So the obvious questions yet to be answered....
1. What's the benefit and more importantly the downside of Cox Media Group buying FOX23 to the KRMG News department? Cox Media will spin it as 'more resources and more local news content'. Others will see it as the opportunity to trim KRMG News staff and just regurgitate FOX23 sound on the radio. It remains to be seen what will actually happen, but if Cox Media's past is any indication in other markets - such as in Orlando (WDBO) and Atlanta (WSB) - the trend is to trim radio news staff by at least 25% (according to departed staffers). It's the prefect scenario (as corporate might see it), to increase news content (questionable) on KRMG with less people. "How much can I cut head count? How much can I save? That much?!?!"
2. What happens to the news/weather partnership (loosely a partnership in terms of news, but one still the same) between KRMG and KOTV-6? Well that's pretty obvious, don't ya think?!
3. What happens to the radio partnerships FOX23 currently has? Those would domino and no doubt KOTV-6 would fill that void.
4. How long does Clear Channel allow Cox - major competitors in the Tulsa radio market - to lease space for FOX23 offices and studios in their building? How long can you let the fox (pardon the pun) live amongst the chickens? And where does FOX23 move to?
5. And finally how does this proposed deal benefit the competition, if at all? Is it an opportunity for KFAQ and Journal Broadcasting? With their recent acquisition of KHTT and KBEZ, one might think it's easier to create KFAQ on FM, but knowing the Journal and their 'you-know-when-your-beat' mentality, the chances of that happening are slim to none. Oh well.
All in all, a great opportunity awarded by the FCC to let Cox dominate even more the Tulsa market in both radio, TV and cable (that 'ill rile some of you regulars to comment, I'm sure), share more news content on KRMG, save some dough, and dumb-down the product in the process.