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PLAINVIEW - Barry Shapiro is finding that the proposed merger of public television stations WLIW-Channel 21 on Long Island and WNET-Channel 13 in New York City is a very tough sell.
A month ago, the chairman of Plainview-based WLIW, said he hoped the deal would be consummated by now.
But skeptics on the WLIW board are still waiting for merger terms that they feel preserve the station's mission to provide an independent voice for Long Island. And they are beginning to question Shapiro's rationale for the deal: that WLIW needs access to WNET's "deep pockets."
"Negotiating with WNET is an option," but there are others to explore in solving WLIW's financial challenges, said board member Charlotte Ackert.
Shapiro has repeatedly said the merger would allow WLIW to tap WNET's resources to help it pay the steep price for converting to digital production equipment by 2003, as required by the Federal Communications Commission, and to help it expand its local programming.
Shapiro, an attorney with Rivkin Radler & Kremer, places the cost of digital conversion for...