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Nexstar buying TEGNA, Houston impact

Mrtejano said:
would there be any changes to programming or just different owners same programming?
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The modest news operation at KIAH will be folded into KHOU. There will be a lot of layoffs at both stations.

This will also mean the end of the deal with KTRK to produce the 9pm newscast on KIAH. It is likely that additional news programming will appear on KIAH, produced by KHOU.

Anyone’s guess as to which studio facility will be vacated. KHOU leases its current facility near the Galleria, while AFAIK KIAH owns its building on Westpark. They won’t keep both.

Also anyone’s guess as to what Nexstar does with KTBU/55 as far as programming goes.

Some signals and subchannels may be moved around. Cutting and pasting a post I made on the National TV board:

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.
 
Mediafrog+ said:
The modest news operation at KIAH will be folded into KHOU. There will be a lot of layoffs at both stations.
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Sadly, I suspect the same.
Mediafrog+ said:
This will also mean the end of the deal with KTRK to produce the 9pm newscast on KIAH. It is likely that additional news programming will appear on KIAH, produced by KHOU.
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Or 39 just quits the news game altogether.
Mediafrog+ said:
Anyone’s guess as to which studio facility will be vacated.
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39's Westpark Drive (Tollway, I guess) studios are likely a goner. It's old, it's small, and it's not state-of-the-art. KHOU just moved into a brand-new set up after losing the long-time Allen Parkway HQ to floodwaters. It certainly has to be cheaper to pay a landlord instead of a maintenance crew to keep the Westpark building up to COH codes and regulations.
Mediafrog+ said:
Some signals and subchannels may be moved around. Cutting and pasting a post I made on the National TV board:

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.
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I was thinking, somewhat, along the same lines as you, 🐸. My concept would sell off the actual channel 11 outright, move KTBU's virtual to 11, with the .1 becoming CBS, move Channel 39's local and CW Network programming to 11.2, then taking KTBU, and Quest, to a subchannel where it really ought to be, anyway. Nexstar may end up with all 3 stations, but it doesn't mean they have to hold on to all three of the actual facilities.

WFAA/KFAA/KDAF is a whole other monster. WFAA on 8 goes bye-bye. No doubt about it. Not sure what went south, but at one time, 8 and 29 were supposed to swap places, putting Estrella TV on 8, and ABC on 29. Look at the calls put on 29 after Tegna acquired it. That ought to tell you they are chomping at the bit to move WFAA, and the ABC programming that goes with it, to the better facility. Again, the same idea on a DFW lineup. ABC/WFAA to 29.1, KDAF CW 33 to 29.2, and Quest to 29.3.
 
rosecitymedia said:
39's Westpark Drive (Tollway, I guess) studios are likely a goner. It's old, it's small, and it's not state-of-the-art.
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I tend to agree with you. The land might have increased in value since the construction of the Westpark Tollway.
rosecitymedia said:
KHOU just moved into a brand-new set up after losing the long-time Allen Parkway HQ to floodwaters. It certainly has to be cheaper to pay a landlord instead of a maintenance crew to keep the Westpark building up to COH codes and regulations.
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KHOU is leasing the first three floors of the office building on Westheimer. An advantage of that arrangement is that as staffing continues to shrink they can always move out of one or maybe two of those floors, consolidating space and cutting lease costs.

The fact that several stations might be run out of that location is irrelevant as Master Control and many other functions are hubbed elsewhere. I’ve talked to some people at KHOU who said they are barely aware of the existence of KTBU unless there is some special program they happen to specifically produce for the channel. Adding KIAH to the mix won’t make much difference, other than the possibility of increased hours of news.

KHOU/KTBU Master Control is hubbed out of Charlotte, while KIAH is hubbed in DFW. Curious what will be done about that.
rosecitymedia said:
I was thinking, somewhat, along the same lines as you, 🐸. My concept would sell off the actual channel 11 outright, move KTBU's virtual to 11, with the .1 becoming CBS, move Channel 39's local and CW Network programming to 11.2, then taking KTBU, and Quest, to a subchannel where it really ought to be, anyway.
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I don’t see The CW moving to an 11.x subchannel, I think they’ll keep it as 39.1. Note that the actual KIAH RF34 transmitter is now one of two full power ATSC 3.0 signals in the market (airing KIAH, KHOU, KPRC, KTMD and KUHT) while the ATSC 1.0 virtual 39.1 is a subchannel of KPRC RF35; Inthink that will wind up on KTBU RF33 until any ATSC 3.0 transition is sorted out.
rosecitymedia said:
Nexstar may end up with all 3 stations, but it doesn't mean they have to hold on to all three of the actual facilities.
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With consolidation of channels and subchannels as part of a future ATSC 3.0 transition, one of the licenses could be sold off, or become spectrum bait in a future repack scenario.
rosecitymedia said:
WFAA/KFAA/KDAF is a whole other monster. WFAA on 8 goes bye-bye. No doubt about it.
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Agreed as far as the primary for WFAA. RF8 might become a diginet dumping ground.
rosecitymedia said:
Not sure what went south, but at one time, 8 and 29 were supposed to swap places, putting Estrella TV on 8, and ABC on 29.
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I think that deal died when Estrella Media sold out to MediaCo. End of 2025 was the deadline for the swap to take place.
rosecitymedia said:
Look at the calls put on 29 after Tegna acquired it. That ought to tell you they are chomping at the bit to move WFAA, and the ABC programming that goes with it, to the better facility.
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That will happen but I don’t see the KFAA call disappearing unless the RF8 signal is sold off.
rosecitymedia said:
Again, the same idea on a DFW lineup. ABC/WFAA to 29.1, KDAF CW 33 to 29.2, and Quest to 29.3.
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WFAA would keep its 8.1 virtual channel if it moves to RF30. I also don’t see KDAF giving up its 33.1 virtual channel. Too much confusion. Several different virtual channels can originate on the same RF signal, so there may be some redistribution of what goes where on RF8/30/32 in DFW.
 
the reminds me in march of '04 i saw a sign saying "future home of univision" on the southwest freeway @ the loop, meaning kirby drive is coming to an end? as for kiah will the new building say "future home of the cw o khtv" since knws/katy moved out of westpark drive, years after ktmd moved.
 
K.M. Richards said:
Whaaaa?

That series of posts made me dizzy. Pass me the Excedrin, somebody.
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As a man who was born with Asperger's all the way back in 1971, I may be able to help decipher our new board mate, "Houston tv info autism".

houston tv info autism said:
does that mean westpark drive will be no longer television studios since kirby drive & since el camino real in clear lake on gemini & hercules
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Channel 39 in Houston has been located on Westpark Drive in Houston since 1967. These other streets were once home to various television studios for KNWS, led by Doug Johnson, KTBU, once owned by Joel Osteen, and El Camino Real, which is a road in either Webster or Clear Lake City (which no longer exists as a town, btw) where KMJQ 102.1 once called home. I think the old Hit Video USA on low power Channel 5 once officed on ECR, too.

The answer to his question is yes. There's no way that channel 39's studios are kept, given age and maintenance upkeep of that 60 year old facility.
houston tv info autism said:
why did katy-tv 51 moved out & is kiah-tv 39 taking the path that kirby drive took it will make sense for khtv to move
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He's asking why KNWS (now KYAZ) moved, and if channel 39 will follow the lead of Channel 20, which before being sold to KRIV FOX 26, was on Kirby Drive. The answers here are channel 51 was sold and moved out, as did channel 20.

Channel 39 would, indeed, follow suit. KHTV was the original calls for 39, so our friend here is feeling a little nostalgic to boot.

houston tv info autism said:
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He drove his car down Westpark Drive in this video. See the 39 studios on the corner? They used to tape wrestling shows in the studio for umpteen years there.

houston tv info autism said:
the reminds me in march of '04 i saw a sign saying "future home of univision" on the southwest freeway @ the loop, meaning kirby drive is coming to an end? as for kiah will the new building say "future home of the cw o khtv" since knws/katy moved out of westpark drive, years after ktmd moved.
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Memory has been jogged, and he has harkened back to a simpler time, March 2004. This is during the time when Univision moved its office to the 610 West Loop/59 Southwest Freeway exchange. It has been there for years, now, and is pretty prominent standing directly in front of the Transco Tower (Williams, if you prefer).

It's all about consolidation, and as has been duly noted by @houston tv info autism, there's been a lot of it in both Houston television and radio in the last couple of decades.
 
Thank you for helping clarify what was meant. I am aware of the difficulties autistic people have sometimes, but perhaps I made an erroneous presumption that an individual who can manage to get a YouTube video embedded in his post would also be able to do a Google search to make sure his facts are correct before posting them.

As you may have noticed, a lot of people take a dim view of misstated "facts" and I am hoping that our friend will take the advice to search before posting.
 


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