FCC Reverse Auction Opening Bids for TV stations in MS, who will be the takers?

[gor88]

I just took a look at the Reverse Auction opening bids for Mississippi TV stations. Take a look at the stations below. Any opinions on which station owners may either "take the money and run" or might be willing to move down to VHF High or Low?

DMA Rank, DMA1, Call Sign, Move Off‐Air, Move to Low VHF, Move to High VHF

50 Memphis, TN WBII‐CD 38,041,200 28,530,900 15,216,480 (Holly Springs)
50 Memphis, TN WBUY‐TV 159,351,300 119,513,475 63,740,520 (Holly Springs)
50 Memphis, TN WMAV‐TV 137,985,300 103,488,975 55,194,120 (Oxford)
50 Memphis, TN WWTW 131,062,500 98,296,875 52,425,000 (Senatobia)

95 Jackson, MS WAPT 106,222,500 79,666,875 42,489,000
95 Jackson, MS WDBD 135,794,700 101,846,025 54,317,880
95 Jackson, MS WJTV 89,660,520 52,301,970 NA
95 Jackson, MS WLBT 142,920,900 107,190,675 57,168,360
95 Jackson, MS WLOO 131,643,900 98,732,925 52,657,560
95 Jackson, MS WMAU‐TV 127,829,700 95,872,275 51,131,880
95 Jackson, MS WMPN‐TV 136,273,500 102,205,125 54,509,400
95 Jackson, MS WRBJ‐TV 137,279,700 102,959,775 54,911,880
95 Jackson, MS WWJX 94,002,300 70,501,725 37,600,920

133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS W34DV‐D 32,092,200 24,069,150 12,836,880
133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS W39CA‐D 42,071,400 31,553,550 16,828,560
133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS WCBI‐TV 121,005,900 90,754,425 48,402,360
133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS WEPH 104,731,200 78,548,400 41,892,480
133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS WLOV‐TV 116,918,100 87,688,575 46,767,240
133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS WMAB‐TV 46,906,560 27,362,160 NA
133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS WMAE‐TV 71,709,300 41,830,425 NA
133 Columbus‐Tupelo‐West Point, MS WTVA 73,089,000 42,635,250 NA

158 Biloxi‐Gulfport, MS WLOX 174,464,100 130,848,075 69,785,640
158 Biloxi‐Gulfport, MS WMAH‐TV 140,414,400 105,310,800 56,165,760
158 Biloxi‐Gulfport, MS WXXV‐TV 136,289,700 102,217,275 54,515,880

168 Hattiesburg‐Laurel, MS WDAM‐TV 66,756,420 38,941,245 NA
168 Hattiesburg‐Laurel, MS WHLT 104,295,600 78,221,700 41,718,240

189 Meridian, MS WGBC 72,030,600 54,022,950 28,812,240
189 Meridian, MS WMAW‐TV 136,105,200 102,078,900 54,442,080
189 Meridian, MS WMDN 81,348,300 61,011,225 32,539,320
189 Meridian, MS WTOK‐TV 54,498,420 31,790,745 NA

192 Greenwood‐Greenville, MS WABG‐TV 86,572,800 64,929,600 34,629,120
192 Greenwood‐Greenville, MS WMAO‐TV 89,369,100 67,026,825 35,747,640
192 Greenwood‐Greenville, MS WXVT 67,844,700 50,883,525 27,137,880

My bet is that WRBJ (Magee), which TBN bought for a measly $1.5 million in a bankruptcy firesale and maybe put another 1-2 mill in upgrades, will be among those offering to shutdown. $137 million would be way too much to turn down for a station that only rimshots Jackson and is in the opposite direction of the other Jackson market stations.

IF there are available VHF high slots anywhere in the state, I might see some smaller markets (i.e. not Jackson or Tupelo-Columbus) have stations offer to do that for the money being offered.

Feel free to weigh in. I'd love to see responses from TV broadcast professional, provided you are at liberty to comment on such matters.

 

[mississippi fan]

I am not a broadcast pro but I was really interested in seeing if any of the Jackson stations in particular are jumping in the Reverse Auction. Anyone hear anything yet?

 

[actionjacksonwx]

According to this website (http://www.nab.org/repacking/clearinghouse.asp) these stations will be moving in the repack:

WDBD 40->13
WLOX 39->32

Also, per this spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aguZjdAo2On8B2cUUtyroLjBwXvKVjvJre-XdH4yaZo/edit#gid=0) these PBS stations are also moving:

WMAE 12->9
WMAB 10->8
WMAW 44->28

 

[gor88]

According to this website (http://www.nab.org/repacking/clearinghouse.asp) these stations will be moving in the repack:

WDBD 40->13
WLOX 39->32

Also, per this spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aguZjdAo2On8B2cUUtyroLjBwXvKVjvJre-XdH4yaZo/edit#gid=0) these PBS stations are also moving:

WMAE 12->9
WMAB 10->8
WMAW 44->28

I learned about the PBS stations via rabbitears.info, which confirmed the details of a current.org interview with the Mississippi PBS CTO.

Thanks, actionjacksonwx, for sharing the NAB web page. I look forward to seeing which other MS TV stations are moving, because a few more of them will have to move.

 

[gor88]

Here's what throws me...WTVA Tupelo is supposedly staying on channel 8, yet WMAB Ackerman is moving to channel 8. Surely, WTVA would have to move to a different channel. The Ackerman tower would be too close to the WTVA tower in Woodland (near Houston, MS) to share the same channel, don't you think?

 

[tripinva]

WTVA Tupelo is supposedly staying on channel 8

Where did you hear that?

- Trip

 

[Mr Tony]

Where did you hear that?

- Trip

The NAB website

Results
Call Sign: WTVA
Licensee:Mississippi TV License Company, LLC
DMA: Columbus-Tupelo-West Point, MS
Old Channel: RF Channel 8
New Channel: RF Channel 8
Power: 16 kw ERP

 

[tripinva]

Huh. Well, that's a mistake.

- Trip

 

[Mr Tony]

Huh. Well, that's a mistake.

- Trip

I agree there are some mistakes. Like in Milwaukee it says WIWN is right now on 68 and changing to 69 (thats their PSIP....the RF is RF5)

 

[msugrad2000]

Here's what throws me...WTVA Tupelo is supposedly staying on channel 8, yet WMAB Ackerman is moving to channel 8. Surely, WTVA would have to move to a different channel. The Ackerman tower would be too close to the WTVA tower in Woodland (near Houston, MS) to share the same channel, don't you think?

Actually, according to the NAB website, WTVA Tupelo is going to move to channel 8. Both WTVA and WMAB are going to swap in phase 10 (May 2, 2020 - July 3, 2020). WTVA will probably have to move first and then WMAB will probably move afterwards.

 

[gor88]

Actually, according to the NAB website, WTVA Tupelo is going to move to channel 8. Both WTVA and WMAB are going to swap in phase 10 (May 2, 2020 - July 3, 2020). WTVA will probably have to move first and then WMAB will probably move afterwards.

Actually, the FCC Repack Report that was released almost 2 weeks ago indicates that WTVA is indeed moving to channel 11 with WTOK Meridian moving from 11 to 13. The NAB site contains incorrect information that appears to be self-reported from WTVA management.