BREAKING: NBCU PUTS WVIT UP FOR SALE

[jvparent]

Just breaking is news that NBC Universal has put WVIT/30 New Britain-Hartford up for sale. Also on the market is WTVJ/6 Miami-Ft Lauderdale.

According to TVNewser, NBCU plans to concentrate its local station efforts on the Top 10 Markets where it presently owns stations: New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Philadelphia; San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland; Dallas; and Washington, DC. The company has duopolies with Telemundo stations in all but Philly and DC; it has a triopoly in LA with KNBC-NBC, KVEA-Telemundo and KWHY-Spanish Independent. NBCU also plans to keep KNSD/39 San Diego.

Meetings are being held with staffers in Hartford and Miami right now.

 

[oldschooltv]

Interesting news, I wonder how long this was in the works for. Seems fishy that they'll have a brand new, state-of-the-art, fully digital, "green" building within the next year or so. That's going to make the station fairly attractive to a future buyer, I'd say.

I wonder who'd be a likely company to move in and purchase the station?

(On a side note, bear with me, this is a stretch...)
This gets me thinking, wasn't Tribune supposed to get rid of either FOX61, CW20, or the Hartford Courant a long time ago? Last I heard, Tribune was petitioning the FCC to try to get around their violation. Why does this matter? It might be more lucrative for the future owner of WVIT to have the opportunity of a duopoly in the market, and if they pressed the FCC to enforce their ruling, 20 or 61 would also be up for grabs. This would mean a future owner of WVIT would get more bang for their bucks by coming to this market. Again, this is a stretch, but worth a thought, so don't yell at me if this seems too pie in the sky. ;D

 

[KML0224]

Interesting! They dumped WJAR-TV (NBC) channel 10 of Providence not too long ago. So they'll now be out of New England altogether. I also found this link about it from a member of another media forum ---> http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/nbc-sell-miami-hartford-tv/story.aspx?guid={25C56432-591B-4A97-A4E0-F08C8E11B3B5}&siteid=yahoomy

 

[MarcB]

They want to focus on the Top 10 Markets? Shoot. The two stations they own in Boston are only rim-shotters. One runs the NBC Shopping Service and the other runs their Spanish Network, which is LMA'd to ZGS who owns the other Telemundo stations in New England.

 

[kms575]

They want to focus on the Top 10 Markets? Shoot. The two stations they own in Boston are only rim-shotters. One runs the NBC Shopping Service and the other runs their Spanish Network, which is LMA'd to ZGS who owns the other Telemundo stations in New England.

Maybe they want to try and buy Channel 7?
It will be interesting to find out who the potential suitors will be. Gannett? Sinclair? Could there be an affiliation change?

 

[KML0224]

If they buy out channel 7 in Boston, would WLVI-TV (CW) channel 56 of Cambridge be included? I know that Sunbeam Television is involved with both of them.

 

[tripinva]

Might Hearst be interested? I don't know much about the business side of things, just thinking out loud.

If Hearst were to buy, I wonder if we'd see an affiliation flip with WTNH...

- Trip

 

[bostonmediaguy]

If they buy out channel 7 in Boston, would WLVI-TV (CW) channel 56 of Cambridge be included? I know that Sunbeam Television is involved with both of them.

It would probably flip to Telemundo when the affiliation pact with CW ends.

 

[RadioMan203]

Now the question remains: when NBCU dumps 30, will it turn into the toilet that 'TNH has become or will it stay decent because of the competition in the Hartford market?

 

[Bill-in-CT]

>If Hearst were to buy, I wonder if we'd see an affiliation flip with WTNH...

Hearst owns NBC affil WGAL-8 in Central PA. I could see Hearst wanting to expand in New England, but I don't think an affiliate switch would benefit any network, station, or viewers in the "Land of the Steady Habits."

The company that buys 30 is either going to have to add master control in the new building or run master control from a different place. 30s master control is now at 30 Rock in NYC.

Maybe 40's new owner would want to buy 30.

>Now the question remains: when NBCU dumps 30, will it turn into the toilet

Hartford is still competitive because of 3 and 61 (even though 61's morning show is still brand new). 30 under new ownership will need to compete effectively against them.

 

[kms575]

Now the question remains: when NBCU dumps 30, will it turn into the toilet that 'TNH has become or will it stay decent because of the competition in the Hartford market?

You REALLY do have a beef with Channel 8, don't you? Does anyone else notice it being so different from 3 and 30?

 

[RadioMan203]

Now the question remains: when NBCU dumps 30, will it turn into the toilet that 'TNH has become or will it stay decent because of the competition in the Hartford market?

You REALLY do have a beef with Channel 8, don't you? Does anyone else notice it being so different from 3 and 30?

I think a blind man would be able to see how 8 is so low-rent! I will admit they had excellent coverage about the recent Norwalk police officer losing his life, but I would hope being the only over-the-air signal for Fairfield County that they would have put some effort into that story.

If you truly watch with a conscious effort you will see such things as clipped content, apparent lack of preparation, "goofy" on-air things (that stupid staring contest in the open of the morning show really grinds my gears) are just some of the oddities I have yet to notice on 3,30 or 61 (although I believe another poster mentioned he saw something similar on another CT channel, I have yet to see it).

When I go out of the area on business I always watch to see how other stations are in comparison and 8 holds a close second to public access! I've seen the local college journalism class produce stuff that would put them to shame.

 

[kms575]

Now the question remains: when NBCU dumps 30, will it turn into the toilet that 'TNH has become or will it stay decent because of the competition in the Hartford market?

You REALLY do have a beef with Channel 8, don't you? Does anyone else notice it being so different from 3 and 30?

I think a blind man would be able to see how 8 is so low-rent! I will admit they had excellent coverage about the recent Norwalk police officer losing his life, but I would hope being the only over-the-air signal for Fairfield County that they would have put some effort into that story.

If you truly watch with a conscious effort you will see such things as clipped content, apparent lack of preparation, "goofy" on-air things (that stupid staring contest in the open of the morning show really grinds my gears) are just some of the oddities I have yet to notice on 3,30 or 61 (although I believe another poster mentioned he saw something similar on another CT channel, I have yet to see it).

When I go out of the area on business I always watch to see how other stations are in comparison and 8 holds a close second to public access! I've seen the local college journalism class produce stuff that would put them to shame.

Yes, we know you hate the staring thing, it's been mentioned sever times But, it's not just Channel 8.
As for not seeing any screw-ups, try watching Channel 3 for a while.

Am I alone in thinking the Channel 8 criticism is a little harsh? I'd love to know.
I'm not a huge fan either, but I don't believe they are all that inferior to the other local stations.

Back to the topic, I'd say Channel 30 is the one with the least on-air blunders!

 

[RadioMan203]

Back to the topic, I'd say Channel 30 is the one with the least on-air blunders!

In which I would have to agree. That's why I wonder what will happen to the air product if NBCU finds a buyer for it.

 

[radiolives]

I wouldn't mind if General Media got NBC 30. As that would make their 2nd station in New England as they purchased NBC 10 in RI recently. Also General Media does great with the stations they own. Could we also see maybe Raycom Media purchase NBC 30. I think both if either media company got NBC 30 they would make it look great.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

I wouldn't mind if General Media got NBC 30. As that would make their 2nd station in New England as they purchased NBC 10 in RI recently. Also General Media does great with the stations they own. Could we also see maybe Raycom Media purchase NBC 30. I think both if either media company got NBC 30 they would make it look great.

I've heard mixed things about Media General, and only bad things about Raycom.

Ask someone in the Columbia, S.C. area about how WIS-TV has done in three years of Raycom ownership, and they could tell you there's been a drop-off in news quality during that time. It's got folks in Charlotte wondering if the same will happen to WBTV once Raycom completes its acquisition of the Lincoln Financial (formerly Jefferson-Pilot) TV group.

All I can tell you about Media General is they love homonogized standardization for their stations (except for the three they got from NBC in '06, which have maintained unique logos at least). But they may not want to grab anymore of NBC's cast-offs.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Gannett as a potential, NBC-friendly suitor for WVIT...

 

[KML0224]

Gannett owns WCSH-TV (NBC) channel 6 of Portland and WLBZ-TV (NBC) channel 2 of Bangor.

 

[kms575]

Gannett owns WCSH-TV (NBC) channel 6 of Portland and WLBZ-TV (NBC) channel 2 of Bangor.

Also WGRZ-TV (NBC) Buffalo, NY and WBIR-TV (NBC) Knoxville, TN are 2 more that immediately spring to mind.
WUSA in Washington is a Gannett-owned CBS affiliate.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

For what it's worth... (Re: BREAKING: NBCU PUTS WVIT UP FOR SALE)

...the NBC-affiliated stations owned by Gannett are:

WXIA-TV Atlanta
KARE Minneapolis-St. Paul
KPNX Mesa-Phoenix
WKYC-TV Cleveland (a former NBC O&O)
KUSA-TV Denver
KSDK St. Louis
WGRZ-TV Buffalo
WTLV Jacksonville
WBIR-TV Knoxville
WCSH-TV Portland, Maine
WLBZ-TV Bangor, Maine
KNAZ-TV Flagstaff, AZ (a semi-satellite of KPNX)

In terms of audience reach, Gannett owns the largest group of NBC affiliates outside of the network O&Os. WVIT would fit right in just fine, if of course Gannett is interested.

 

[BRNout]

Re: For what it's worth... (Re: BREAKING: NBCU PUTS WVIT UP FOR SALE)

...the NBC-affiliated stations owned by Gannett are:

WXIA-TV Atlanta
KARE Minneapolis-St. Paul
KPNX Mesa-Phoenix
WKYC-TV Cleveland (a former NBC O&O)
KUSA-TV Denver
KSDK St. Louis
WGRZ-TV Buffalo
WTLV Jacksonville
WBIR-TV Knoxville
WCSH-TV Portland, Maine
WLBZ-TV Bangor, Maine
KNAZ-TV Flagstaff, AZ (a semi-satellite of KPNX)

In terms of audience reach, Gannett owns the largest group of NBC affiliates outside of the network O&Os. WVIT would fit right in just fine, if of course Gannett is interested.

Most of these are top-notch local stations too. I know that KUSA, WXIA, KARE, WKYC, WGRZ, and WCSH all have top-notch local newscasts that are generally in the number one or two position in their respective markets. Perhaps that's true of the others but I am not as familiar with those markets. For example, KUSA is very highly thought of in Colorado and their news coverage is head and shoulders above number two KCNC.

Connecticut viewers would be well-served by channel 30 if Gannett ended up with them. They seem to be a very good station owner that actually invests in their local stations.