Fox enters Charlotte...

[FightingIrish]

All this time, I thought WBTV would be the television property that Fox would purchase. The NFC Panthers might like that idea, anyway...

FOX only deals with TV duopolies these days (a FOX affiliate and a MNTV affiliate). Remember a few years ago, they sold off all their stations in non-duopoly markets to Local TV.

 

[FreddyE1977]

look at struggling XETV today.

From what I understand that decision was rooted in divergent US-Mexico timelines for going digital.

 

[bpatrick]

All this time, I thought WBTV would be the television property that Fox would purchase. The NFC Panthers might like that idea, anyway...

Raycom would never sell off one of it's flagships to Fox... not with Raycom Sports based in Charlotte.

What is going to be interesting is the additional fallout this is going to cause. It is pretty much a given that Capital sold WJZY/WMYT to keep the Fox Affiliation on WRAZ. As mentioned previously, Fox was the right to purchase the two Sinclair stations in Raleigh.

I doubt CBS and ABC would want to affilate with WCCB. The only one somewhat remotely possible is NBC, but WCNC is next door to the NBC News Channel and the station has strong ties to the News Channel, so that most likely won't work either.

What is going to happen to the Fox affiliation on Bahakel owned WFXB in Myrtle Beach? Will that be shipped off to another station in the marked (most likely WWMB)? Will WCCB be sold to an interest like Univision (which happened to another Bahakel property in the Raleigh market some years ago)? Is WCCB really going to go the route of The CW? Could WCCB build it's self as a strong independent to battle WAXN? Interesting times ahead.

WCCB turned down NBC when WSOC got the ABC affiliation in 1978, and WCNC, despite some slow years (especially when Westinghouse had it) seems to be doing just fine, especially in Charlotte itself. And I agree that Raycom isn't going to turn loose of one of its two flagships (NBC affiliate WSFA Montgomery, AL being the other), nor do I see WBTV leaving the security of CBS, the network it has been with since 1949 and one of the Eye Network's top affiliates for practically all that time.

But at this point I'm confused. Is Fox buying WCCB or the Ch. 46/55 combination? Also, I thought WAXN was part of a duopoly with WSOC. Somebody straighten me out here.

 

[Mr Tony]

But at this point I'm confused. Is Fox buying WCCB or the Ch. 46/55 combination? Also, I thought WAXN was part of a duopoly with WSOC. Somebody straighten me out here.

Fox bought both 46 (CW) and 55 (My) with the intent of moving Fox to (we assume) 46
WCCB is owned by Bahakel Broadcasting and right now has the Fox affiliation

 

[kilamanjero]

All this time, I thought WBTV would be the television property that Fox would purchase. The NFC Panthers might like that idea, anyway...

FOX only deals with TV duopolies these days (a FOX affiliate and a MNTV affiliate). Remember a few years ago, they sold off all their stations in non-duopoly markets to Local TV.

No, they didn't. KTBC, WHBQ, WFXT, WTVT, WTXF, WJBK are still standalone stations in Austin, Memphis, Boston, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Philadelphia, and Detroit respectively.

 

[e-dawg]

I'm not sure if FOX brought Charlotte because of the NFL Team Carolina Panthers? Remember the New World /FOX Shake up back in 1995? It involves with FOX buying up local affiliates with NFC team in the region and wanting VHF stations instead of UHF stations. Remember? KDFW FOX 4 (Dallas Cowboys), WAGA FOX 5 (Atlanta Falcons), WJBK FOX 2 (Detroit Lions), WTVT FOX 13 (Tampa Buccaneers), and Phoenix KSAZ FOX 10 (Arizona Cardinals). I guess FOX O&O wants to be in Markets with NFC NFL Teams. I'm surprise FOX sold KTVI FOX 2 ST. Louis. Would FOX buy KCPQ 13 and KZJO 22 from Tribune for Seattle Seahawks? Will FOX buy WLUK FOX 11 for Green Bay Packers? Will FOX buy KTVU 2/KICU 36 for SF 49ers or KRON 4 in the future?

 

[ding12]

My guess is that they'll affiliate with WJZY-TV (CW) channel 46.

Bahakel's best path is likely selling WCCB to Belo, and if not Belo, then Raycom, than keeping it around as a dying independent.

Then assuming Belo, Belo might arrange something with Fox to swap the stations (so that Fox wouldn't have to build up a station), but if not, no big deal, and ultimately Belo would retrieve The CW affiliation. As far as syndicated, Ellen could then move to WCNC.

 

[w00t]

Problem with selling is that Bahakel literally runs the rest of the company out of Charlotte. MCO and even news production for a couple other stations is there.

 

[ding12]

Problem with selling is that Bahakel literally runs the rest of the company out of Charlotte. MCO and even news production for a couple other stations is there.

Good point. They might just find a buyer (Belo or Raycom) for all of its broadcast stations then.

 

[only1moore]

Problem with selling is that Bahakel literally runs the rest of the company out of Charlotte. MCO and even news production for a couple other stations is there.

Good point. They might just find a buyer (Belo or Raycom) for all of its broadcast stations then.

Raycom can't buy stations in Montgomery because they own WSFA there (Bahakel owns WAKA and WBMM but operates WNCF under a SSA with SagmoreHill) or in Columbia because of WIS (WOLO is another reason), but could go after the others. Belo on the other hand has a shot, as does Nexstar and (god forbid) Sinclair.

 

[ShawnHill1]

This article from TVNewsCheck.com gives some more clarity on the Fox-WJZY/WMYT deal, and mentions many reasons why the deal was made (including one of the reasons that e-dawg mentioned earlier). Also, as part as the deal with Capitol, Fox renews its affiliation deal with WRAZ Raleigh-Durham, thus Fox will not exercise its option to buy six stations from Sinclair (two of them are in the Triangle, WLFL and WRDC).

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/...-fox-affiliates-on-edge#.UQlUCeBKxgk.facebook

The moral of the story is that if and when Fox buys a competiting station in your market, brace yourself, because without notice, they'll rip your affiliation away and go elsewhere (see XETV, WTVW, WFFT, etc.) even if the existing contract is still ongoing.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

The moral of the story is that if and when Fox buys a competiting station in your market, brace yourself, because without notice, they'll rip your affiliation away and go elsewhere (see XETV, WTVW, WFFT, etc.) even if the existing contract is still ongoing.

I thought WTVW lost its Fox affiliation due to a tiff with Nexstar--which is the same reason for the WFXW/WAWV Fox to ABC flip in Terre Haute (and Fox there going to WTHI-10.2).

 

[Mr Tony]

I thought WTVW lost its Fox affiliation due to a tiff with Nexstar--which is the same reason for the WFXW/WAWV Fox to ABC flip in Terre Haute (and Fox there going to WTHI-10.2).

they did. They are going to CW starting tomorrow

 

[only1moore]

This article from TVNewsCheck.com gives some more clarity on the Fox-WJZY/WMYT deal, and mentions many reasons why the deal was made (including one of the reasons that e-dawg mentioned earlier). Also, as part as the deal with Capitol, Fox renews its affiliation deal with WRAZ Raleigh-Durham, thus Fox will not exercise its option to buy six stations from Sinclair (two of them are in the Triangle, WLFL and WRDC).

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/...-fox-affiliates-on-edge#.UQlUCeBKxgk.facebook

The moral of the story is that if and when Fox buys a competiting station in your market, brace yourself, because without notice, they'll rip your affiliation away and go elsewhere (see XETV, WTVW, WFFT, etc.) even if the existing contract is still ongoing.

Which should be good news for KVVU/Las Vegas as well. One gets the feeling that Fox may not want the Sinclair stations but could use the six outlets to their advantage in a trade deal of sorts, since they seem to be eyeing markets with a sports team.

 

[ding12]

Belo on the other hand has a shot, as does Nexstar and (god forbid) Sinclair.

I'm not sure if Nexstar or Sinclair would want an indy station in Charlotte, when neither have a presence there with another network affiliate.

Even if the purchase comes with some small market network affiliates on the side.

On the other hand, it'd be more beneficial for Belo or Raycom, who could take the Charlotte station as a duopoly, take some of the syndie programming and Me-TV while WCCB still has it, get CW, and then keep or sell the smaller network affiliates in the other markets, which are more salable than an indy station in a larger market.

Belo would make a better owner. It operates The CW in Phoenix (duopoly) and Me-TV (subchannel) in Norfolk, but has arrangements with these networks already.

 

[Markxxx]

I thought WTVW lost its Fox affiliation due to a tiff with Nexstar--which is the same reason for the WFXW/WAWV Fox to ABC flip in Terre Haute (and Fox there going to WTHI-10.2).

It seems to me Tribune's Snell was the force behind XETV losing the affiliation, that plus with digital there was no need to have a VHF any longer. Of course Snell pretty much screwed up the Tribune.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

The moral of the story is that if and when Fox buys a competiting station in your market, brace yourself, because without notice, they'll rip your affiliation away and go elsewhere (see XETV, WTVW, WFFT, etc.) even if the existing contract is still ongoing.

I thought WTVW lost its Fox affiliation due to a tiff with Nexstar--which is the same reason for the WFXW/WAWV Fox to ABC flip in Terre Haute (and Fox there going to WTHI-10.2).

Yes, Nexstar didn't want to pay more of their cable retrans money back to Fox. Probably the same reason they were eager to deal Beaumont's KBTV to Sinclair (it's ironic, btw, considering the reason KBTV picked up Fox in the first place was because they didn't want to may more retrans cash to NBC).

But I digress. I think the biggest reason they picked up the duop in Charlotte is because it's a fast-growing market. It broke into the top 25 about 5 years ago and continues to grow

 

[kilamanjero]

Bahakel could have save themselves from this debacle if they had unloaded WCCB to FOX when they originally asked for it awhile back. However, it will be awkward watching FOX/NewsCorp build a news operation from scratch later on this year. Especially, these days when things are all digital and all over the internet, so whatever they do will be under the microscope unlike years past.

 

[nickp]

WJZY and WMYT are among the lowest-rated stations in Charlotte

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I thought Charlotte (the city, not the metropolitan area) was only about 8% Hispanic (the metropolitan area's total Hispanic population could be a smaller percentage).

I point that out for had the Hispanic population been larger, I could have seen WCCB-18 switch from English-language programming to Spanish-language programming, especially if they could pick-up the Univision affiliation.

On the other hand, it's possible the actual Hispanic population in the market is larger than that (or is growing very quickly), so it might actually make sense for WCCB to focus on the Hispanic community.