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Tribune puts out the "For Sale" sign

Could a Meredith-Tribune merger be in the offing? Meredith owns our CBS affiliate WGCL, which at one time (as WGNX) was owned by Tribune.
 
I wouldn't count out others suitors. One can imagine if Cox, Scripps, Hearst, Sinclair, Raycom, Gray, Bonneville, Hubbard, or Tegna sink their teeth in nabbing a few properties, with WGN ripe for the picking. Then there's the CW angle, its future with Fox, ABC, and NBC (in terms of affiliation deals after what happened in Indianapolis with the CBS deal), the future of Antenna TV and This TV, and whether WGN America will be around for much longer. We'll know once this picture becomes clearer.
 
Fox could acquire Tribune just for WGN-TV, KWGN-TV, and KTLA to become O&Os. The first two stations would provide a VHF (PSIP) channel position to achieve parity with the Big 3 stations. Moving to KTLA would make Fox programming accessible to channel surfers since it is between NBC and ABC--also the historical connection as the first commercial TV station out West and the longstanding news department and Fox 5 for both N.Y. and now L.A. (Fox 11 just plain sucks in presentation out of the rest of the O&Os.)

Here in Houston, I can see Fox moving to 39 for the heritage and perhaps moving the PSIP to the VHF band to achieve parity with the Big 3 (most likely channel 5.1 KHTV). 20 or 26 would be sold to a new owner.
 
KTN Corp said:
The first two stations would provide a VHF (PSIP) channel position to achieve parity with the Big 3 stations. Moving to KTLA would make Fox programming accessible to channel surfers since it is between NBC and ABC--also the historical connection as the first commercial TV station out West and the longstanding news department and Fox 5 for both N.Y. and now L.A. (Fox 11 just plain sucks in presentation out of the rest of the O&Os.)
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While I agree that KTTV-11's news department is barely one step above TMZ fare vs the illustrious history of KTLA-5 there is the little problem with Fox already having a duopoly in LA with KCOP-13. I don't see Fox looking to sell KCOP just to pick up KTLA which Fox would have to pump a lot more production money into. KCOP having no news department is nothing more than a syndicated programming service around the clock with MyNet. Just push the play button and forget about it while it run on the cheap. Only ABC currently has no duopoly in LA but The Mouse is bleeding money and in the midst of finding the black on their books with ESPN and cord cutters so I don't see them in a buying mood either.

I don't know if Sinclair or Raycom have deep enough pockets to buy their way into market #2 and whether they should.
 
Robnoxious said:
Only ABC currently has no duopoly in LA but The Mouse is bleeding money and in the midst of finding the black on their books with ESPN and cord cutters so I don't see them in a buying mood either.
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Disney (DID) reported EBITDA of $16.4 billion in the fiscal year ending 9/15, up from $14.8 billion the previous fiscal year.

ESPN is very profitable, just hindered by the general trend of cord-cutting which affects the entire content and distribution universe, not just ESPN.

With KABC paying KDOC to do a prime-time ABC7 branded newscast, it makes sense to own a second TV facility and ABC could buy it from petty cash without even a blip as they are sitting on nearly $3.5 billion in cash and over $7 billion in current assets.
 
Tribune will answer to the stock holders. That is not anything new.

However, they hold some very strong properties. I would guess that the best performing will be safe. WGN, KTLA, KCPQ, and others will be safe. I think the West Coast in general is safe.
 
Tribune owns "The Hartford Courant" newspaper and WTIC-TV (FOX) channel 61 of Hartford. They also control WCCT-TV (CW) channel 20 of Waterbury/Hartford. Tribune had to get a waiver from the FCC a couple of times to keep control of all three.

Two other stations Tribune owns: WPIX-TV (CW) channel 11 of New York City and WPHL-TV (MY) channel 17 of Philadelphia.
 
KML-224 said:
Tribune owns "The Hartford Courant" newspaper and WTIC-TV (FOX) channel 61 of Hartford. They also control WCCT-TV (CW) channel 20 of Waterbury/Hartford. Tribune had to get a waiver from the FCC a couple of times to keep control of all three.
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Tribune Publishing got spun off from Tribune Media, so technically the newspaper and the TV stations have different owners.
 
mvcg66b3r said:
Tribune Publishing got spun off from Tribune Media, so technically the newspaper and the TV stations have different owners.
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They would have to spin off a station. Not likely they'd be allowed to own both WFSB and WTIC as the result of a merger. (Indy was a different situation.)
 
One gets the feeling that Fox is seeing KCPQ/KMYQ as ripe for the picking, since the Seattle Seahawks are a NFC team and they would love to own a station with that syncs with their NFL NFC deal.
 
only1moore said:
One gets the feeling that Fox is seeing KCPQ/KMYQ as ripe for the picking, since the Seattle Seahawks are a NFC team and they would love to own a station with that syncs with their NFL NFC deal.
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True, KCPQ is in a fine spot. But why would Tribune, dump one of their best performers? If they could get a great price, perhaps. It just seems to me that you hang on to your most valuable assets, and KCPQ is indeed one of them, if I am not mistaken. I think Fox is more interested in KTLA.
 
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According to this article, some Tribune stations may go to Meredith.

Meredith Corp. is interested in buying some of Tribune's broadcast TV stations, according to two of the people, and would be particularly keen on some of the 19 stations Tribune added when it acquired Local TV in 2013, one of the people said. Tribune also plans to speak with private equity firms interested in expanding their media portfolios, one of the people said.
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http://adage.com/article/media/tribune-sell-assets-company/303016/
 
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I would add Scripps but that would pose HUGE problems (Especially here in Denver where BOTH Scripps & Tribune own stations)

And given that we're tallking a CW/Fox duo here, it's gonna be AWFULLY tough for them to find a buyer for the duo (And EVEN TOUGHER to sell KWGN & KDVR seperately)

Honestly, I just don't see how CBS stays out of this. I see them grabbing KWGN & applying for a waiver from the Feds to have it paired with KCNC. As for KDVR - BACK TO FOX YOU GO BABY (I don't see anyone else making a play for them except MAYBE Media General (But that's a BIG IF !!) )

JMO.....

Cheers & 73 :)
 
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