W
wxctintern
Guest
I may be run out of town for this one, but how 'bout if FOX sheds it's duopolys in NYC and Washington DC? FOX 5 in NYC and DC. UPN 9 in NYC and UPN 20 in DC.
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Fox May Trim TV Station Group
- Thread starter RichD
- Start date
> > Media General is pretty tight with CBS, at least in the
> > South. Its Southern CBS affiliates:
> >
> > GEORGIA
> >
> > WRBL/3 Columbus
> >
> Lest we forget the tiny WNEG ch.32 in Toccoa, which is, more
> or less, tied into Spartanburg's WSPA.
>
Click Here ---><a target="_blank" href=http://www.mediageneral.com/map/index.htm#tv>List of Media General TV Stations</a><P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>
> > South. Its Southern CBS affiliates:
> >
> > GEORGIA
> >
> > WRBL/3 Columbus
> >
> Lest we forget the tiny WNEG ch.32 in Toccoa, which is, more
> or less, tied into Spartanburg's WSPA.
>
Click Here ---><a target="_blank" href=http://www.mediageneral.com/map/index.htm#tv>List of Media General TV Stations</a><P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>
Re: Fox May Trim TV Station Group (What about Tribune?)
They have on their website they are actively persuing duopolies and stations in the top 40 markets. Wonder if any of the Fox stations might appeal to Tribune broadcasting as duopolies or otherwise?
<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>
They have on their website they are actively persuing duopolies and stations in the top 40 markets. Wonder if any of the Fox stations might appeal to Tribune broadcasting as duopolies or otherwise?
<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>
T
Tom_Desmond
Guest
> I may be run out of town for this one, but how 'bout if FOX
> sheds it's duopolys in NYC and Washington DC? FOX 5 in NYC
> and DC. UPN 9 in NYC and UPN 20 in DC.
Personally, I wish that would happen -- those duopoly UPN affiliates would probably be better run under different ownership, as opposed to the current situation of being dumping grounds for the leftover programs that don't make it onto the Fox stations.
However, it is extremely unlikely to happen. Since the incremental cost of running the second station in a duopoly is fairly low, that second station can be very profitable even when the ratings are mediocre. The result is that these stations are too profitable for Fox to want to dump them.
> sheds it's duopolys in NYC and Washington DC? FOX 5 in NYC
> and DC. UPN 9 in NYC and UPN 20 in DC.
Personally, I wish that would happen -- those duopoly UPN affiliates would probably be better run under different ownership, as opposed to the current situation of being dumping grounds for the leftover programs that don't make it onto the Fox stations.
However, it is extremely unlikely to happen. Since the incremental cost of running the second station in a duopoly is fairly low, that second station can be very profitable even when the ratings are mediocre. The result is that these stations are too profitable for Fox to want to dump them.
Re: Fox May Trim TV Station Group (What about Tribune?)
This is very interesting news to hear!
My opinion with a couple of them
WBRC-They seem to be very successful, I doubt they will drop Fox even if they aren't an O&O
WITI-I could see this go one way or another.
KSTU-I doubt it will drop FOX.
Now for stations on the wish list to drop Fox...
WJBK Detroit(CBS)
KTVI St. Louis(ABC)
WVUE New Orleans(ABC, maybe?)
WTVW Evansville(both ABC and CBS)
About the VHF/UHF thing, it may not matter now, but 10 years ago when the switch did happen, it really did matter.
This is very interesting news to hear!
My opinion with a couple of them
WBRC-They seem to be very successful, I doubt they will drop Fox even if they aren't an O&O
WITI-I could see this go one way or another.
KSTU-I doubt it will drop FOX.
Now for stations on the wish list to drop Fox...
WJBK Detroit(CBS)
KTVI St. Louis(ABC)
WVUE New Orleans(ABC, maybe?)
WTVW Evansville(both ABC and CBS)
About the VHF/UHF thing, it may not matter now, but 10 years ago when the switch did happen, it really did matter.
Re: Fox May Trim TV Station Group -- Austin
Salt Lake City and the others ... yeah, they'll get rid of them. I don't know about them selling KTBC though. It's market 53, but they have 4 other Texas stations ... KDFW, KDFI, KRIV and KTXH. It's the same reason CBS keeps KEYE ... they own KTVT and KTXA in Dallas. And why Belo traded a station in a larger market ... and cash ... for KVUE a few years ago. The master control and business operations can be hubbed to save money. Actually, Fox had a duopoly in Austin for a while, back when low-power KVC 13 was the city's UPN station. It was forced off the air a few years ago to make room for a DT channel for one of the Spanish-language stations.
> This is very interesting news to hear!
>
> My opinion with a couple of them
>
> WBRC-They seem to be very successful, I doubt they will drop
> Fox even if they aren't an O&O
>
> WITI-I could see this go one way or another.
>
> KSTU-I doubt it will drop FOX.
>
> Now for stations on the wish list to drop Fox...
>
> WJBK Detroit(CBS)
> KTVI St. Louis(ABC)
> WVUE New Orleans(ABC, maybe?)
> WTVW Evansville(both ABC and CBS)
>
> About the VHF/UHF thing, it may not matter now, but 10 years
> ago when the switch did happen, it really did matter.
>
Salt Lake City and the others ... yeah, they'll get rid of them. I don't know about them selling KTBC though. It's market 53, but they have 4 other Texas stations ... KDFW, KDFI, KRIV and KTXH. It's the same reason CBS keeps KEYE ... they own KTVT and KTXA in Dallas. And why Belo traded a station in a larger market ... and cash ... for KVUE a few years ago. The master control and business operations can be hubbed to save money. Actually, Fox had a duopoly in Austin for a while, back when low-power KVC 13 was the city's UPN station. It was forced off the air a few years ago to make room for a DT channel for one of the Spanish-language stations.
> This is very interesting news to hear!
>
> My opinion with a couple of them
>
> WBRC-They seem to be very successful, I doubt they will drop
> Fox even if they aren't an O&O
>
> WITI-I could see this go one way or another.
>
> KSTU-I doubt it will drop FOX.
>
> Now for stations on the wish list to drop Fox...
>
> WJBK Detroit(CBS)
> KTVI St. Louis(ABC)
> WVUE New Orleans(ABC, maybe?)
> WTVW Evansville(both ABC and CBS)
>
> About the VHF/UHF thing, it may not matter now, but 10 years
> ago when the switch did happen, it really did matter.
>
J
Jeffmidtown
Guest
Likewise, Atlanta, where
> WGCL/46 is the market joke; I think CBS would take WAGA/5
> back in a minute.
>
Yeah, but CBS would have to back up the Brinks truck to Fox for them to sell WAGA. Yearly, Fox 5 in Atlanta always pulls in killer numbers for NASCAR as well as NFL, plus their morning news from 5-9am does fairly well too as the only live and local station from that time.
In Greensboro, I serioulsly doubt that Fox would get rid of WGHP just by the pure fact that again, the station draws monster numbers for Fox programming, their news is usually 1 or 2 in the rankings.
For those two stations, I think that CBS and ABC would not be able to afford the price tag.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> WGCL/46 is the market joke; I think CBS would take WAGA/5
> back in a minute.
>
Yeah, but CBS would have to back up the Brinks truck to Fox for them to sell WAGA. Yearly, Fox 5 in Atlanta always pulls in killer numbers for NASCAR as well as NFL, plus their morning news from 5-9am does fairly well too as the only live and local station from that time.
In Greensboro, I serioulsly doubt that Fox would get rid of WGHP just by the pure fact that again, the station draws monster numbers for Fox programming, their news is usually 1 or 2 in the rankings.
For those two stations, I think that CBS and ABC would not be able to afford the price tag.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
Re: Fox May Trim TV Station Group (What about Tribune?)
> WJBK Detroit(CBS)
> KTVI St. Louis(ABC)
> WVUE New Orleans(ABC, maybe?)
> WTVW Evansville(both ABC and CBS)
>
> About the VHF/UHF thing, it may not matter now, but 10 years
> ago when the switch did happen, it really did matter.
>
I don't know about the other markets, but it matters in St. Louis. Cable/satellite penetration in St. Louis is below the national average (I can't quote the actual number at the moment). KDNL-TV/30, the current ABC affiliate, has a pretty lousy signal. I'm not sure where KDNL stands currently, but several years ago, I read or heard that the station was one of the lowest-rated ABC affiliates in the country. KDNL also did away with local news several years back. If Fox puts KTVI on the block, ABC might be willing to pony up to get ABC back on a VHF in St. Louis.
> WJBK Detroit(CBS)
> KTVI St. Louis(ABC)
> WVUE New Orleans(ABC, maybe?)
> WTVW Evansville(both ABC and CBS)
>
> About the VHF/UHF thing, it may not matter now, but 10 years
> ago when the switch did happen, it really did matter.
>
I don't know about the other markets, but it matters in St. Louis. Cable/satellite penetration in St. Louis is below the national average (I can't quote the actual number at the moment). KDNL-TV/30, the current ABC affiliate, has a pretty lousy signal. I'm not sure where KDNL stands currently, but several years ago, I read or heard that the station was one of the lowest-rated ABC affiliates in the country. KDNL also did away with local news several years back. If Fox puts KTVI on the block, ABC might be willing to pony up to get ABC back on a VHF in St. Louis.
> > > I also mentioned that I
> > > think WBRC and KTBC will stay with Fox, due to ownership
>
> > of
> > > their competitors (especially in Birmingham, with an NBC
>
> > > o&o,
> > > Allbritton-owned ABC, and Media General-owned CBS--and
> > Media
> > >
> > > General is very tight with CBS in the South).
> >
> > But, considering that WIAT ch.42 is the perennial loser in
>
> > the Birmingham market, I would think that CBS would want
> to
> > contemplate moving to WBRC, if that station is sold.
> >
> I don't doubt that CBS would try to sign up WBRC, but I've
> always sensed a certain hostility to CBS in Birmingham that
> dates back to the incident that was partially the cause of
> WBRC's switching from CBS to ABC in the first place: Howard
> K. Smith's 1961 documentary "Who Speaks For Birmingham?",
> which placed the city's racial situation in an unfavorable
> light. A few years later, Walter Cronkite did not air in
> Birmingham. I've been gone from Birmingham since 1973, so
> I'm not totally up to date on Birmingham's attitude toward
> CBS. I do remember these things: Birmingham is the only
> city I ever lived in where the CBS soap block was the
> perennial
> loser in the afternoon; CBS primetime hits such as All In
> The
> Family, M*A*S*H, and Mary Tyler Moore did not have the
> enthusiastic
> response of other markets (even nearby Huntsville). And in
> 1970,
> when Channel 13 had to choose between NBC and CBS, they took
> NBC.
>
> Perhaps things have changed in 32 years, but I somehow feel
> that
> Birmingham perceives CBS as too liberal. But, obviously, a
> lot
> will depend on the company that buys WBRC. I'm not ready to
>
> predict a switch.
>
I just do not believe that there are that many people in B'ham around now(that were around then) to hold hostilities agains't CBS. I think the real reason is that 42, whether it be WBMG or WIAT, has always been the red-headded stepchild in the Birmingham market. For years, it was the only UHF signal in town (even the PBS is a VHF), and Media General has been the only ownership group to give it resources to be competitive. 'Course now , the damage is done and the ship is taking on water. Does CBS ditch WIAT for WBRC? I would if I were them. Is it going to happen? I'm not betting on it.....at least not yet.
>
> > > think WBRC and KTBC will stay with Fox, due to ownership
>
> > of
> > > their competitors (especially in Birmingham, with an NBC
>
> > > o&o,
> > > Allbritton-owned ABC, and Media General-owned CBS--and
> > Media
> > >
> > > General is very tight with CBS in the South).
> >
> > But, considering that WIAT ch.42 is the perennial loser in
>
> > the Birmingham market, I would think that CBS would want
> to
> > contemplate moving to WBRC, if that station is sold.
> >
> I don't doubt that CBS would try to sign up WBRC, but I've
> always sensed a certain hostility to CBS in Birmingham that
> dates back to the incident that was partially the cause of
> WBRC's switching from CBS to ABC in the first place: Howard
> K. Smith's 1961 documentary "Who Speaks For Birmingham?",
> which placed the city's racial situation in an unfavorable
> light. A few years later, Walter Cronkite did not air in
> Birmingham. I've been gone from Birmingham since 1973, so
> I'm not totally up to date on Birmingham's attitude toward
> CBS. I do remember these things: Birmingham is the only
> city I ever lived in where the CBS soap block was the
> perennial
> loser in the afternoon; CBS primetime hits such as All In
> The
> Family, M*A*S*H, and Mary Tyler Moore did not have the
> enthusiastic
> response of other markets (even nearby Huntsville). And in
> 1970,
> when Channel 13 had to choose between NBC and CBS, they took
> NBC.
>
> Perhaps things have changed in 32 years, but I somehow feel
> that
> Birmingham perceives CBS as too liberal. But, obviously, a
> lot
> will depend on the company that buys WBRC. I'm not ready to
>
> predict a switch.
>
I just do not believe that there are that many people in B'ham around now(that were around then) to hold hostilities agains't CBS. I think the real reason is that 42, whether it be WBMG or WIAT, has always been the red-headded stepchild in the Birmingham market. For years, it was the only UHF signal in town (even the PBS is a VHF), and Media General has been the only ownership group to give it resources to be competitive. 'Course now , the damage is done and the ship is taking on water. Does CBS ditch WIAT for WBRC? I would if I were them. Is it going to happen? I'm not betting on it.....at least not yet.
>
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > >
> I just do not believe that there are that many people in
> B'ham around now(that were around then) to hold hostilities
> agains't CBS. I think the real reason is that 42, whether
> it be WBMG or WIAT, has always been the red-headded
> stepchild in the Birmingham market. For years, it was the
> only UHF signal in town (even the PBS is a VHF), and Media
> General has been the only ownership group to give it
> resources to be competitive. 'Course now , the damage is
> done and the ship is taking on water. Does CBS ditch WIAT
> for WBRC? I would if I were them. Is it going to happen?
> I'm not betting on it.....at least not yet.
The most convincing argument I've seen in favor of WBRC
staying with Fox is the fact that it has expanded its local
news considerably. An affiliation with CBS means that Channel
6 would have to drop its 7-9 AM Good Day Alabama, its 5:30 local
news, and its 9 PM newscast.
An affiliation with CBS also means giving up four and a half
hours of syndicated daytime programming, plus picking up
Letterman and The Late Late Show where syndicated programs
air now. That's giving up a lot of revenue.
But I do think CBS will try to get WBRC to switch.
> >
>
> > > > > > > >
> > >
> I just do not believe that there are that many people in
> B'ham around now(that were around then) to hold hostilities
> agains't CBS. I think the real reason is that 42, whether
> it be WBMG or WIAT, has always been the red-headded
> stepchild in the Birmingham market. For years, it was the
> only UHF signal in town (even the PBS is a VHF), and Media
> General has been the only ownership group to give it
> resources to be competitive. 'Course now , the damage is
> done and the ship is taking on water. Does CBS ditch WIAT
> for WBRC? I would if I were them. Is it going to happen?
> I'm not betting on it.....at least not yet.
The most convincing argument I've seen in favor of WBRC
staying with Fox is the fact that it has expanded its local
news considerably. An affiliation with CBS means that Channel
6 would have to drop its 7-9 AM Good Day Alabama, its 5:30 local
news, and its 9 PM newscast.
An affiliation with CBS also means giving up four and a half
hours of syndicated daytime programming, plus picking up
Letterman and The Late Late Show where syndicated programs
air now. That's giving up a lot of revenue.
But I do think CBS will try to get WBRC to switch.
> >
>
> Likewise, Atlanta, where
> > WGCL/46 is the market joke; I think CBS would take WAGA/5
> > back in a minute.
> >
>
> Yeah, but CBS would have to back up the Brinks truck to Fox
> for them to sell WAGA. Yearly, Fox 5 in Atlanta always pulls
> in killer numbers for NASCAR as well as NFL, plus their
> morning news from 5-9am does fairly well too as the only
> live and local station from that time.
>
> In Greensboro, I serioulsly doubt that Fox would get rid of
> WGHP just by the pure fact that again, the station draws
> monster numbers for Fox programming, their news is usually 1
> or 2 in the rankings.
>
> For those two stations, I think that CBS and ABC would not
> be able to afford the price tag.
>
Of course, this is just wishful thinking on my part. WGHP
gets the best numbers for NASCAR of any Fox affiliate, and
I don't think they'd care to part with the Carolina Panthers,
a team which may be headed to the Super Bowl this year (they
beat New England this past Sunday, if that's an omen).
Both WAGA and WGHP would have to give back a lot of revenue-
producing time. Both would have to give back two hours from
7-9 AM (although WAGA was prone not to clear CBS's morning show
when it was the CBS affiliate). WGHP would have to give back
four hours of daytime programming; WAGA, four and a half. Both
would have to turn 6:30 PM back to their respective networks.
Their 10 PM newscasts would have to return to 11 PM, followed
by network programming (Letterman and The Late Late Show on
WAGA, Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel on WGHP).
So your arguments are probably right-on. But that's not to
say I wouldn't LIKE to see them return to their former networks.
> > WGCL/46 is the market joke; I think CBS would take WAGA/5
> > back in a minute.
> >
>
> Yeah, but CBS would have to back up the Brinks truck to Fox
> for them to sell WAGA. Yearly, Fox 5 in Atlanta always pulls
> in killer numbers for NASCAR as well as NFL, plus their
> morning news from 5-9am does fairly well too as the only
> live and local station from that time.
>
> In Greensboro, I serioulsly doubt that Fox would get rid of
> WGHP just by the pure fact that again, the station draws
> monster numbers for Fox programming, their news is usually 1
> or 2 in the rankings.
>
> For those two stations, I think that CBS and ABC would not
> be able to afford the price tag.
>
Of course, this is just wishful thinking on my part. WGHP
gets the best numbers for NASCAR of any Fox affiliate, and
I don't think they'd care to part with the Carolina Panthers,
a team which may be headed to the Super Bowl this year (they
beat New England this past Sunday, if that's an omen).
Both WAGA and WGHP would have to give back a lot of revenue-
producing time. Both would have to give back two hours from
7-9 AM (although WAGA was prone not to clear CBS's morning show
when it was the CBS affiliate). WGHP would have to give back
four hours of daytime programming; WAGA, four and a half. Both
would have to turn 6:30 PM back to their respective networks.
Their 10 PM newscasts would have to return to 11 PM, followed
by network programming (Letterman and The Late Late Show on
WAGA, Nightline and Jimmy Kimmel on WGHP).
So your arguments are probably right-on. But that's not to
say I wouldn't LIKE to see them return to their former networks.
> Yeah, but CBS would have to back up the Brinks truck to Fox
> for them to sell WAGA. Yearly, Fox 5 in Atlanta always pulls
> in killer numbers for NASCAR as well as NFL, plus their
> morning news from 5-9am does fairly well too as the only
> live and local station from that time.
Fox will be keeping WAGA Atlanta no matter what. I do think though that Fox may eventually purchase 69 WUPA and create a duopoly there. This would likely be where 4 Kids TV Saturday morning shows would go in that event. But not necessarily. CBS has 2 stations in Sacramento and they still do not run Guiding Light. In Phoenix Fox has KSAZ 10 and UPN 45 KUTP and niether run 4 Kids TV. Belo's 61 KASW does. So even a duopoly does not assure that 4 Kids TV gets cleared.
> In Greensboro, I serioulsly doubt that Fox would get rid of
> WGHP just by the pure fact that again, the station draws
> monster numbers for Fox programming, their news is usually 1
> or 2 in the rankings.
Fox could sell Fox 8 WGHP to Pappas who owns WB 20 in Lexington. Fox could ink a long term deal to keep WGHP a Fox affiliate and Pappas would likely continue the news and reality based format. 4 Kids TV though would probably still not get cleared.
> For those two stations, I think that CBS and ABC would not
> be able to afford the price tag.
FOX WONT SELL ANY OF THESE STATIONS TO NBC ABC OR CBS!!! EVER!!! They would likely sell to someone who will keep the format on the stations as it is and keep with the 30 to 50 hours of news per week and a long term affiliation deal with Fox.
Scenerios I see:
Fox may sell the following
1. 7 KTBC Austin could sell to a group such as Raycom or Belo with a deal to keep affiliation with Fox. But I see Cox as a possible buyer. Cox owns their affiliate in San Francisco.
2. 6 WBRC Birmingham - 42 WIAT's owner New York Times could buy the station and keep WBRC as the Fox affiliate and have a long-term affiliation deal. Other takers could be Cox Communications which also is good with local news. Raycom is another possability.
3. 8 WGHP - see above..Pappas or Cox..WONT BE SINCLAIR!!!They s___ with local news production.
4. 13 WHBQ Memphis - also Cox would be a good group to sell to. Also a group such as Belo or even Gannett. Included could be a long term affiliation deal. Cleart Channel has 2 stations so that would not happen. Companies with the other 2 VHF stations are not elegible for ownership due to the fact there is only 2 other VHF stations.
5. 13 KSTU Salt Lake City - CBS, Bonneville...absoultely not. Clear Channel though they have the ABC station there is unlikely. Fox would not sell to them probably for fear they would trim the news department. Cox is a possible buyer. Also the Utah Jazz team which owns Channel 14 in the market could be the buyers making Fox 13 locally owned.
Millwaukee and Kansas City seem unlikely stations to sell.
Now here is where Fox could buy second stations.
1. Boston - Could buy Channel 62 WMPB and convert it to a traditional independent with cartoons, sitcoms WFXT lacks room to run, talk and reality shows..a format similar to KDFI Dallas
2. Detroit - Could buy 20 WDWB giving Fox their first WB station which already has 4 kids TV and keep WB 20 similar to what they are. Also buying WADL 38 could be possible. They could convert this station to a general entertainment format similar to KDFI Dallas. Either station could be a good combo with Fox 2 WJBK.
3. Cleveland - WB 55 WBNX would be a good match. They already have 4 Kids TV. A rumor I heard was buying Channel 61 and dropping Univision and putting english speaking entertainemnt there. But 55 WBNX seems a better match in combination with currently owned Fox 8 WJW.
4. Atlanta - 69 WUPA would be a good candidate to go to Fox. This could be where Fox could put 4 Kids TV. CBS is anxious to get rid of UPN stand-alone stations. CBS could sell 69 WUPA and then turn around and buy 46 WCGL which at least has a news department. A good match for existing Fox 5 WAGA
5. St. Louis - Fox could buy 46 WHSL which now is a UPN affiliate and a stand alone locally owned station. This could create a duopoly with KTVI.
Boston
6. Tampa - Fox could buy 32 WMOR which is an independent owned by Hearst/Argile and runs 4 Kids TV. Would create a duopoly with Fox 13 WTVT.
7. Denver - Fox could buy UPN 20 and create a duopoly with KDVR Fox 31.
This scenerio would enable Fox to exit most smaller markets while owning duopolies in virtually all their remaining markets.
> for them to sell WAGA. Yearly, Fox 5 in Atlanta always pulls
> in killer numbers for NASCAR as well as NFL, plus their
> morning news from 5-9am does fairly well too as the only
> live and local station from that time.
Fox will be keeping WAGA Atlanta no matter what. I do think though that Fox may eventually purchase 69 WUPA and create a duopoly there. This would likely be where 4 Kids TV Saturday morning shows would go in that event. But not necessarily. CBS has 2 stations in Sacramento and they still do not run Guiding Light. In Phoenix Fox has KSAZ 10 and UPN 45 KUTP and niether run 4 Kids TV. Belo's 61 KASW does. So even a duopoly does not assure that 4 Kids TV gets cleared.
> In Greensboro, I serioulsly doubt that Fox would get rid of
> WGHP just by the pure fact that again, the station draws
> monster numbers for Fox programming, their news is usually 1
> or 2 in the rankings.
Fox could sell Fox 8 WGHP to Pappas who owns WB 20 in Lexington. Fox could ink a long term deal to keep WGHP a Fox affiliate and Pappas would likely continue the news and reality based format. 4 Kids TV though would probably still not get cleared.
> For those two stations, I think that CBS and ABC would not
> be able to afford the price tag.
FOX WONT SELL ANY OF THESE STATIONS TO NBC ABC OR CBS!!! EVER!!! They would likely sell to someone who will keep the format on the stations as it is and keep with the 30 to 50 hours of news per week and a long term affiliation deal with Fox.
Scenerios I see:
Fox may sell the following
1. 7 KTBC Austin could sell to a group such as Raycom or Belo with a deal to keep affiliation with Fox. But I see Cox as a possible buyer. Cox owns their affiliate in San Francisco.
2. 6 WBRC Birmingham - 42 WIAT's owner New York Times could buy the station and keep WBRC as the Fox affiliate and have a long-term affiliation deal. Other takers could be Cox Communications which also is good with local news. Raycom is another possability.
3. 8 WGHP - see above..Pappas or Cox..WONT BE SINCLAIR!!!They s___ with local news production.
4. 13 WHBQ Memphis - also Cox would be a good group to sell to. Also a group such as Belo or even Gannett. Included could be a long term affiliation deal. Cleart Channel has 2 stations so that would not happen. Companies with the other 2 VHF stations are not elegible for ownership due to the fact there is only 2 other VHF stations.
5. 13 KSTU Salt Lake City - CBS, Bonneville...absoultely not. Clear Channel though they have the ABC station there is unlikely. Fox would not sell to them probably for fear they would trim the news department. Cox is a possible buyer. Also the Utah Jazz team which owns Channel 14 in the market could be the buyers making Fox 13 locally owned.
Millwaukee and Kansas City seem unlikely stations to sell.
Now here is where Fox could buy second stations.
1. Boston - Could buy Channel 62 WMPB and convert it to a traditional independent with cartoons, sitcoms WFXT lacks room to run, talk and reality shows..a format similar to KDFI Dallas
2. Detroit - Could buy 20 WDWB giving Fox their first WB station which already has 4 kids TV and keep WB 20 similar to what they are. Also buying WADL 38 could be possible. They could convert this station to a general entertainment format similar to KDFI Dallas. Either station could be a good combo with Fox 2 WJBK.
3. Cleveland - WB 55 WBNX would be a good match. They already have 4 Kids TV. A rumor I heard was buying Channel 61 and dropping Univision and putting english speaking entertainemnt there. But 55 WBNX seems a better match in combination with currently owned Fox 8 WJW.
4. Atlanta - 69 WUPA would be a good candidate to go to Fox. This could be where Fox could put 4 Kids TV. CBS is anxious to get rid of UPN stand-alone stations. CBS could sell 69 WUPA and then turn around and buy 46 WCGL which at least has a news department. A good match for existing Fox 5 WAGA
5. St. Louis - Fox could buy 46 WHSL which now is a UPN affiliate and a stand alone locally owned station. This could create a duopoly with KTVI.
Boston
6. Tampa - Fox could buy 32 WMOR which is an independent owned by Hearst/Argile and runs 4 Kids TV. Would create a duopoly with Fox 13 WTVT.
7. Denver - Fox could buy UPN 20 and create a duopoly with KDVR Fox 31.
This scenerio would enable Fox to exit most smaller markets while owning duopolies in virtually all their remaining markets.
> 2. 6 WBRC Birmingham - 42 WIAT's owner New York Times could
> buy the station and keep WBRC as the Fox affiliate and have
> a long-term affiliation deal. Other takers could be Cox
> Communications which also is good with local news. Raycom is
> another possability.
I thought WIAT was owned by Media General.
> buy the station and keep WBRC as the Fox affiliate and have
> a long-term affiliation deal. Other takers could be Cox
> Communications which also is good with local news. Raycom is
> another possability.
I thought WIAT was owned by Media General.
> > 2. 6 WBRC Birmingham - 42 WIAT's owner New York Times
> could
> > buy the station and keep WBRC as the Fox affiliate and
> have
> > a long-term affiliation deal. Other takers could be Cox
> > Communications which also is good with local news. Raycom
> is
> > another possability.
>
> I thought WIAT was owned by Media General.
>
It is. WHNT/19 Huntsville is owned by the New York Times.
Don't look for Belo to buy KTBC. It already owns the Austin
ABC affiliate, KVUE/24.
Let me also reiterate. What I said about WAGA and WGHP
is what I'd LIKE to see happen, if I were king for a day.
WAGA isn't even one of the stations Fox is considering
selling. ABC would naturally like to get WGHP back, but
there are a lot of reasons for Channel 8 to stay with Fox.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by bpatrick on 09/21/05 09:59 PM.</FONT></P>
> could
> > buy the station and keep WBRC as the Fox affiliate and
> have
> > a long-term affiliation deal. Other takers could be Cox
> > Communications which also is good with local news. Raycom
> is
> > another possability.
>
> I thought WIAT was owned by Media General.
>
It is. WHNT/19 Huntsville is owned by the New York Times.
Don't look for Belo to buy KTBC. It already owns the Austin
ABC affiliate, KVUE/24.
Let me also reiterate. What I said about WAGA and WGHP
is what I'd LIKE to see happen, if I were king for a day.
WAGA isn't even one of the stations Fox is considering
selling. ABC would naturally like to get WGHP back, but
there are a lot of reasons for Channel 8 to stay with Fox.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by bpatrick on 09/21/05 09:59 PM.</FONT></P>
K
KMRichards
Guest
> CBS has 2 stations in Sacramento and they still do not run
> Guiding Light.
I knew you'd bring that up.
> 1. 7 KTBC Austin could sell to a group such as Raycom or
> Belo with a deal to keep affiliation with Fox. But I see Cox
> as a possible buyer. Cox owns their affiliate in San
> Francisco.
KTVU/2 has, in fact, been a Fox affiliate from Day One of the network. Gives even more credibility to the idea of Cox buying any Fox O&Os with the affiliation staying put.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> Guiding Light.
I knew you'd bring that up.
> 1. 7 KTBC Austin could sell to a group such as Raycom or
> Belo with a deal to keep affiliation with Fox. But I see Cox
> as a possible buyer. Cox owns their affiliate in San
> Francisco.
KTVU/2 has, in fact, been a Fox affiliate from Day One of the network. Gives even more credibility to the idea of Cox buying any Fox O&Os with the affiliation staying put.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
Yes I do predict Cox is a decent bet on taking Fox stations along with long term deals. Cox has a good relationship with Fox...But they also have ABC, NBC, and CBS stations as well...But they could ink a long-term deal with Fox...Cant see why not.
> > CBS has 2 stations in Sacramento and they still do not run
>
> > Guiding Light.
>
> I knew you'd bring that up.
>
Yes I did. My point was that O & O stations almost always clear programming but Fox and 4 Kids TV is one of the biggest exceptions to this rule. This issue with Fox refusing 4 Kids TV is even a bigger one than Guiding Light. This still baffles my mind. Because high ratings in the Timeslot on the Fox stations are not all that high in the first place.
Issue One Fox:
Ironically WGHP, WHBQ, ,KTBC, and KTVI all originally cleared Fox Kids for weekdays and weekends in their respective markets when a station could not be found. In St Louis and Austin this was done under New World ownership. WGHP and WHBQ both cleared it because they were O & O stations and never New World. This was in 1995 to 1996.
In 1996 though Fox O & O 8 WGHP found a station to clear it. Fox allowed WGHP to assign the rights to WB 20 then WBFX. They also allowed WBRC Birmingham to
assign the rights to the station that lost Fox 21 WTTO. In 1997 Fox Kids fell off KTBC Austin and went to 13 KVC.
By 1999 though kids shows became very unattractive and even local affiliates that had been kids stations for years began to not want Fox Kids so Fox reduced it to 2 hours. In 2000 when WTTO Birmingham did not renew WBRC was not made to take it. In 2000 St Louis and Memphis dropped weekday shows and ran the best of them on Sundays and the Saturday schedule on Saturdays.
Finally at the end of 2001 Fox canceled the Fox Kids weekday block and sold the division with family Channel to ABC. In 2002 the Fox affiliates ran reruns on Saturdays. At this point WB 20 Greensboro dropped it and WGHP did not pick it up.
Now in the Fall of 2002 Fox contracted with DIC for Saturday morning shows under the Fox Box banner. This was only for 4 hours on Saturday mornings. So even stations running 50 hours od news a week copuld run it with no conflicts. This would not get in the way of weekday programming. But WJBK Detroit, WJW Cleveland, KDFW Dallas, WSVN ( not an O & O) Miami, WAGA Atlanta, WDAF Kansas City, WITI Millwaukee, WGHP Greensboro, WBRC Birmingham, KTBC Austin, KSAZ Phoenix, and WTVT Tampa dont run it. WHBQ Memphis and KTVI St Louis do.
Now in Detroit, Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, Kansas City, Millwaukee, Tampa, and Phoenix (on a Non Fox station though Fox has 2 stations there) Fox 4 Kids TV is on another station. But in Atlanta, Birmingham, Greensboro, and Austin 4 Kids TV does not run. And in Greensboro and Austin the Fox station does not even have a newscast on Saturday mornings. Ironically Greensboro's WGHP dropped Saturday morning news upon its changeover to Fox to make room for Fox Kids which they dont even run. In a few 4 Kids TV markets the Fox station does offer a Saturday morning newscast before the kids stuff starts.
Now if Fox 5 New York, KTTV LA, WTXF Philadelphia, WFXT Boston, WTTG DC, among others that have 40 hours of news a week have room for 4 Kids TV why do others not? If 4 Kids TV does so poorly then cancel it wall to wall like they did with the weekday block.
In addition Cleveland and Phoenix stations have no Saturday morning newscasts.
Issue 2: CBS
This is the last time I will bring up this issue until the end of the year or if something changes at the station before then.
With KOVR and Guiding Light...I know ratings were below average on KXTV back in 1992...but agianst General Hospital it does not have a chance to do real well. From what I hear Guiding Light's ratings are not all that low...no lower than One Life To Live at times...and NO ABC affiliate preempts that (WDTN did until 2002 along with general Hospital in Dayton). Who is to say the show will do all that bad 13 years later? CBS Early Show gets FAR LOWER RATINGS IN ALMOST EVERY MARKET!!! In many markets they are number 4 or 5. EVen O & O stations in a few places ran an hour of it rather than the whole 2 hours.
Ine New Orleans WWL TV had very very low ratings with CBS This Morning (or whatever it was called in 1987. So in 1988 they dropped it for an extra hour of local news and Regis at 8 AM and RATINGS ZOOMED to #1. As a result the CBS Mroning News show did not air again until a religious station picked it up from 1999-2002. In 2002 they dropped it because ratings were very very low.
CBS had 54 WUPL by then and they did not want the show in 2002 and they continued to run Disney cartoons. After Disney Cartoons were canceled by UPN they added other cartoons in 2003. CBS was not anxious to have The Early Show there. Finally this past April they added it to WUPL. The cartoons just made NO money at all. CBS almost bought WWL TV around the time they bought KOVR and under the plan the Early Show WOULD NOT HAVE EVER MOVED TO WWL TV NO MATTER WHAT. That show is what you call a low rated show. They would NEVER trade a #1 News show for a #6 show.
As for KOVR...The shows they run in place do okay but nothing to brag about. I cannot see Family Feud at 9 AM get huge ratings. I ceratinly do not see the Early SHow doing any better. But lets give the station the benefit of the doubt..and say these shows do well...
So here is a solution...Why not run Guiding Light in the OVERNIGHT???? That is what I would do if I had no better place to put it. In fact if was a GM of A CBS affiliate the show performed that poorly, I would push the show to overnights and buy a stronger show that could go up against competition. Even ABC did this on a Flagship station in 2002. WABC TV 7 in New York ran Port Charles on overnights at 2:30 AM in the 6 months it ran from ABC in order to run "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at 12:30. Last year KOVR ran Jane Pauley and second runs of Springer and Maury on overnights. Now they run 2 and a half hours of infomercials at that slot...Why not Guiding Light???
Even you said at some point that station ownership + near 100 % clearence sometime back.
> > CBS has 2 stations in Sacramento and they still do not run
>
> > Guiding Light.
>
> I knew you'd bring that up.
>
Yes I did. My point was that O & O stations almost always clear programming but Fox and 4 Kids TV is one of the biggest exceptions to this rule. This issue with Fox refusing 4 Kids TV is even a bigger one than Guiding Light. This still baffles my mind. Because high ratings in the Timeslot on the Fox stations are not all that high in the first place.
Issue One Fox:
Ironically WGHP, WHBQ, ,KTBC, and KTVI all originally cleared Fox Kids for weekdays and weekends in their respective markets when a station could not be found. In St Louis and Austin this was done under New World ownership. WGHP and WHBQ both cleared it because they were O & O stations and never New World. This was in 1995 to 1996.
In 1996 though Fox O & O 8 WGHP found a station to clear it. Fox allowed WGHP to assign the rights to WB 20 then WBFX. They also allowed WBRC Birmingham to
assign the rights to the station that lost Fox 21 WTTO. In 1997 Fox Kids fell off KTBC Austin and went to 13 KVC.
By 1999 though kids shows became very unattractive and even local affiliates that had been kids stations for years began to not want Fox Kids so Fox reduced it to 2 hours. In 2000 when WTTO Birmingham did not renew WBRC was not made to take it. In 2000 St Louis and Memphis dropped weekday shows and ran the best of them on Sundays and the Saturday schedule on Saturdays.
Finally at the end of 2001 Fox canceled the Fox Kids weekday block and sold the division with family Channel to ABC. In 2002 the Fox affiliates ran reruns on Saturdays. At this point WB 20 Greensboro dropped it and WGHP did not pick it up.
Now in the Fall of 2002 Fox contracted with DIC for Saturday morning shows under the Fox Box banner. This was only for 4 hours on Saturday mornings. So even stations running 50 hours od news a week copuld run it with no conflicts. This would not get in the way of weekday programming. But WJBK Detroit, WJW Cleveland, KDFW Dallas, WSVN ( not an O & O) Miami, WAGA Atlanta, WDAF Kansas City, WITI Millwaukee, WGHP Greensboro, WBRC Birmingham, KTBC Austin, KSAZ Phoenix, and WTVT Tampa dont run it. WHBQ Memphis and KTVI St Louis do.
Now in Detroit, Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, Kansas City, Millwaukee, Tampa, and Phoenix (on a Non Fox station though Fox has 2 stations there) Fox 4 Kids TV is on another station. But in Atlanta, Birmingham, Greensboro, and Austin 4 Kids TV does not run. And in Greensboro and Austin the Fox station does not even have a newscast on Saturday mornings. Ironically Greensboro's WGHP dropped Saturday morning news upon its changeover to Fox to make room for Fox Kids which they dont even run. In a few 4 Kids TV markets the Fox station does offer a Saturday morning newscast before the kids stuff starts.
Now if Fox 5 New York, KTTV LA, WTXF Philadelphia, WFXT Boston, WTTG DC, among others that have 40 hours of news a week have room for 4 Kids TV why do others not? If 4 Kids TV does so poorly then cancel it wall to wall like they did with the weekday block.
In addition Cleveland and Phoenix stations have no Saturday morning newscasts.
Issue 2: CBS
This is the last time I will bring up this issue until the end of the year or if something changes at the station before then.
With KOVR and Guiding Light...I know ratings were below average on KXTV back in 1992...but agianst General Hospital it does not have a chance to do real well. From what I hear Guiding Light's ratings are not all that low...no lower than One Life To Live at times...and NO ABC affiliate preempts that (WDTN did until 2002 along with general Hospital in Dayton). Who is to say the show will do all that bad 13 years later? CBS Early Show gets FAR LOWER RATINGS IN ALMOST EVERY MARKET!!! In many markets they are number 4 or 5. EVen O & O stations in a few places ran an hour of it rather than the whole 2 hours.
Ine New Orleans WWL TV had very very low ratings with CBS This Morning (or whatever it was called in 1987. So in 1988 they dropped it for an extra hour of local news and Regis at 8 AM and RATINGS ZOOMED to #1. As a result the CBS Mroning News show did not air again until a religious station picked it up from 1999-2002. In 2002 they dropped it because ratings were very very low.
CBS had 54 WUPL by then and they did not want the show in 2002 and they continued to run Disney cartoons. After Disney Cartoons were canceled by UPN they added other cartoons in 2003. CBS was not anxious to have The Early Show there. Finally this past April they added it to WUPL. The cartoons just made NO money at all. CBS almost bought WWL TV around the time they bought KOVR and under the plan the Early Show WOULD NOT HAVE EVER MOVED TO WWL TV NO MATTER WHAT. That show is what you call a low rated show. They would NEVER trade a #1 News show for a #6 show.
As for KOVR...The shows they run in place do okay but nothing to brag about. I cannot see Family Feud at 9 AM get huge ratings. I ceratinly do not see the Early SHow doing any better. But lets give the station the benefit of the doubt..and say these shows do well...
So here is a solution...Why not run Guiding Light in the OVERNIGHT???? That is what I would do if I had no better place to put it. In fact if was a GM of A CBS affiliate the show performed that poorly, I would push the show to overnights and buy a stronger show that could go up against competition. Even ABC did this on a Flagship station in 2002. WABC TV 7 in New York ran Port Charles on overnights at 2:30 AM in the 6 months it ran from ABC in order to run "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at 12:30. Last year KOVR ran Jane Pauley and second runs of Springer and Maury on overnights. Now they run 2 and a half hours of infomercials at that slot...Why not Guiding Light???
Even you said at some point that station ownership + near 100 % clearence sometime back.
- Status