Augusta: WRDW takes over WAGT

[mvcg66b3r]

Gray Television and WRDW News 12 Welcome WAGT NBC 26

WRDW News 12, owned and operated by Gray Television, welcomes WAGT NBC 26 into the Gray Television family beginning February 16, 2016. WAGT is one of seven television stations previously owned by Schurz Communications, which was purchased by Gray Television in an agreement reached by both broadcast companies in September 2015.

Will there still be local news on NBC 26?
Yes. WRDW News 12 will simulcast its local news broadcasts on NBC 26 throughout the day, including weekday mornings 4:30am-7am, weeknights at 6 & 11pm, and 11pm on weekends. The NBC 26 weekend morning and weeknight 7:00 pm newscasts will be discontinued starting February 16. The weeknight 7:00pm newscast will be replaced by syndicated episodes of The Big Bang Theory, which will be shown weeknights from 7:00-7:30pm and 7:30-8:00pm.

Who will be on the newscasts?
Newscasts will be brought to you by the News 12 news team, the area’s most recognized and honored news organization.

Why am I not seeing WAGT anchors and reporters I used to watch on NBC 26?
The anchors and reporters seen on NBC 26 were not employed by Schurz Communications/NBC 26, but are currently employed by WJBF’s parent company Media General, which until February 16, 2016 had been overseeing the WAGT newsroom.

http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/...DW-News-12-Welcome-WAGT-NBC-26-365796691.html

 

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More from TVSpy:

WAGT Anchors Tell Viewers to File Complaints With FCC After Gray Takeover

Sources tell TVSpy the changes mean WAGT employees are out of jobs. We are awaiting a statement from Gray for more information. But WRDW says the acquisition will allow it to expand. “The addition of WAGT positions WRDW to offer additional resources to promote community events and the missions of local non-profit organizations,” a statement on its website reads.

WAGT anchors Jay Jeffries and Barclay Bishop, who, until today, were anchors of the NBC26 morning show, asked viewers to file complaints with the FCC. They also encouraged viewers to watch ABC affiliate WJBF.

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wagt-an...omplaints-with-fcc-after-gray-takeover/163940

 

[Ccook55]

Won't this be a moot point if Gray shuts WAGT down when the incentive auction comes around? I thought that's when NBC would move to 12.2.

 

[Ccook55]

Things are getting prickly in Augusta. Gray accused Media General of not allowing WAGT's news staff a smooth transition to WRDW's consolidation, while Media General filed an injunction against Gray to halt the sale of WAGT to them and to prevent it from going up for auction. Until a judge renders a decision on Thursday, Media General has re-assumed control of WAGT.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

FCC Launches Investigation of Media General

The agency's deputy general counsel tells a federal court that the probe is to determine whether to subject Media General to a license revocation hearing. The FCC is upset by Media General's attempts in court to block Gray Television from ending the JSA it has with Media General for WAGT Augusta, Ga., and from selling the station in the incentive auction.

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/93012/fcc-launches-investigation-of-media-general

 

[Ccook55]

Yep, section 312 of the Communications Act will fall into play here if Gray has its way.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Georgia State Supreme Court to Decide Fate of WAGT

The saga of what will become of Augusta, Ga. NBC affiliate WAGT is heading to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Gray TV, the company that bought the station in February, is asking the the court to strike down an injunction saying it can’t operate its new station or sell off its bandwidth in next week’s spectrum auction.

Media General got the injunction after claiming it still has a long-term contract to operate the station with former owner Schurz Communications.

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/georgia-state-supreme-court-to-decide-fate-of-wagt/166522

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Georgia Supreme Court strikes down Superior Court injunction over WAGT

The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled to strike down a Richmond County Superior Court injunction barring Gray Television Group Inc. from taking over operation of Augusta's WAGT television station, which it acquired earlier this year from Schurz Communications Inc.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/b...-court-strikes-down-superior-court-injunction

More to come...

 

[Ccook55]

Short term, it looks as if Gray will not sell off WAGT in the spectrum auction next week. They'd have to divest either WAGT or WAGT-CD/channel 16 to comply with duopoly rules.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Short term, it looks as if Gray will not sell off WAGT in the spectrum auction next week.

Then Gray will have to find a buyer for either WAGT or WRDW. But they'll be able to keep WAGT-CD.

 

[Ccook55]

Suppose they sell of WAGT in the auction. The initial plan was to move NBC to WRDW's subchannel. The WAGT news staff could migrate there.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/...DW-News-12-Welcome-WAGT-NBC-26-365796691.html

They changed the linked article since taking back control of WAGT.

Will there still be local news on NBC 26?
Yes. WRDW News 12 will simulcast its local news broadcasts on NBC 26 throughout the day, including weekday mornings 4:30am-7am, weeknights at 5:30, 6:00, 7:00, and 11pm, and 11pm on weekends. The 5:30pm and 7:00pm newscasts will be exclusive, standalone programs for NBC26. The NBC 26 weekend morning news will be discontinued for the time being.

Who will be on the newscasts?
Newscasts will be brought to you by a combined NBC 26 & News 12 news team. Our news team is growing and we’re adding anchors, reporters, producers, and a meteorologist as part of our commitment to bring viewers the in-depth coverage of news important to you and your families.

Will there be any other programming changes?
There will be some weekday programming changes on WAGT beginning March 28, 2016. The Doctors will now show at 2:00pm, and Dr. Phil will be shown at 4:00pm. The syndicated version of Modern Family will no longer be running weeknights at 7:30. It will be replaced by syndicated episodes of The Big Bang Theory, which will be shown weeknights at two different times: 5-5:30pm and 7:30-8:00pm. Crime Watch Daily will move from WAGT over to My12 at 11:00am.

Here’s the all-new weekday afternoon/evening lineup on NBC 26:
2:00 – The Doctors
3:00 – Judge Judy
4:00 – Dr. Phil
5:00 – The Big Bang Theory
5:30 – NBC 26 News
6:00 – News 12/NBC26 News Simulcast
6:30 – NBC Nightly News
7:00 – NBC 26 News
7:30 – The Big Bang Theory

 

[Ccook55]

Any consideration that WAGT will be sold off in the auction won't be immediate. Bidding starts in May and once a sale is finalized, it would be another three years before an assessment on possibly moving it to a lower digital channel would be made.

 

[ChocoMingo]

Since WAGT will go off the air soon after the auction...

Will this leave Augusta without an NBC (biggest market w/o NBC as a result, when it happens) and CW station, or will WAGT's sister station, WRDW-TV (CBS, not affected by spectrum auction) pick up NBC & CW as 2 additonal subchannels?

 

[Ccook55]

Gray would still be operating WAGT-CD/channel 16 and word is NBC would move there. WRDW could conceivably repeat WAGT-CD on a subchannel to ensure full power coverage, much like they do in Dothan Ala. (WRGX-LD/NBC 23 repeated on WTVY's 4.4) and Panama City, Fla. (WECP-LD/CBS 18 repeated on WJHG's 7.3).