I swear to God I am not making this up.
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/fox-buying-station-in-seattle_b130765
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/fox-buying-station-in-seattle_b130765
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Fox buys KBCB-TV Bellingham
- Thread starter Bongwater
- Start date
There's a bag discussion going on about this on the National TV board. Looks like its time for a "move in"
This could well be the media story of the year. FOX has wanted an O & O in this market it was widely speculated they would try and make a deal with Cox or buy KVOS. Buying KBCB gets them automatic inclusion in the channel line up likely at least as low as channel 19 or lower (channel 3 comes to mind) and every system will carry them because they will carry the NFL games including the Seahawks. So they will be the new Fox affiliate and KCPQ will have many hours of news and their syndicated programming or Joe TV or whatever other network or independent programming they carry. This is a brilliant move for FOX they get coverage in Seattle, their own network and they still cover Canada with their over the air signal so now its a superstation. they will spend big money on this both technically and to promote. there may be other network affiliations moving too this may not be the only domino. Other option is they make whatever deal they want with KCPQ and then use KBCB another way- carry FOX sports or something else. They win either way.
I just don't see Fox using KBCB for their programming without trying to get their tower in the Seattle area. There are still plenty of over-the-air television viewers in the area, and the coverage of KBCB to Seattle just isn't very effective.
They don't need to move their tower to Seattle. They can do very well with just cable and dish subscribers. there might be a few translators in problem areas, but they really don't have to do anything with their over the air signal.
I know that sounds like blasphemy to some (KBCB is after all, a Bellingham TV station technically.) But just remember KVOS no longer has Bellingham studios or operations. It's all done from Seattle. That's just how twisted the rules are now.
That old KVOS building is awfully sad. What I wouldn't give to see the interior, though!
KBCB is channel 14 on my cable lineup. Fox 14 anyone?
That was the plan. But the way this looks, it's a cutthroat way of forcing Tribune to sell them KCPQ for a rock bottom price....Or else.
If KCPQ doesn't sell and they lose Fox, the consequences will be pretty stiff. They will instantly lose some key local advertisers (or have to bargain like hell to keep them) and most of their prime time audience. They may not be able to afford the big news operation they have. But another scenario is they may double down on their news (the way KIRO did during the UPN affiliation) and make it the centerpiece of their programming.
It's not just KCPQ that will be affected either. My Network is also owned by Fox and if they're as ruthless as they are with KCPQ, the termination may also include eliminating My Network affiliation from KZJO (also owned by Tribune), leaving not one but TWO Seattle TV stations high and dry with no affiliations.
There's also that now unoccupied tower formerly used by KUNS 51, that the channel 24 transmitting antenna can be moved onto (probably need the change of city of license with that) Also interested how the station will be marketed. "Fox 24", or they make a deal with the cable companies to move channels around and call it by a cable channel number..."FOX 8"
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A tiger mountain setup would give them a massive footprint compared to Queen Ann signals!
Channel 12 is a different station (KVOS). If you are talking about KBCB 24, then yes. Its a satellite that really does not serve much of a purpose.
Aren't upgrades and transmitter moves for TV stations on hold at the FCC until after the wireless incentive auctions are figured out? If Fox thinks OTA reception in the Seattle metro is important (and I doubt they do), they'll need to get their mitts on a close-in LPTV or some other dog-meat TV station.
Fox O&O, coming to a KUSE near you!
They can get by with just cable and dish subscribers in Seattle EASILY.
The KBCB buyout knocked the wind out of everybody - especially Tribune. NOBODY even thought of it. And if the M.O. wasn't so ruthless, you might even call it a stroke of pure genius. Think about it: The last going price for KCPQ I heard was something like a few hundred million - chump change to Fox. Instead, for a mere $10 million - pocket fluff to Fox, they pick up tiny little, utterly insignificant KBCB out of Bellingham and they're threatening to turn KBCB from some lousy Bellingham UHF home shopping channel nobody has ever heard of into something that may yet bring a conglomerate like Tribune to their knees. And for not even a FRACTION of the going price of a typical Seattle station.
That's a gamechanger in broadcast TV if I ever saw one. I mean, how valuable is your TV station really if your TV network can buy the least likely of all stations in the area and make it their affiliate no matter what the signal challenge is compared to yours? As long as there's cable and dish, who need YOU and your superior LOCAL OTA signal?
Seattle is the 14th largest DMA, and Fox just offloaded its stations in the 7th (Boston) and the 50th (Memphis) to get into the 6th (San Francisco).
As you can tell, Fox really wants O&O's in NFC markets. (Is that why they offloaded Denver, Boston, Kansas City, and Cleveland? Those teams play in the AFC)
I mean, CBS is not interested in buying stations in Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Nashville, or San Diego.
As you can tell, Fox really wants O&O's in NFC markets. (Is that why they offloaded Denver, Boston, Kansas City, and Cleveland? Those teams play in the AFC)
I mean, CBS is not interested in buying stations in Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Nashville, or San Diego.
Plus the prime position on the cable tv lineup.
Actually the rumor had been floating around for at least a year they were going to do this with KVOS 12. That would have given them a VHF and also automatic position at least as good as 12 on the dial. But that deal didn't happen. 14 is almost as good -since the whole "U" versus "v" is not really relevant anymore (KONG and JOE TV are both U's and they are at ch 6 and ch 10 respectively). I would wonder if PAX might get kicked off 3 so then you go from 13 to 3!! Not bad.
From KCPQ's side, they still have 22 hours a day of great programming (fox is only on 8p-10p) and they move their 9pm JOE news to Q and now they have an hour a day to fill. Really no impact from that side other than lead ins to the 10p news. oh, AND FOOTBALL. So I can see why they don't want t give the farm away.
From KCPQ's side, they still have 22 hours a day of great programming (fox is only on 8p-10p) and they move their 9pm JOE news to Q and now they have an hour a day to fill. Really no impact from that side other than lead ins to the 10p news. oh, AND FOOTBALL. So I can see why they don't want t give the farm away.
KVOS isn't on VHF 12 anymore. They moved to UHF 35 on changeover day. Also, dish Network has them at channel 35 rather than 12 in the Seattle market for that reason.
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