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Nexstar ready to hook up with TEGNA?

Andy Travis said:
9News Denver & Kyle Clark have done some truly innovative and positive things for TV news and gotten some national recognition because of it. I'm suspicious that will be allowed to continue given the head of Nexstar's remarks as they've positioned for this acquisition and after the last presidential election. Truly concerned about the effect this will have on news, in a time when it seems to be under attack from all fronts - corporately, in revenue generation and from the government.
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DavinaR said:
I certainly hope it does not affect Kyle Clark and all the people who work with him at 9 news. They do great work over there. I really enjoy watching there reporting.
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Here's what he had to say about it this week: Kyle Clark (@kylec.bsky.social)

The reference to channel 2 (KWGN) could have used a little more context. Clark indicates that KWGN had a news operation that was folded into KDVR's operation. Because I wasn't in Denver at the time, I don't know how extensive that news operation was. Independents often had fairly bare-bones operations, if they had any at all. I don't know how much there was to fold into the combined operation to start with. Currently, KDVR programs a lot of news...eight hours each morning plus evening newscasts...but a lot of it is fluff and the product comes across as though the staff is spread way too thin. No doubt the local staff tries their best, but if you're running around all the time trying to cover a market of this size, the result isn't going to have much depth.

Channel 9, on the other hand, has a market-leading news effort. It's not clear how much of it would survive a merger. For example, 9News has an investigative unit, with three on-air reporters dedicated to it either part-time or full-time. There's support staff as well. My best guess would be for that unit to be one of the first things to go. 9News political coverage is aggressive and to the point. That kind of reporting takes time, though, which is something you don't get in a newsroom that's run cheaply.

Those of us who have worked in radio news are familiar with the likely trajectory. At least in TV, news is a profit center, so the slope of that trajectory won't be as steep.

There's another point to be made...everyone seems to assume that this deal will go through, and go through promptly. I wouldn't be so sure. More on that in another post.
 
fybush said:
Don't get distracted by the chess pieces (will CW move from 8.2 to 34.1?!?!?) when the entire board is getting tipped over.
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The metaphor that comes to my mind is that of the tilted roulette wheel. Perry Sook appears to be thinking that, with well-placed words of praise for Trump and Carr, he will be able to push on the door that they may be opening. He probably wants to get a first-mover advantage in what he likely sees as an "eat or get eaten" scenario.

While Trump and Carr are important constituents, they're not the only ones. While the direction of deregulatory actions seems clear, the details are far from clear. One thing that's also clear with the bunch that's in power now is that they don't possess a firm grasp of details. We know they want to deregulate; we don't know what they want it look like aside from sweeping, somewhat ideological generalities. This might be the time where advocacy groups, normally a crew of worthless noisemakers, could actually step up and exploit the lack of actionable details to cause delays: through lawsuits, legislative inquiries, negative publicity, and so on. Let's see if they're smart enough to do this. I give it an even chance. The sheer scale of this proposed acquisition is bound to draw opposition.

Then there are the details of actual integration. Refer back to my earlier comment about mating season for dinosaurs. Successfully executing M&A is a skill. At this scale, that skill is going to be severely tested. CEOs of acquiring companies always like to promise efficiencies, synergies, and so on. I refer to my favorite business writer, Robert Townsend (the guy who rescued Avis decades ago):

Synergism, a business fad like hula hoops, holds that two and two makes five. Horseshit. Two and two usually makes three, and you know it. ("Further Up the Organization, p. 153, 1984 edition)
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So Sook may think he can make the roulette wheel turn his way, but what he's really doing is taking a risk. Sure, it's a calculated risk. There is logic to it. But this isn't an entirely predictable world. Logic can fail.

For those of you who like to play TV Chess, I will point out that a Nexstar-Tegna combination in Denver would result in five TV stations: KWGN, KUSA, KDVR, KTVD...and KFCT in Fort Collins, which everyone forgets about because it's currently a repeater for KDVR. A five-station conglomeration may push the envelope too far, not just in terms of public opinion, but in terms of just getting the thing to work.
 
Mark Roberts said:
For those of you who like to play TV Chess, I will point out that a Nexstar-Tegna combination in Denver would result in five TV stations: KWGN, KUSA, KDVR, KTVD...and KFCT in Fort Collins, which everyone forgets about because it's currently a repeater for KDVR. A five-station conglomeration may push the envelope too far, not just in terms of public opinion, but in terms of just getting the thing to work.
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Like you’re saying, generally this could cause major problems in the local TV landscape. Because let’s be honest, you may want an ABC (that, NBC or CBS, take your pick) and Fox (or CW) station under the same roof, but you don’t want more than 2 stations affiliated with a big 3 network and a Fox or CW station under that roof. One solution in the term of local newscasts is just simulcast one station’s newscasts onto another, similar to KYTV with KSPR-LD in Springfield, or WPTA in Fort Wayne, having ABC and NBC on different subchannels.
 
IM42A said:
Not another repack... not another repack... :cry:
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Wouldn’t happen until after a possible full ATSC 3.0 transition which is 5-10 years away if it actually happens; the NAB’s dream for 2028 is unrealistic.

Then there is the question as to whether the cellular companies are interested in more lower UHF spectrum. They seem to be concentrating on acquiring additional midband frequencies between 2 and 7 GHz, plus whatever is practical in the millimeter wave range.
 
bmasters1981 said:
Does that mean that all major CBS O&Os (including KCBS/KCAL in the City of Angels, and WCBS in the Big Apple) would possibly go to Nexstar?
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Something does not look right with this one. Paramount would have to consider another party if they are serious about selling CBS O&O’s. In places like Sacramento and San Francisco they also have Paramount owned CBS affiliates. In some of these cases they have to consider shutting down KMAX, KPYX, make it streaming only within the Paramount+ app and turn in those licenses to the FCC if that is even considered. But for now Nexstar merging with Tegna that is being discussed here.
 
Hers's the situation in my market Hartford/New Haven.

Tegna
WTIC-TV 61 FOX
WCCT-TV 20 CW

Nexstar
WTNH 8 ABC
WCTX 59 MY NETWORK TV

Nexstar ended up with 8 and 59 after they bought out Media General. 8 and 59 channel share.

Tegna got 61 and 20 after Nexstar bought Tribune since they wouldn't have been allowed to own 4 stations in one market.
 
bmasters1981 said:
Does that mean that all major CBS O&Os (including KCBS/KCAL in the City of Angels, and WCBS in the Big Apple) would possibly go to Nexstar?
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Oh of course! It also ensures Nexstar gets Paramount Skydance's 12.5 percent ownership stake in the CW. Plus in places like Denver, 2, 4, 9, 20 and 31 (plus satellite) would be Nexstar-controlled.

Given CBS News is reportedly bleeding $50M a year per Puck, Skydance is going to rid itself of that headache sooner than later.
 
Will_H_69_9 said:
in the event the FCC rules are loosen to allow TV stations in one market to be a monopoly, the Nexstar/TEGNA merger if it goes through would allow WFAA to be once again owned by a Dallas based company unless Nexstar is planning to relocated their corporate headquarters from Irving, TX to either New York City, NY (top East Coast market), Los Angeles, CA (top West Coast Market), Chicago, IL (WGN's hometown & former home of Tribune Media's headquarters until Nexstar acquired them) or Washington, DC (current market where TEGNA's headquarters are based out of, which is Tysons, VA a city in the suburbs of DC on the Virgina side of the DC region).
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Why would Nexstar relocate, and what would be the benefits? As you failed to flesh out your idea fully, I'll give you some reasons why it's never gonna happen.

First reason why your idea is a non-starter: NYC, LA and Chicago are three "blue" cities located in three "blue" states, complete with an high cost of living and an even higher cost of doing business. No tax breaks are given in either of those places.

Second reason: D/FW is a big media center in its own right, and is the fourth-largest tv market in the country.

You don't need to be HQ'd in NYC, LA, CHI or DC to be taken seriously as a big-time company. Nexstar is fine where they are.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
Add Columbus to the mix. Nexstar will also be adding WBNS-AM-FM along with a potential second TV. WBNS-FM is mostly live-and-local sports talk, is the flagship of Ohio State sports, and makes money for Tegna. The AM side, not so much; WBNS (AM) runs syndicated sports talk on a graveyard AM signal (albeit with a vintage Blaw-Knox tower).

Back to TV: Just like in all the other markets, a merger of the WCMH and WBNS-TV newsrooms is concerning. I know of a couple of on-air folks at the 10TV morning show who just got there within the last three months, and recently they've been promoting the return of Jeff Hogan like crazy. Now, it's a wait and see game for everyone at both stations.

Regarding facilities: Both WCMH and the WBNS stations' respective studios are more than 70 years old, and are four miles apart. Channels 4 and 10, and 97.1 also share the candelabra tower adjacent to the WBNS studios. It would make sense that WCMH make the move down Olentangy River Road to 770 Twin Rivers Drive (WBNS) for that reason alone. I also believe Tegna made some upgrades to the 'BNS plant in recent years, not including moving radio in there.
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Years ago, it was said the Wolfe Family was going to build on the open space on Twin Rivers Drive and expand the building. They should have done it years ago. Both 4 &10 buildings are old and look cramp. I grew up in CMH, and to see 4 &10 in the same building is just downright stupid.
 
Colorado's attorney general, Phil Weiser, also a candidate for governor, has indicated his intent to "closely review" Nexstar's acquisition of Tegna. From 9News' Kyle Clark: Kyle Clark (@kylec.bsky.social)

It's interesting (to me) that no other broadcast outlet, judging by what's on their websites, appears to be covering this story, even a story with just bare-bones facts. I don't subscribe to the Denver Post or the Gazette online paper, so I can't tell whether they're covering this.

Clarification: KOA and Colorado Public Radio did have stories on the deal; but TV stations other than KUSA are what I was referring to.
 
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KilowattKat said:
I received another email from the NAB. It was two petitions, the AM in vehicles act, and one to support the deletion of outdated FCC rules, including the removal of broadcast ownership caps The usual auto send reply to petition my congressman and representative.

I didn't send back either one. I usually support the NAB and their positions, but not this time.
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I don't blame you-- those are beyond the pale, especially the removal of ownership caps (letting one company own as many stations as possible; that would be [albeit this is not a reality, yet] if Sinclair should have happened to own Hearst [which, for instance, would have made WYFF 4 a sister to WLOS 13]).
 
bmasters1981 said:
I don't blame you-- those are beyond the pale, especially the removal of ownership caps (letting one company own as many stations as possible; that would be [albeit this is not a reality, yet] if Sinclair should have happened to own Hearst [which, for instance, would have made WYFF 4 a sister to WLOS 13]).
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This could actually help with reception problems, if each station would carry the other's 1.0 feed on a subchannel. Especially in the North Carolina portion, they have tons of issues with getting signals from one end of the market to the other. And the GSAA market's news is so regionalized that they'd pretty much have to retain two news operations. Even WSPA leans more towards Spartanburg than towards Asheville or even Greenville and points west.
 
IM42A said:
This could actually help with reception problems, if each station would carry the other's 1.0 feed on a subchannel. Especially in the North Carolina portion, they have tons of issues with getting signals from one end of the market to the other. And the GSAA market's news is so regionalized that they'd pretty much have to retain two news operations. Even WSPA leans more towards Spartanburg than towards Asheville or even Greenville and points west.
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That I could understand, but what would it be like (should this happen) if WCVB, WLWT and WLKY become Sinclair-owned stations?
 
IM42A said:
This could actually help with reception problems, if each station would carry the other's 1.0 feed on a subchannel. Especially in the North Carolina portion, they have tons of issues with getting signals from one end of the market to the other. And the GSAA market's news is so regionalized that they'd pretty much have to retain two news operations. Even WSPA leans more towards Spartanburg than towards Asheville or even Greenville and points west.
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I could see a future where individual TV signals are owned by what are essentially transmission operations services, which then lease out bandwidth to multiple program producers and suppliers. This is what is done in many other countries. Gets TV content producers out of the tower/transmitter infrastructure business.
 
bmasters1981 said:
That I could understand, but what would it be like (should this happen) if WCVB, WLWT and WLKY become Sinclair-owned stations?
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Not clear what you're getting at here. I was referring to a market whose cities are some distance apart, and separated by challenging terrain. Unless it would be WCVB's situation with WMUR Manchester also being an ABC affiliate (and they are both already owned by Hearst), none of these markets are particularly spread out geographically. As to WLWT, the Cincinnati market stops far short of what its naturally occurring area would be toward the north, because Dayton is in the way. It's similar to the situation with Washington and Baltimore, where each others' full-power stations can easily be received in the other city.
 
Indianapolis is another one of these places where the Tegna/Nexstar deal will get attention due to WTTV, WXIN and WTHR having the major networks. That means Fox, NBC and CBS would need to leave in that event so Nexstar can convert one of them into a CW affiliate.

That means WISH-TV a Circle City Broadcasting company would have to step in and get one of the affiliations. Then again it’s one of many places if the Tegna/Nexstar deal is approved multiple affiliation changes can take place because of Nexstars ownership of CW.
 
Why is nobody suggesting that either a Nexstar or Tegna station gets sold off in a market which has both? In Greensboro, for example, Nexstar owns WGHP (Fox) and Tegna, WFMY (CBS). In Charlotte, Nexstar has WJZY (Fox); Tegna, WCNC (NBC). Seems that unless there are going to be changes in the number of stations a company can own, one of the stations in these two markets will have to be sold off. However, I don't see an affiliation change, at least not in Greensboro, because as I understand it WFMY is in with CBS until 2028. Elsewhere on this board is talk of ending ownership caps, but suppose it doesn't happen. Would Nexstar elect to keep WGHP and its Fox/CW duopoly in Charlotte? Would WFMY and WCNC be shut down? I'd like to see WCNC become an NBC o&o and somebody like Gray buy WFMY, but I'm not holding my breath on either. Bottom line: there's a lot to be sorted out unless we're about to see a slew of duopolies.
 
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