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Nexstar ready to hook up with TEGNA?
- Thread starter only1moore
- Start date
I wonder if Nexstar would be the sole ABC for WOTV and sells WZZM without ABC in West Michigan. Or I could see Nexstar shell it out to Mission and maybe Gray buys WZZM only other one I can think of is Hearst which owned WZZM in the 90s and sold to TEGNA well they weren't TEGNA at the time in 98.
In Phoenix/N Arizona Tegna owns KPNX. Nexstar leases/operates KAZT (CW7)..it is still owned by the Londen family. Does the Londen family keep KAZT or sell it?
Will we be seeing "12News on CW7?" I know for a while in the 90s KPNX ran a rerun newscast on KAZT-when it was still Indy AZ-TV.
Will we be seeing "12News on CW7?" I know for a while in the 90s KPNX ran a rerun newscast on KAZT-when it was still Indy AZ-TV.
When they made the transition to DTV, they should have just made all TV UHF (as they did in the UK even in analog days), and retained UHF channels up into the 40s range. One alternative would have been to reserve VHF for LPTV, which by its nature serves smaller areas. I suppose the UHF spectrum was just too valuable, they've shaved it to the bone as it is.
If they'd kept all of the UHF channels (even up to channel 83, that would have been cool), they'd have more spectrum than they'd know what to do with, and wouldn't have had to resort to all this short-spacing (in the case of WZRB and WJZY in the Carolinas, 80-odd miles). But, again, I suppose the spectrum was just too valuable. It's all about the Benjamin$, and, to be fair, the need for mobile spectrum even if money weren't an issue.
ABC is more tolerant of second affiliates in a market than is NBC (the only CBS dual affiliates that come to mind are WKYT/WYMT in Kentucky, don't know about Fox), there are WOTV, WWSB Sarasota, WMUR Manchester, possibly others.
It will be interesting to see if large market triopolies will be allowed under revised ownership caps.
Here in Houston a TEGNA/Nexstar merger would result in a KHOU/KTBU/KIAH triopoly.
If the merger is allowed, but without any triopolies, I could see KHOU being spun off or sent to a sidecar company.
Errrrr….ummmm…what?!? Has Mediafrog+ lost his mind?
Let me explain.
TEGNA’s KHOU is on RF11. Duopoly sibling KTBU is on RF33. The RF33 signal is superior to that on RF11, which is why the RF33 lineup includes a simulcast of the main KHOU 11.1 on virtual 11.11.
I could see a scenario where the channel lineup (or part of it) of KHOU RF11 is moved to KTBU RF33 to take full advantage of the better signal. The 11.xx virtual numbering would go to RF33, and a call letter swap would take place.
The legacy RF11 signal would be sold off (maybe to a sidecar) and perhaps become a diginet dumping ground. So you would have the “new” KHOU on RF33 using virtual 11.x and the “new” KTBU on RF11 using virtual 55.x.
Same thing could happen in DFW with WFAA on an inferior RF8 signal. The WFAA programming could be moved to KFAA RF30 or KDAF RF32. They already have a WFAA simulcast on KFAA using virtual 8.8.
Perhaps triopolies will be allowed, but if not, I think my scenarios might be a good possibility.
Here in Houston a TEGNA/Nexstar merger would result in a KHOU/KTBU/KIAH triopoly.
If the merger is allowed, but without any triopolies, I could see KHOU being spun off or sent to a sidecar company.
Errrrr….ummmm…what?!? Has Mediafrog+ lost his mind?
Let me explain.
TEGNA’s KHOU is on RF11. Duopoly sibling KTBU is on RF33. The RF33 signal is superior to that on RF11, which is why the RF33 lineup includes a simulcast of the main KHOU 11.1 on virtual 11.11.
I could see a scenario where the channel lineup (or part of it) of KHOU RF11 is moved to KTBU RF33 to take full advantage of the better signal. The 11.xx virtual numbering would go to RF33, and a call letter swap would take place.
The legacy RF11 signal would be sold off (maybe to a sidecar) and perhaps become a diginet dumping ground. So you would have the “new” KHOU on RF33 using virtual 11.x and the “new” KTBU on RF11 using virtual 55.x.
Same thing could happen in DFW with WFAA on an inferior RF8 signal. The WFAA programming could be moved to KFAA RF30 or KDAF RF32. They already have a WFAA simulcast on KFAA using virtual 8.8.
Perhaps triopolies will be allowed, but if not, I think my scenarios might be a good possibility.
With analog television the UHF spectrum was used very inefficiently. The cellular industry has been eating away at it for over 40 years now. The exploding customer base of the cellular industry has forced change.
I was growing up in Austin when the market got its first UHF TV station (KHFI/42) in 1965. It was somewhat amusing at the time to tune across the UHF band to find Channel 42 all by itself in an otherwise completely empty 420 MHz of spectrum. Nowadays big corporations are fighting over every last kilohertz of that range. How things have changed.
Yes, indeed it was inefficient compared to digital, you could only have one channel per 6 mHz, whereas with digital, it can be sliced up into several subchannels. A market could have only one channel, yet offer all four major networks, at least in SD (case in point, WBKB Alpena MI). PBS would also be an option via channel-sharing. I was watching shows from PBS Appalachia Virginia and thought it would be good if WCYB could peel off one of its subchannels and make it available, instead of relegating PBS AV to online-only.
I agree, though recognizing that there was demand for spectrum to support mobile services, the willingness to pay for it, and the rather foolish ideology of turning a regulatory agency into a profit center. Quite frankly, among the powers that be, providing mobile spectrum these days is a higher priority than providing broadcast spectrum.
Missouri had several two-station markets in the 1960s because the third slot for a station in the market was on UHF. Columbia could have had a third VHF but, instead, the local CBS affiliate repurposed that third station as a repeater. (Long and twisted history on that one.) Finally, the UHF allocations went into use, first in Joplin, then Springfield, and bring up the rear, Columbia, in 1971. Channel 17 sat there all by its lonesome self. We got a Channel Master UHF converter so we could watch it. This also came in handy when we moved to St. Louis the next year, where independent channel 30 was the lone UHF occupant throughout the 1970s.
In mid-Missouri, after the conversion to digital, guess what? Channels 8 and 13, which had kept a third VHF station out of the market in earlier days, found that digital reception on high-band VHF wasn't as good as UHF. So they applied to shift to RF channels 27 and 29, and are there now. As far as full-power stations are concerned, it's now an all-UHF market on RF!
Ideally, I'd like to see KAZT keep the CW as should Nexstar opt to put it on its 12.2 subchannel, it'd mean we'd have a market where 3 main channels are all independent with KAZT alongside KTVK & KASW.
Sinclair muscling in on the potential merger?
ca.finance.yahoo.com
Sinclair offers to merge broadcast TV business with rival Tegna, source says
Any potential merger would be difficult to close because of Sinclair and Tegna's combined debt load, the person said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. At the end of the second quarter, Sinclair had roughly $4.11 billion in debt while Tegna had about $2.33 billion...
ca.finance.yahoo.com
Tegna (or Gannett) has never owned WTNH. Nexstar got it as part of its buyout of LIN TV.
WSYX is now the top dog in Columbus in most dayparts, with WCMH-TV solidly in second. WBNS-TV is another station that has fallen off since being swallowed by Tegna.
Sinclair knows that they either have to merge with someone ASAP or risk being bought up by Gray or Scripps—or even Nexstar—in this economy of scale game.Sinclair muscling in on the potential merger?
Sinclair offers to merge broadcast TV business with rival Tegna, source says
Any potential merger would be difficult to close because of Sinclair and Tegna's combined debt load, the person said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. At the end of the second quarter, Sinclair had roughly $4.11 billion in debt while Tegna had about $2.33 billion...
The deal has been struck and will more than likely be approved within six months with zero divestments. Curious if Carr issues a statement in full support of it to get the ball rolling on congress/senate removing the cap outright.
www.nexstar.tv
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Enters into Definitive Agreement To Acquire TEGNA Inc. for $6.2 Billion in Accretive Transaction | Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Enhances Nexstar’s Position as a Leading Local Media Company Preserves High-Quality Local Journalism and Diversity of Opinion Strengthens Ability to
www.nexstar.tv
The acquisition price for TEGNA is significantly less than what Byron Allen offered. Allen offered $8.5 billion back in 2020. Nexstar is paying $6.2 billion. In constant 2025 dollars, that's a decline of 40% enterprise value.
If all these mergers and acquisitions happen, and the companies are loaded up with debt, are we potentially looking at a replay of all the radio group bankruptcies just on the TV side in a few years?
Byron overleveraged himself badly buying a few castoffs from the Gray-Quincy merger. Had his Tegna offer been legitimate there's a good chance he would have lost control of the whole company before too long.
That being said, what a stunning drop in value.
The deal has been struck and will more than likely be approved within six months with zero divestments. Curious if Carr issues a statement in full support of it to get the ball rolling on congress/senate removing the cap outright.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Enters into Definitive Agreement To Acquire TEGNA Inc. for $6.2 Billion in Accretive Transaction | Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Enhances Nexstar’s Position as a Leading Local Media Company Preserves High-Quality Local Journalism and Diversity of Opinion Strengthens Ability to
let the Tegstar empire commence
OK, here are a few I'll wonder about:
Tampa/St. Petersburg WFLA (Nexstar), WTSP (Tegna) (I wouldn't mind if the final outcome here is WTOG getting CBS.)
Charlotte WJZY (Nexstar), WCNC (Tegna)
Greensboro WGHP (Nexstar), WFMY (Tegna)
Norfolk WAVY (Nexstar), WVEC (Tegna)
Knoxville WATE (Nexstar), WBIR (Tegna)
Memphis WREG (Nexstar), WATN (Tegna)
Little Rock KARK (Nexstar), KTHV (Tegna)
My question would be: which does Nexstar keep?
Tampa/St. Petersburg WFLA (Nexstar), WTSP (Tegna) (I wouldn't mind if the final outcome here is WTOG getting CBS.)
Charlotte WJZY (Nexstar), WCNC (Tegna)
Greensboro WGHP (Nexstar), WFMY (Tegna)
Norfolk WAVY (Nexstar), WVEC (Tegna)
Knoxville WATE (Nexstar), WBIR (Tegna)
Memphis WREG (Nexstar), WATN (Tegna)
Little Rock KARK (Nexstar), KTHV (Tegna)
My question would be: which does Nexstar keep?
All of these mergers and acquisitions, and stations in virtually every market being acquired by large companies, is having the effect of homogenizing local news to the point of monotony. One Tegna or Sinclair newscast is pretty much like any other, indeed, at times I've thought I was watching one station when in fact I was watching another. The Gray stations have a little bit more individuality, but only a little bit.