I don't know what Tribune will do with KCPQ, Fox may try and go after KOMO and form a duopoly with KBCB, so that'll mean that Q13 Fox would become Q13 ABC
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Fox targets Tribune in Seattle
- Thread starter crackedscreen
- Start date
I don't know what Tribune will do with KCPQ, Fox may try and go after KOMO and form a duopoly with KBCB, so that'll mean that Q13 Fox would become Q13 ABC
It'll be interesting to see what Tribune responds to this tatic move from Fox, really wouldn't be sunrises if they terminate its affiliation deal with Fox and make most of the Fox stations either affiliated with ABC or become an indie.
That would be pretty cool!
Yup it'll be fun up there in Seattle especially fans of the Seahawks
I must say this is one of the most ruthless moves I have ever seen. It looks to me like Fox is forcing Tribune to sell KCPQ for a bargain basement price. Or else.
They can easily get KBCB by with just cable and dish subscribers alone in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Even though their over the air signal can only be decently seen from Mount Vernon to Vancouver, BC. (I'm sure Fox doesn't care about the over the air viewers anyway.)
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This whole thing is so confusing. At first, I read "Fox wanted to trade KCPQ from Tribune with Chicago's WPWR." Then I read "KCPQ is leaving Fox." Afterwards, I read "KBCB (a station in Bellingham) is being bought by Fox." Am I missing something here?
Fox can't be that dumb having a station outside of its market coverage to become their network. Shouldn't KCPQ just keep the Fox affiliate and be sold to the network? Why go someplace else? It just doesn't make any sense.
And all this because Seattle won the Super Bowl last season? Thats a dumb reason why Fox is interested in Seattle. If that's the case, how come Fox didn't buy their affiliates in Green Bay or New Orleans?
Fox can't be that dumb having a station outside of its market coverage to become their network. Shouldn't KCPQ just keep the Fox affiliate and be sold to the network? Why go someplace else? It just doesn't make any sense.
And all this because Seattle won the Super Bowl last season? Thats a dumb reason why Fox is interested in Seattle. If that's the case, how come Fox didn't buy their affiliates in Green Bay or New Orleans?
Exactly and there's another thread that's talking about this
I think you might be right unless Fox buys another station and moves Fox there (either KSTW or KIRO) and either KJZO shuts down its operations (with MNTV moving to KBCB) or it becomes an affiliate of The CW if Gannett takes the CW affiliation for KONG then KSTW becomes a Fox station and KJZO will shut down its operations with MyNetworkTV moving to KBCB and thus KCPQ goes independent this could be the most likely scenario because I cannot foresee Cox trading another station in KIRO to Fox no way that KIRO trade to Fox is going to happen.
If that scenario doesn't happen I see KBCB becoming a Fox O&O station and Gannett takes KONG off the air. Thus KZJO will stay as a MNTV affiliate and KCPQ goes independent, that might happen.
I think it would be a horrible idea to keep a signal on Mount Constitution with programming already broadcast in Seattle. A translator in Bellingham is really enough (and much cheaper).
http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/images/callsigns/KBCB.gif
http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/images/callsigns/KCPQ.gif
Only the northern tip of Seattle can get KBCB over the air. The satellite has to be within 25 miles of the city of license. If Fox were to move KBCB's tower, it would probably have to be Mt. Vernon.
http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/images/callsigns/KCPQ.gif
Only the northern tip of Seattle can get KBCB over the air. The satellite has to be within 25 miles of the city of license. If Fox were to move KBCB's tower, it would probably have to be Mt. Vernon.
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No way that's going to happen why would Tribune sell KCPQ?
And exactly why would Sinclair Broadcasting want to sell KOMO to Fox? Sorry, but this makes no sense.
Far more likely that Fox uses the threat of moving their network to KBCB as leverage to force Tribune to part with KCPQ. And if Tribune won't budge, then KBCB, pitiful as it is, will become the new Fox station for the Puget Sound area.
I think FOX O&O buying KCPQ is the best outcome in this scenario.
Little Mountain would be a terrible place for a TV tower. It would cover Skagit County great, but obstacle filled terrestrially north and south. Besides, the City of Mount Vernon is notoriously finicky about who gets to broadcast up there (it's just city/police communications, some cell phone relays and KSVR up there.) As I understand it, they don't want high power anything up there - which is why KMWS and KPLK broadcast from Butler Hill in Burlington. Burlington may be more flexible, but the terrestrial signal challenges are the same.
But then again, everything has it's price. And I don't think even Mount Vernon will turn good money away. But still, it's doubtful that would ever happen.
What everybody forgets is KOMO just re-upped it's ABC affiliation. So cross them out. It's NOT going to happen.
Agreed that this would somewhat feel like a personal loss for me as well -- growing up in the late 80's & 90's with an antenna, Q13 was the only station I could receive (and it was crystal clear -- occasionally a snowy 4 and 5 could come in but the TV sat on 13), and my parents were just happy I had *something* to watch--they didn't care. As far as any broadcast station, TV or radio, I cite Q13 (and the early FOX network) as the station that defined my childhood, and even shaping my personality somewhat -- under Kelly Broadcasting they had just the perfect mix of kid friendly fare & cartoons during the day, and then the lovely trash in the evening that was the early FOX network -- all while somehow maintaining a warm feel of a truly "local station" long past when it was the norm (I remember that really started to fade when the news came along in the late '90s). I remember the Dialing For Dollars movie when I stayed home from school, and the Kids Club... in fact, I think they may have even sowed the seeds of me wanting to get into broadcasting when I was a kid... I've always kind of had a soft spot for the station, and admittedly, this news just kind of sucks. I realize broadcasting is a cold hard business -- but it just seems like FOX is screwing over one of their charter affiliates because the NFL team finally won a Super Bowl.
That said, on the flip side, picking up KBCB for 10 million bucks is a steal -- warm and fuzzies aside, how many people REALLY get their TV from antennas any more. If FOX flips to KBCB, you can guarantee it will be carried on every cable system and satellite, and probably on a low number (3 is available for most things around here and comes to mind quickly) -- must carry of course will get invoked in areas it hasn't been already (DirecTV for example) -- and with the Seahawks people wouldn't stand for not receiving it. So does it really even matter how great the OTA signal is?
As for Tribune, if they end up losing the affiliation -- I wonder if a "third option" for KCPQ (since they already have invested heavily in it) would be a VERY heavy news focused independent, ala KUSI in San Diego... essentially all news, and a few of the highest rated syndicated shows they can get their hands on. Seattle doesn't really have anything like that (although we do have some powerful "news brands")... I'd be curious how well you think that would sell around here, or if it would be a compelling combo buy with KZJO.
That said, on the flip side, picking up KBCB for 10 million bucks is a steal -- warm and fuzzies aside, how many people REALLY get their TV from antennas any more. If FOX flips to KBCB, you can guarantee it will be carried on every cable system and satellite, and probably on a low number (3 is available for most things around here and comes to mind quickly) -- must carry of course will get invoked in areas it hasn't been already (DirecTV for example) -- and with the Seahawks people wouldn't stand for not receiving it. So does it really even matter how great the OTA signal is?
As for Tribune, if they end up losing the affiliation -- I wonder if a "third option" for KCPQ (since they already have invested heavily in it) would be a VERY heavy news focused independent, ala KUSI in San Diego... essentially all news, and a few of the highest rated syndicated shows they can get their hands on. Seattle doesn't really have anything like that (although we do have some powerful "news brands")... I'd be curious how well you think that would sell around here, or if it would be a compelling combo buy with KZJO.
Regardless of what happens, the bar has not been set very high for independent television in the Seattle area. KVOS was one of the best local stations around; I'd love to see KCPQ bring back that caliber of programming.
I'm not sure what you guys think of KONG, but I would just assume see KCPQ shut down before emulating KONG tv. Its really just a waste of a cable channel.
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