SF’s KQED Channel 9 and SJ’s KTEH Channel 45 have announced they plan to merge in an attempt to cut costs and reduce duplication.

KQED, one of the largest and most successful public TV outlets in the country, has a $47 million annual budget, 246 staffers and 196,000 members. KTEH has an $8 million budget, 38 employees and 39,000 members.

There also could be changes in the pledge breaks run by the stations, which currently generate a combined $28 million annually. “We will be taking a look at how we orchestra the pledge breaks and when we do them,” KQED chief executive Jeff Clarke told the Merc.

[Chron: Goal is to cut costs, expand programming] [Merc: Eight months of negotiations led to TV merger]