Scripps Knoxville station sale rumors

[gr8oldies]

No one knows much of anything, but some speculation in the Tom Taylor Newsletter. "Knoxville, another Scripps market, could be tempting for Duke Wright’s Midwest Communications, which has room for some – not all – of the four Scripps FMs. (Midwest has the three former South Central FMs, which are AC “B97.5” WJXB, classic rock WIMZ/103.5 and classic country “95.7 Duke FM” WDKW. It could do the deal, but would need spin something.) " How many of the Knoxville Scripps stations could Midwest actually pick up? If they were able to get the two Class Cs, what does that mean for the other two? There doesn't seem to be a ready-made religious broadcaster to scoop them up as K-Love has 2 good signals already. Your speculation is as good as mine.

 

[Kent]

I'd also be curious as to what the DOJ would let Midwest buy. My guess would be Midwest would love to get its hands on WCYQ and Star, and it would happily unload 95.7. However, it would have a ton of the market revenue with Star, WIMZ and B-97.5. That part of the article seemed like speculation to me. Lotus being interested in Tucson and Boise seemed more substantive to me, but Tom Taylor doesn’t post rumors that aren’t at least credible.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Midwest Communications may have shown the way with their moves in 2017 to buy Emmis's Terre Haute operation. Midwest now controls all of the full market signals there, and sold the lesser signals (class As and AMs) to someone who had been a single station operator, for a cheap price ($900,000 for 3 FMs, 1 AM, and a translator). Of course, Knoxville is a much more significant market than Terre Haute.

 

[gr8oldies]

I don't think Midwest would have a legal problem prying WCYQ away (Duke 100.3?) but it would seem to be iffier with that and Star. The problem becomes spinning 93.1, 95.7, and 104.5. I'm not seeing a ton of potential buyers for 3 Class As.

 

[gr8oldies]

Possible scenario? Midwest buys 100.3 and 102.1, spins off the other 3 to Ron Meredith? Or Ron Meredith buys one and the other 2 go to religious operators (American Family is a possibility). That would suck as I'd like to not lose Classic Hits 93.1.

Midwest Communications may have shown the way with their moves in 2017 to buy Emmis's Terre Haute operation. Midwest now controls all of the full market signals there, and sold the lesser signals (class As and AMs) to someone who had been a single station operator, for a cheap price ($900,000 for 3 FMs, 1 AM, and a translator). Of course, Knoxville is a much more significant market than Terre Haute.

 

[RMarino]

Pirkle possibly? Cumulus could add more signals especially since the bankruptcy has ended. It would be strange seeing the Star/Hot combo broken up. Would Hot still be profitable on it's own?

 

[gr8oldies]

It would depend how much Pirkle would want to get more into the game than having his one remaining FM. I don't see any of the Class As being profitable as a standalone. 93.1's saving grace is all the event sponsorships they sell despite the demograhics hovering around 55. One of them joining Merle and the Southern Gospel station could be a possibility but I have no idea what format

 

[RMarino]

Didn't Pirkle also recently purchase 1180 and the 101.5 translator?

 

[gr8oldies]

I believe so.

 

[knoxbob]

He has purchased the 1180 freq. but the translator @ 101.5 is parked on WKGN. They have a CP to move it to west Knoxville.

 

[RMarino]

That's right. I get these little AMs mixed up sometimes. I thought I read something a while back about Pirkle owning the translator though.

 

[knoxbob]

He does still own the 101.5 translator , it must be leased to WKGN. Unless he decides he wants it back.