Gannett buys Belo

[KeithE4]

This puts (once the deal is finalized) Channels 3, 12, & 61 in Phoenix, plus 11 in Tucson, under the same ownership. But since Gannett also owns the Repugnant, and both 3 and 12 are among the top 4 stations in Phoenix, I would think that the FCC will force them to sell KTVK, but could keep KASW.

Link: KTVK

 

[ihEARDtHAT]

From TVSpy.com a Gannett memo tells employees what to expect with Belo buy.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/gannett-memo-tells-employees-what-to-expect-with-belo-buy_b93805

 

[KeithE4]

From TVSpy.com a Gannett memo tells employees what to expect with Belo buy.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/gannett-memo-tells-employees-what-to-expect-with-belo-buy_b93805

In other words, they're going to set up a Gannett-controlled "shadow" company that will own KTVK and the other soon-to-be-ex-Belo stations in markets where there are conflicts? I know they're hardly the first company to do this, but it's still shady.

 

[DrAkbar]

3TV - Arizona's McFamily.

Nurse Jeff and I just about wet our britches when listening to a radio reporter call Belo, Bell-O. Not so funny for the news people at 3TV as you can bet that entire department will be downsized and replaced with Mc12 and McRepublic staff.

 

[landtuna]

The last vestiges of a once great TV station succumb to the fungus that is Gannett. They might as well throw the switch, close up TV3 and call it suicide.

 

[KeithE4]

The last vestiges of a once great TV station succumb to the fungus that is Gannett. They might as well throw the switch, close up TV3 and call it suicide.

I wonder if Gannett will just make KTVK an "overflow" channel, like what Fox did to Channel 45 when they bought out Chris-Craft.

RIP, KTVK (1955-2013)

 

[formeraa]

The last vestiges of a once great TV station succumb to the fungus that is Gannett. They might as well throw the switch, close up TV3 and call it suicide.

Aren't we being a tad bit melodramatiic here? At a minimum, we must give Gannett credit for trying to bring newspapers into the modern era. Right or wrong, they have tried to make newspapers more relevant first with USA Today format in the 80's and today in the internet age.

If Gannett is smart, they will build on 3TV morning strength and the 12 News evening strength. They will use the strength to become a powerhouse brand throughout the state. How about the "Arizona News Network", live from Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson, covering all of Arizona?

 

[KeithE4]

The last vestiges of a once great TV station succumb to the fungus that is Gannett. They might as well throw the switch, close up TV3 and call it suicide.

Aren't we being a tad bit melodramatiic here? At a minimum, we must give Gannett credit for trying to bring newspapers into the modern era. Right or wrong, they have tried to make newspapers more relevant first with USA Today format in the 80's and today in the internet age.

Bringing newspapers into the modern era is like bringing AM radio into the modern era - 'tain't happenin'. Besides, Gannett's newspapers are an even bigger joke than their TV stations are.

If Gannett is smart, they will build on 3TV morning strength and the 12 News evening strength. They will use the strength to become a powerhouse brand throughout the state. How about the "Arizona News Network", live from Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson, covering all of Arizona?

Having been through the "competitor bought us out" dance twice (not in broadcasting), I've seen it go both ways. I've seen my operation and my job shut down because our new owner didn't want to keep our products going - they thought, incorrectly, that theirs were better (they are no longer in business) - and I've seen a true merger where design was part of the parent group and manufacturing, shipping, and customer support remained with us, which is my current situation.

But broadcasting isn't electronics manufacturing, and corporate egos will probably get in the way. There's no way that Gannett keeps two news staffs in any of the markets where they and Belo currently have stations. This purchase involves tons of debt that will have to be serviced. Many people will have to lose their jobs to cut costs, and my guess is that most or all of the KTVK staff will be let go.

 

[Sammi Brie]

The last vestiges of a once great TV station succumb to the fungus that is Gannett. They might as well throw the switch, close up TV3 and call it suicide.

Aren't we being a tad bit melodramatiic here? At a minimum, we must give Gannett credit for trying to bring newspapers into the modern era. Right or wrong, they have tried to make newspapers more relevant first with USA Today format in the 80's and today in the internet age.

If Gannett is smart, they will build on 3TV morning strength and the 12 News evening strength. They will use the strength to become a powerhouse brand throughout the state. How about the "Arizona News Network", live from Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson, covering all of Arizona?

Belo merely owns licenses to TV stations in Tucson, not actual TV stations. That's a pretty important distinction.

 

[landtuna]

The last vestiges of a once great TV station succumb to the fungus that is Gannett. They might as well throw the switch, close up TV3 and call it suicide.

Aren't we being a tad bit melodramatiic here? At a minimum, we must give Gannett credit for trying to bring newspapers into the modern era. Right or wrong, they have tried to make newspapers more relevant first with USA Today format in the 80's and today in the internet age.

12 is perhaps the most irrelevant major TV station in the state at the present time and it belongs to the basement network. Anything they do could be perceived as a step up. That said, newspapers are almost solely entertainment/features or in-depth reporting today as nobody waits 24 hours for the current stories. As their demo ages they will disappear as a popular news outlet and become magazine-like doing stories which are not time dependent and/or niche interest. I used to be an avid reader of newspapers but haven't subscribed in over 20 years now because I don't want to waste time going through column inches of ads or day old stories.

There are many online "newspapers" which deliver equal or better formats and content than AZCentral.com. Their recent paywall implementation was not a good decision and drove substantial numbers of former viewers to the EV Tribune and/or other station's web sites.

If Gannett is smart, they will build on 3TV morning strength and the 12 News evening strength. They will use the strength to become a powerhouse brand throughout the state. How about the "Arizona News Network", live from Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson, covering all of Arizona?

"News" is perhaps the most oversold service that TV stations publicize and it is expensive. Unless KTVK employs just newsreaders who get their stories from KPNX I would expect to see news becoming expendable from 3TV. Additionally, I don't see news from Baja Arizona or the Northern Territories being of much interest to Central Arizona.

3TV is my second choice for weekday morning programming and my first choice on Saturdays but I don't see it is most popular among the audience at large. I never watch 12 unless they are showing an NHL game - even the syndicated shows get preference over NBC's offerings.

Perhaps the best thing Gannett can do is leave KTVK as it is or sell it to someone who can properly run an indie (the old KPHO model would be ideal).

 

[desertv]

Sell TV3 to Scripps, or the AZ-TV owners

 

[thatonedudegrant]

I'm Confused, will this be an end to KTVK and its employees? Is it even possible to have 2 Gannett owned stations in one market?

 

[KeithE4]

Belo merely owns licenses to TV stations in Tucson, not actual TV stations. That's a pretty important distinction.

Without the license, you don't have a TV station. Besides, I believe the KMSB transmitter is still owned by Belo, even though KOLD-TV actually runs things from their studios.

 

[KeithE4]

I'm Confused, will this be an end to KTVK and its employees?

I'd say the chances of that happening are pretty good, or some of 3TV's staff being retained by Channel 12, but not everybody.

Is it even possible to have 2 Gannett owned stations in one market?

12 and 61, yes, but not 3 and 12.

 

[michael hagerty]

The article in the St. Louis paper gives the clearest picture.

Looks like Jack Sander, a former Channel 10 exec who's been with Belo for 15 years or so, will buy KTVK, CW6 and the other stations that would conflict with Gannett holdings.

Shared services would be kept to a minimum in Phoenix to reduce possible FCC objections. The piece says Sander will run KTVK as a full competitor to KPNX.

Sander's a pro who likes news. If the article is accurate, the folks at 3 may be just fine.


http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/gannett-to-buy-tv-station-owner-belo-for-billion/article_31e7fb91-676f-50cb-825f-9f9f6a6e6f8c.html

 

[ihEARDtHAT]

In the Mediabistro/TVSpy link I provided earlier, the Gannett memo stated:

"Gannett will be providing support services to stations in the Louisville, Phoenix, Portland, St. Louis and Tucson DMAs and these stations will be separately owned. In all of the remaining DMAs, the Belo stations will be fully integrated into the broadcast division’s operations."

Seemed to me like they were saying they were not going to touch those stations, they would be sold to another owner and not become part of the Gannett family. Michael Hagarty's note provides confirmation.

 

[michael hagerty]

In the Mediabistro/TVSpy link I provided earlier, the Gannett memo stated:

"Gannett will be providing support services to stations in the Louisville, Phoenix, Portland, St. Louis and Tucson DMAs and these stations will be separately owned. In all of the remaining DMAs, the Belo stations will be fully integrated into the broadcast division’s operations."

Seemed to me like they were saying they were not going to touch those stations, they would be sold to another owner and not become part of the Gannett family. Michael Hagarty's note provides confirmation.

And a note about shared services. I don't know what Belo has done, but other groups (including Scripps and Gannett) have shut down entire departments on the station level ( commercial traffic, graphics, master control) and created hubs in a single location.

If Belo has done that, Jack Sander could either re-establish those or simply contract with the new owner of those hubs (Gannett) to continue providing those services in a cost-effective manner.

 

[formeraa]

In the Mediabistro/TVSpy link I provided earlier, the Gannett memo stated:

"Gannett will be providing support services to stations in the Louisville, Phoenix, Portland, St. Louis and Tucson DMAs and these stations will be separately owned. In all of the remaining DMAs, the Belo stations will be fully integrated into the broadcast division’s operations."

Seemed to me like they were saying they were not going to touch those stations, they would be sold to another owner and not become part of the Gannett family. Michael Hagarty's note provides confirmation.

And a note about shared services. I don't know what Belo has done, but other groups (including Scripps and Gannett) have shut down entire departments on the station level ( commercial traffic, graphics, master control) and created hubs in a single location.

If Belo has done that, Jack Sander could either re-establish those or simply contract with the new owner of those hubs (Gannett) to continue providing those services in a cost-effective manner.

Michael, as always, thank you for your comments. I believe that Gannett is going to have to tread lightly to avoid FCC scrutiny. It appears that this means independent news operations at 3 and 12.

 

[michael hagerty]

Russ Wiles of the Republic posted a piece to AZCentral.com on the deal Thursday night at 9. It gets the story right in paragraph 7, but in three other places (including the headline) it says 3 and 12 will both be Gannett stations.

If you can't get the story right in your own newsroom...

 

[DrAkbar]

Russ Wiles of the Republic posted a piece to AZCentral.com on the deal Thursday night at 9. It gets the story right in paragraph 7, but in three other places (including the headline) it says 3 and 12 will both be Gannett stations.

If you can't get the story right in your own newsroom...

Better check the Phoenix Gazette and see if they got the story right : Regardless of who buys 3TV, there'll be available space to rent on 7th Ave.