcasting, which owns 11 stations.