The days are numbered for either KYMA or KSWT.
Since February, Apollo Global Management, under the entity Terrier Media, has been trying to acquire Northwest Broadcasting, which owns both KYMA and KSWT under the licensee Blackhawk Broadcasting. Blackhawk was granted permission to purchase KYMA from Sunbelt Broadcasting in August 2013 and was granted permission to purchase KSWT from Pappas Telecasting in December 2013, getting a failing station waiver from the FCC in order to own two stations in a five-station market. Both transactions were consummated in February 2014. Terrier had sought to continue the failing station waiver and acquire both stations, but in addition to the Yuma/El Centro market only having five stations, (normally, the FCC requires a minimum of eight separate owners before it will allow a duopoly), KYMA and KSWT are the top two stations in the market, and the FCC also does not generally allow a single owner to have two of the top four stations in the market.
Late last month, in order to expedite the acquisition of Northwest assets by Apollo, the two companies agreed to amend the purchase offer so that Apollo will now acquire only one of the Yuma stations from Northwest. Within 30 days after consummation, all programming from the unacquired Blackhawk station would be moved to the Terrier station. Northwest Broadcasting would then surrender the license of the unacquired station to the FCC. The amended transaction was approved by the FCC last Friday. The unacquired station will be shut down within 30 days after consummation.
Currently, KYMA broadcasts NBC and Ion Television, while KSWT has CBS and Estrella TV. The new station would likely broadcast all four, similar to what KECY does.
Can another owner seek to purchase the unacquired station? Yes, but it would be a certain money-loser. As separately-owned stations, both KYMA and KSWT were losing money prior to their purchase by Northwest Broadcasting. The unacquired station would have all of the expenses of a separate station, but would not have a major network affiliation to draw viewers, which means no revenue. The Yuma/El Centro market is already one of the smallest markets in the US, and a significant number of the viewers in the market are primarily Spanish-speaking, so an English-language station has even a smaller audience. The only other major network to have a shot at the market is Telemundo, which is already being carried as a subchannel on KECY. I don't believe that they have any interest in Yuma/El Centro, despite the presence of a large number of potential viewers in Mexico, none of whom count in ratings calculations, which drive the prices of advertising.
Since February, Apollo Global Management, under the entity Terrier Media, has been trying to acquire Northwest Broadcasting, which owns both KYMA and KSWT under the licensee Blackhawk Broadcasting. Blackhawk was granted permission to purchase KYMA from Sunbelt Broadcasting in August 2013 and was granted permission to purchase KSWT from Pappas Telecasting in December 2013, getting a failing station waiver from the FCC in order to own two stations in a five-station market. Both transactions were consummated in February 2014. Terrier had sought to continue the failing station waiver and acquire both stations, but in addition to the Yuma/El Centro market only having five stations, (normally, the FCC requires a minimum of eight separate owners before it will allow a duopoly), KYMA and KSWT are the top two stations in the market, and the FCC also does not generally allow a single owner to have two of the top four stations in the market.
Late last month, in order to expedite the acquisition of Northwest assets by Apollo, the two companies agreed to amend the purchase offer so that Apollo will now acquire only one of the Yuma stations from Northwest. Within 30 days after consummation, all programming from the unacquired Blackhawk station would be moved to the Terrier station. Northwest Broadcasting would then surrender the license of the unacquired station to the FCC. The amended transaction was approved by the FCC last Friday. The unacquired station will be shut down within 30 days after consummation.
Currently, KYMA broadcasts NBC and Ion Television, while KSWT has CBS and Estrella TV. The new station would likely broadcast all four, similar to what KECY does.
Can another owner seek to purchase the unacquired station? Yes, but it would be a certain money-loser. As separately-owned stations, both KYMA and KSWT were losing money prior to their purchase by Northwest Broadcasting. The unacquired station would have all of the expenses of a separate station, but would not have a major network affiliation to draw viewers, which means no revenue. The Yuma/El Centro market is already one of the smallest markets in the US, and a significant number of the viewers in the market are primarily Spanish-speaking, so an English-language station has even a smaller audience. The only other major network to have a shot at the market is Telemundo, which is already being carried as a subchannel on KECY. I don't believe that they have any interest in Yuma/El Centro, despite the presence of a large number of potential viewers in Mexico, none of whom count in ratings calculations, which drive the prices of advertising.
