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Nexstar CEO: CW plays role in targeting TV stations for acquisition

Y2kTheNewOldies

Y2kTheNewOldies

thedesk.net

Nexstar CEO: CW plays role in targeting TV stations for acquisition

The broadcaster remains hopeful that an almost-certain relaxation of media ownership regulations will allow it to execute on certain mergers and acquisitions.
thedesk.net thedesk.net

We talked about this in past threads about how Nexstar role in owning the CW had a role on how Nexstar decides how many TV stations to own or have agreements with Mission Broadcasting to have Mission Broadcasting as a license holder while Nexstar puts their news staff at Mission TV stations. This time there's another one about relaxing media ownership to TV stations. That's so far needs the approval of congress and courts to do so.

Nexstar Media Group’s desire to own or control stations that are affiliated with the CW Network plays a large factor in which stations the company targets for a potential merger, the broadcaster’s chief executive confirmed on a conference call this week.

On Thursday, CEO Perry Sook said the company continues to be encouraged by signs that the federal government will reform and relax certain media ownership rules, which currently limit how many licensed TV and radio stations a single broadcaster may directly own.
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Nexstar is a company that only exists to buy things for the sake of buying. It's not like Perry has ever cared about the industry, because he never has. It's all about what it is in it for himself.

I betcha if he could, he would absolutely purchase Scripps, Gray, Tegna and Sinclair, along with the CBS-owned and ABC-owned stations, and not have to sell off a single thing.
 
www.ftvlive.com

0.01 — FTVLive

You wonder why they continue to bleed money?
www.ftvlive.com www.ftvlive.com

Umm not shocking to hear but then again it’s a case of Nexstar owned stations having higher viewership than NewsNation. Also there’s gotta more readers to “The Hill” Nexstars answer to politico than News Nation.
 
I can see them targeting acquisitions to either increase CW Distro to new markets or improve the quality or business terms of their CW Distro in markets where an affiliate handles CW Distro.

I think Nexstar has done a good job at improving CW Programming. I'm kind of surprised they don't have NewsNation produce a news program specific to CW.
 
umfan said:
I can see them targeting acquisitions to either increase CW Distro to new markets or improve the quality or business terms of their CW Distro in markets where an affiliate handles CW Distro.
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If the FCC does away with the 39% cap, then sure. Right now, it's still in place so they can't (but it's a theoretical cap as the film-flam "UHF Discount" actually means Nexstar has about 69% national reach). Not good enough for Perry Sook, who just wants to own everything.
umfan said:
I think Nexstar has done a good job at improving CW Programming. I'm kind of surprised they don't have NewsNation produce a news program specific to CW.
Click to expand...
What would be gained by having a nightly newscast on the CW? Fox never has done that. And given how no one watches NewsNation to begin with, I can't imagine a single CW affiliate wanting to give five hours of primetime real estate for that purpose.

NewsNation's The Hill Sunday with Chris Stiewalt is already airing on all Nexstar or Mission-owned CW affiliates.
 
Y2kTheNewOldies said:
www.ftvlive.com

0.01 — FTVLive

You wonder why they continue to bleed money?
www.ftvlive.com www.ftvlive.com

Umm not shocking to hear but then again it’s a case of Nexstar owned stations having higher viewership than NewsNation. Also there’s gotta more readers to “The Hill” Nexstars answer to politico than News Nation.
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When I worked for Nexstar and they launched NN in 2021, I was told they’d wait four years to get profitable and then they’d decide what to do with NN. I wonder if it makes money for Nexstar?
 
Loverofradio said:
When I worked for Nexstar and they launched NN in 2021, I was told they’d wait four years to get profitable and then they’d decide what to do with NN. I wonder if it makes money for Nexstar?
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Cable channels make money through retransmission revenue. Because Nexstar bundles in NewsNation with local channels people actually watch, it turns a profit fairly easily. Helps when the budget is small and not reliant on acquired programming.
 
umfan said:
I can see them targeting acquisitions to either increase CW Distro to new markets or improve the quality or business terms of their CW Distro in markets where an affiliate handles CW Distro.

I think Nexstar has done a good job at improving CW Programming. I'm kind of surprised they don't have NewsNation produce a news program specific to CW.
Click to expand...

The CW has The Hill on Sun & also Crime Nation they use some clips of NewsNation on that show I have only watched Crime Nation a few times for the stories I was interested in.
 
thedesk.net

Nexstar's NewsNation is fastest-growing cable network in June, achieves milestone growth

NewsNation achieved a major milestone in June, becoming the top basic cable network in the United States in terms of total day growth, according to data from Nielsen.
thedesk.net thedesk.net

Here is another press release by Nexstar justifying to keep NewsNation for now. Interesting but we also have to consider that Nexstar Owned TV Stations use segments from them for national news content.

Nexstar Media Group’s cable news channel NewsNation achieved a major milestone in June, becoming the top basic cable network in the United States in terms of total day growth, according to data from Nielsen.

The achievement came two months after NewsNation celebrated its fourth year on the air; the network launched from the ashes of WGN America, which once operated as a coast-to-coast superstation of the strong Chicago independent.



NewsNation is showing strength in its own right, growing nearly 50 percent in total day viewership and 67 percent among the key demographic of adults between the ages of 25 and 54 years old, Nielsen data showed. It was the fastest-growing network among all 112 Nielsen-rated cable networks in terms of year-over-year growth.
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It doesn't matter the puffery being pushed out by corporate, NewsNation only exists because it 1) is run on the cheap and 2) can still get retransmission revenue from cable companies.

That's all there is to it. There doesn't need to be any further examination.
 
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Nexstar would keep KREM - CBS/KSKN - CW duopoly TV stations in Spokane, Washington while sell TEGAN Seattle’s NBC Television station KING 5 and KONG 6/16 in Seattle, Washington to NBCUniversal Owned & Operated Television Stations, while KONG 6/16 would become the NBC Spanish Television affiliate Telemundo Network. NBCUniversal would keep KING 5 Seattle, Washington as a NBC Owned & Operated Television Station with the branding of “NBC 5” Seattle and KONG - TV 6/16 would be known as “Telemundo Seattle” with the Telemundo branding logo station ID. Nexstar Media should make a deal with CBS News and Stations Inc. about acquiring KSTW - 11 Seattle - Tacoma, Washington for the acquisition of Seattle’s CBS affiliate KIRO - TV Channel 7 in Seattle, Washington being the new CBS Owned & Operated Television Station in Seattle, Washington. Nexstar would turn KSTW - 11 into the local CW Owned & Operated Television station under Nexstar Media Group Nexstar would have to make a deal with Atlanta, Georgia based television station Grey Media to sell the Buffalo, New York NBC Television Station WGRZ - TV in return for the Buffalo CBS Television station WIVB - TV 4 getting the digital sub channels of True Crime Network, Quest and NOSEY. Nexstar would put True Crime Network on WIVB digital sub channel on digital sub channel 4.2 and Digital sub channel 36.2 and Quest on digital sub channel 4.3 and Digital sub channel 4.3, NOSEY on Digital Sub Channel 4.4 Digital UHF Channel 36.4 and move Antenna TV to WNLO - 23 digital sub channel on DIgital sub channel 36.5 and Digital sub channel 23.2, and move Rewind TV to digital sub channel 23.3 and DIgital sub channel 23.3 and Digital sub channel 36.6.
 
1755994403125.png Here's the logo for CBS to acquire KIRO - TV Seattle, NBC would acquire KING -TV Channel 5 Seattle, soon to be CW Owned & Operated Television Station (Seattle - Tacoma's Very Own) KSTW that would be owned by Nexstar Media Group and Telemundo Seattle (KONG 6/16) that would be owned by NBC and Telemundo Television
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umfan said:
News Nation is not doing well.
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Neither are any of the other cable newsers in the demo. NewsNation just doesn't have an audience of boomers to make its 18+ demo cell look respectable.

The most-watched network overall, Fox News Channel, has 90% of its viewers over age 54, basically the same ratio as NewsNation, in the same week as the NN ratings that FTV live posted.
 


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