Gannett + Belo

[michael hagerty]

See Michael Hagerty's post above about Jack Sander and soon-to-be-former Belo properties like KTVK. Ripping NBC from Channel 12 in Phoenix and putting it on KTVK makes no sense whatsoever. It would only confuse viewers and creates no advantage for anyone.

Thanks, Buster. Sadly, the number of people who post without reading what's already been written is astonishing.

The link to the article in the St. Louis paper that explains how all this works is a few posts up, but the Cliff's Notes for the link-averse:

1. Gannett is only keeping Belo properties in markets where they can without having to seek exceptions to cross-ownership rules.

2. The Belo stations that conflict (including Phoenix and St. Louis) will be sold to Jack Sander, a well-respected former Belo executive who has been General Manager of KTVK and KASW (as well as Channel 10 in Phoenix in the early 80s).

3. Gannett will have no ownership interest in the stations once they are sold to Sander.

4. Some of the stations will have shared service agreements with Gannett. Phoenix and St. Louis are expected to have the barest minimum of shared services and Sander will operate those stations as direct competitors to Gannett.

I almost worked for Sander 30 years ago. I worked at Belo during his first year with the company. He likes news and likes to win. He's nobody's puppet and has found a way to enter station ownership with some strong properties.

 

[landtuna]

My apologies to all for being a dumbski - I missed my normal afternoon siesta.

I have been following this thread and did read the foregoing but did not read nor understand why NBC would be moved from 12 to 3 - I could not figure out a way this would be beneficial either. I will admit not following closely all the intricacies of market ownership and perhaps that is where I turned left.

 

[Brother]

Thanks, Buster. Sadly, the number of people who post without reading what's already been written is astonishing.

The link to the article in the St. Louis paper that explains how all this works is a few posts up, but the Cliff's Notes for the link-averse:

1. Gannett is only keeping Belo properties in markets where they can without having to seek exceptions to cross-ownership rules.

2. The Belo stations that conflict (including Phoenix and St. Louis) will be sold to Jack Sander, a well-respected former Belo executive who has been General Manager of KTVK and KASW (as well as Channel 10 in Phoenix in the early 80s).

3. Gannett will have no ownership interest in the stations once they are sold to Sander.

4. Some of the stations will have shared service agreements with Gannett. Phoenix and St. Louis are expected to have the barest minimum of shared services and Sander will operate those stations as direct competitors to Gannett.

I almost worked for Sander 30 years ago. I worked at Belo during his first year with the company. He likes news and likes to win. He's nobody's puppet and has found a way to enter station ownership with some strong properties.

You've proven in the past that you know what you're talking about, and you've worked for and around these particular folks in the past, so I'll trust what you're saying. That whole "shared services" arrangement, barest minimum though it is, remains a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. Still, I'll wager there are plenty of hidden agreements between rival stations all around the country that the Average Viewer isn't privy to, and would certainly blow the mind of the Average Message Board Poster. When the dust settles, it'll be much ado about nothing.

 

[nelsonincharlotte]

When the deal closes, the ABC affiliates will be Cox, the NBC affiliates will be Gannett and the Fox affilates will be O&O in both Charlotte and Atlanta.

Assuming Gannett keeps WCNC in Charlotte. Some of these Gannett/Belo stations are going to have to be sold off to comply with the FCC's ownership rules. I don't have any doubt that Gannett will keep WXIA; however there are some other markets in the Southeast that are vulnerable: Greensboro (WFMY, currently Gannett), Macon (WMAZ, Gannett), Knoxville (WBIR, Gannett), Jacksonville (WTLV/WJXX, Gannett), Tampa/St. Petersburg (WTSP, Gannett), and Norfolk (WVEC, Belo). (Louisville has already been mentioned, as Belo owns WHAS and Gannett, the Courier-Journal.)

I can only venture to say that I think WFAA Dallas/Ft. Worth, the Belo flagship, and WUSA Washington, DC, the Gannett flagship, are safe.

Wow, interesting. Haven't thought about that.

 

[michael hagerty]

Thanks, Buster. Sadly, the number of people who post without reading what's already been written is astonishing.

The link to the article in the St. Louis paper that explains how all this works is a few posts up, but the Cliff's Notes for the link-averse:

1. Gannett is only keeping Belo properties in markets where they can without having to seek exceptions to cross-ownership rules.

2. The Belo stations that conflict (including Phoenix and St. Louis) will be sold to Jack Sander, a well-respected former Belo executive who has been General Manager of KTVK and KASW (as well as Channel 10 in Phoenix in the early 80s).

3. Gannett will have no ownership interest in the stations once they are sold to Sander.

4. Some of the stations will have shared service agreements with Gannett. Phoenix and St. Louis are expected to have the barest minimum of shared services and Sander will operate those stations as direct competitors to Gannett.

I almost worked for Sander 30 years ago. I worked at Belo during his first year with the company. He likes news and likes to win. He's nobody's puppet and has found a way to enter station ownership with some strong properties.

You've proven in the past that you know what you're talking about, and you've worked for and around these particular folks in the past, so I'll trust what you're saying. That whole "shared services" arrangement, barest minimum though it is, remains a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. Still, I'll wager there are plenty of hidden agreements between rival stations all around the country that the Average Viewer isn't privy to, and would certainly blow the mind of the Average Message Board Poster. When the dust settles, it'll be much ado about nothing.

Brother: I also wouldn't get too worked up over shared service agreements. It may be the only way for the soon-to-be former Belo stations to function without re-inventing the wheel. Station groups have been shutting down entire departments (commercial traffic, graphics, master control operations) at individual stations the past few years and moving them to hubs. If Belo has done that (Scripps and Gannett have), Gannett will own those resources. Jack Sander would have to either re-build those functions at the stations he's buying or contract with Gannett to continue providing those services.

In the broadest sense, shared services can include promotion, sales, helicopters (I believe KTVK, KPHO and KPNX already have a shared service agreement there) and news. But again, the St. Louis article indicates it'll be less, not more, especially in Phoenix and St. Louis.

Beyond my personal respect for Jack, I think it says a lot about the independence of the stations he's about to buy that he's a Belo guy, not a Gannett guy. There's no connection. He's a broadcaster looking to do well...and in his case, I expect that will be accomplished by doing good.

 

[Sammi Brie]

In the broadest sense, shared services can include promotion, sales, helicopters (I believe KTVK, KPHO and KPNX already have a shared service agreement there) and news.

And I would expect that chopper share to continue, because it is of an unusual nature (it was established in the aftermath of the 2007 two-chopper collision in Phoenix that included KTVK and KNXV helicopters). That's a different sort of SSA, one I don't mind if it means safer news gathering.

 

[Brother]

Brother: I also wouldn't get too worked up over shared service agreements. It may be the only way for the soon-to-be former Belo stations to function without re-inventing the wheel. Station groups have been shutting down entire departments (commercial traffic, graphics, master control operations) at individual stations the past few years and moving them to hubs. If Belo has done that (Scripps and Gannett have), Gannett will own those resources. Jack Sander would have to either re-build those functions at the stations he's buying or contract with Gannett to continue providing those services.

In the broadest sense, shared services can include promotion, sales, helicopters (I believe KTVK, KPHO and KPNX already have a shared service agreement there) and news. But again, the St. Louis article indicates it'll be less, not more, especially in Phoenix and St. Louis.

Beyond my personal respect for Jack, I think it says a lot about the independence of the stations he's about to buy that he's a Belo guy, not a Gannett guy. There's no connection. He's a broadcaster looking to do well...and in his case, I expect that will be accomplished by doing good.

From one Michael H. to another, I appreciate your knowledge on this. It sounds like this will be a pretty good deal for the Belo stations coming under Jack Sander's control. I think I can sit back now and leave the more bizarre prognostications to the others.

 

[KTN Corp]

Some of these Gannett/Belo stations are going to have to be sold off to comply with the FCC's ownership rules.

I was hoping Gannett would buy Post-Newsweek to get back WDIV and acquire KPRC-TV as their Houston station. Perhaps Gannett can sell KHOU to CBS so it can be an O&O because of the rules. Maybe KENS could be part of the package deal?

I can only venture to say that I think WFAA Dallas/Ft. Worth, the Belo flagship, and WUSA Washington, DC, the Gannett flagship, are safe.

WFAA will be the largest TV DMA (#5) for them to have a station (since the big 4 stations in Philadelphia and up are O&O stations of the networks). Hopefully they won't divest it!

 

[Morgan Wick]

Thanks, Buster. Sadly, the number of people who post without reading what's already been written is astonishing.

The link to the article in the St. Louis paper that explains how all this works is a few posts up, but the Cliff's Notes for the link-averse:

1. Gannett is only keeping Belo properties in markets where they can without having to seek exceptions to cross-ownership rules.

2. The Belo stations that conflict (including Phoenix and St. Louis) will be sold to Jack Sander, a well-respected former Belo executive who has been General Manager of KTVK and KASW (as well as Channel 10 in Phoenix in the early 80s).

3. Gannett will have no ownership interest in the stations once they are sold to Sander.

4. Some of the stations will have shared service agreements with Gannett. Phoenix and St. Louis are expected to have the barest minimum of shared services and Sander will operate those stations as direct competitors to Gannett.

I almost worked for Sander 30 years ago. I worked at Belo during his first year with the company. He likes news and likes to win. He's nobody's puppet and has found a way to enter station ownership with some strong properties.

You've proven in the past that you know what you're talking about, and you've worked for and around these particular folks in the past, so I'll trust what you're saying. That whole "shared services" arrangement, barest minimum though it is, remains a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. Still, I'll wager there are plenty of hidden agreements between rival stations all around the country that the Average Viewer isn't privy to, and would certainly blow the mind of the Average Message Board Poster. When the dust settles, it'll be much ado about nothing.

Brother: I also wouldn't get too worked up over shared service agreements. It may be the only way for the soon-to-be former Belo stations to function without re-inventing the wheel. Station groups have been shutting down entire departments (commercial traffic, graphics, master control operations) at individual stations the past few years and moving them to hubs. If Belo has done that (Scripps and Gannett have), Gannett will own those resources. Jack Sander would have to either re-build those functions at the stations he's buying or contract with Gannett to continue providing those services.

In the broadest sense, shared services can include promotion, sales, helicopters (I believe KTVK, KPHO and KPNX already have a shared service agreement there) and news. But again, the St. Louis article indicates it'll be less, not more, especially in Phoenix and St. Louis.

Beyond my personal respect for Jack, I think it says a lot about the independence of the stations he's about to buy that he's a Belo guy, not a Gannett guy. There's no connection. He's a broadcaster looking to do well...and in his case, I expect that will be accomplished by doing good.

And this, in a nutshell, is why it's so difficult to crack down on the more Sinclair-esque uses of the SSA.

 

[nickp]

I'm beyond shocked that Gannett is buying Belo I guess shocker merger and accqusions are the thing

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

When the deal closes, the ABC affiliates will be Cox, the NBC affiliates will be Gannett and the Fox affilates will be O&O in both Charlotte and Atlanta.

Assuming Gannett keeps WCNC in Charlotte. Some of these Gannett/Belo stations are going to have to be sold off to comply with the FCC's ownership rules. I don't have any doubt that Gannett will keep WXIA; however there are some other markets in the Southeast that are vulnerable: Greensboro (WFMY, currently Gannett), Macon (WMAZ, Gannett), Knoxville (WBIR, Gannett), Jacksonville (WTLV/WJXX, Gannett), Tampa/St. Petersburg (WTSP, Gannett), and Norfolk (WVEC, Belo). (Louisville has already been mentioned, as Belo owns WHAS and Gannett, the Courier-Journal.)

I can only venture to say that I think WFAA Dallas/Ft. Worth, the Belo flagship, and WUSA Washington, DC, the Gannett flagship, are safe.

According to the math on my spreadsheet, and counting the Belo markets being spun-off and UHF discounts (pretty redundant in the DTV era, no?), and counting no other stations are sold, a combined Gannett-Belo would have:

• a total of 36 stations;
• 27.09 percent of U.S. TV households;
• Four top-10 markets;
• Eight top-15 markets;
• Eleven top-20 markets

Having said that I would think they would they'd sell all markets below No. 50, if only to raise some cash. Gannett would still have 23 percent of the national audience if they did that and create more room for another potential big purchase if they so desired.

 

[JeeperOne]

They'll have a problem in Phoenix (KTVK/3 + KPNX/12 + KASW/61 + the Arizona Republic newspaper - one or more will have to be spun off, likely KTVK). I don't know if they will anywhere else, though.

In St. Louis, they'll have KMOV 4 (CBS) & KSDK 5 (NBC)

My guess - 1). KMOV 4 is sold to CBS directly (CBS owns All-News KMOX 1120 there so it's a natural fit) OR 2). It's used as a reverse bargaining chip for CBS to take if they want still WUSA 9 as an O&O (CBS could offer up WJZ 13 in Baltimore plus $$$ to sweeten the deal if needed)

As for Phoneix - KTVK 3 gets sold to Tribune (Who will also take KASW'S CW affiliation as well) - Assuming they want to stay in TV broadcasting that is. If not, then it's anyone's guess who gets it (If Local TV weren't selling off its stations, they would be at the top of that list BUT..... )

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

They'll have a problem in Phoenix (KTVK/3 + KPNX/12 + KASW/61 + the Arizona Republic newspaper - one or more will have to be spun off, likely KTVK). I don't know if they will anywhere else, though.

Gannett also publishes newspapers in Tucson, Louisville, and Salem, Ore., in markets where Belo has a TV station. Something will have to be done about that as well.

Salem isn't that close to Portland, OR so they should be OK there. Can't speak about the others though

Cheers 7 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

When the deal closes, the ABC affiliates will be Cox, the NBC affiliates will be Gannett and the Fox affilates will be O&O in both Charlotte and Atlanta.

Not in Dallas. Can you really see WFAA going to Cox? Seriously?

And Fox already owns the Charlotte & Atlanta stations so why did you even bring them up?

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

Which St. Louis station is sold and who gets it? They can't operate both the #1 and #2 stations

KMOV 4 gets sold to CBS. Problem solved. No brainer.

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

Actually it is the other way around as FOX has the NFC and they want NFC markets and CBS has the AFC and they want AFC markets.

But CBS would be FOOLISH to pass up this GOLDEN opportinity to reclaim KMOV 4 as one of its own again

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

If the Gannett's acquisition of Belo becomes true by the end of this year, look for a fire sale to happen-Involving Belo's Phoenix & Tucson's duopolies. KTVK might end up becoming an NBC station, While Gannett MUST sell KASW , will sell Tucson's KTTU & KMSB to Raycom-Outright.

Not gonna happen this way.

If I understand things correctly, they will have to sell one cluster or the other, they CANNOT play "Mix & Match"

Since KPNX is the incumbent station in this situation, KTVK will be the most likely one to go. KASW could be kept as a duopoly but THE ONLY reason that will happen is because KASW is licensed as being on Channel 61 while KPNX is licensed as being on Channel 12 (Even though this doesn't really matter much in the HDTV era)

If my layman's interpretation of the rules is correct, the station which MUST be sold in this scenario isn't really KPNX (Though it could be sold) but rather KTVK 3 !! I seriously doubt NBC is going to leave KPNX for a station that's been an Indie all these years

Just my observations.....

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Which St. Louis station is sold and who gets it? They can't operate both the #1 and #2 stations

KMOV 4 gets sold to CBS. Problem solved. No brainer.

Cheers & 73 ;D

Why would they want it? St. Louis isn't a shrinking market that might lose its football team, and the Rams aren't even an AFC team

 

[Morgan Wick]

When the deal closes, the ABC affiliates will be Cox, the NBC affiliates will be Gannett and the Fox affilates will be O&O in both Charlotte and Atlanta.

Assuming Gannett keeps WCNC in Charlotte. Some of these Gannett/Belo stations are going to have to be sold off to comply with the FCC's ownership rules. I don't have any doubt that Gannett will keep WXIA; however there are some other markets in the Southeast that are vulnerable: Greensboro (WFMY, currently Gannett), Macon (WMAZ, Gannett), Knoxville (WBIR, Gannett), Jacksonville (WTLV/WJXX, Gannett), Tampa/St. Petersburg (WTSP, Gannett), and Norfolk (WVEC, Belo). (Louisville has already been mentioned, as Belo owns WHAS and Gannett, the Courier-Journal.)

I can only venture to say that I think WFAA Dallas/Ft. Worth, the Belo flagship, and WUSA Washington, DC, the Gannett flagship, are safe.

According to the math on my spreadsheet, and counting the Belo markets being spun-off and UHF discounts (pretty redundant in the DTV era, no?), and counting no other stations are sold, a combined Gannett-Belo would have:

• a total of 36 stations;
• 27.09 percent of U.S. TV households;
• Four top-10 markets;
• Eight top-15 markets;
• Eleven top-20 markets

Having said that I would think they would they'd sell all markets below No. 50, if only to raise some cash. Gannett would still have 23 percent of the national audience if they did that and create more room for another potential big purchase if they so desired.

I think the UHF discount is supposed to be gone now but the FCC hasn't exactly enforced it.

 

[TroyG]

What if WFAA might end up being to sold to Disney?(Which also happens to own KTRK-ABC 13 in Houston)This one of many ABC stations that doesn't carry LIVE-With Kelly & Michael. And KMOV might be reunited with CBS-As its original station owner. There'll be some issues involving stations in Phoenix, Tucson, & St. Louis before the Proposed Belo-Gannett merger will soon become official.