"Good Morning, America (Or Eight Cities In America We Own Stations In)"

[DToTheJ]

ABC is developing new "Alarm Clock" smartphone apps customized for eight cities in which there are ABC O&O's. The first app was launched in Houston (KTRK/13) this week.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/485030-ABC_Owned_Stations_Aim_to_Wake_Up_Viewers.php

 

[recto101]

Wait does your phone already provide an alarm clock?

 

[KML0224]

Thinking: WABC (New York), WPVI (Philadelphia), WLS (Chicago), KABC (Los Angeles), WXYZ (Detroit), KTRK (Houston), KGO (San Francisco)...who am I missing?

 

[KeithE4]

Thinking: WABC (New York), WPVI (Philadelphia), WLS (Chicago), KABC (Los Angeles), WXYZ (Detroit), KTRK (Houston), KGO (San Francisco)...who am I missing?

WXYZ-TV is owned by Scripps. ABC had to sell it when Cap Cities bought the company in '86. The other ABC O&Os are KFRE/30 Fresno & WTVD/11 Durham NC. Both had been Cap Cities stations.

 

[kilamanjero]

Thinking: WABC (New York), WPVI (Philadelphia), WLS (Chicago), KABC (Los Angeles), WXYZ (Detroit), KTRK (Houston), KGO (San Francisco)...who am I missing?

Funny you mentioned WXYZ, I wonder what have Disney/ABC would have done back in the 1990s to secure that station back in its ownership fold when Scripps was toying with allowing all its stations to switch to CBS.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

Thinking: WABC (New York), WPVI (Philadelphia), WLS (Chicago), KABC (Los Angeles), WXYZ (Detroit), KTRK (Houston), KGO (San Francisco)...who am I missing?

WXYZ-TV is owned by Scripps. ABC had to sell it when Cap Cities bought the company in '86. The other ABC O&Os are KFRE/30 Fresno & WTVD/11 Durham NC. Both had been Cap Cities stations.

Unless they reverted, the Fresno station has been called KFSN-TV since 1971.

 

[KeithE4]

Thinking: WABC (New York), WPVI (Philadelphia), WLS (Chicago), KABC (Los Angeles), WXYZ (Detroit), KTRK (Houston), KGO (San Francisco)...who am I missing?

WXYZ-TV is owned by Scripps. ABC had to sell it when Cap Cities bought the company in '86. The other ABC O&Os are KFRE/30 Fresno & WTVD/11 Durham NC. Both had been Cap Cities stations.

Unless they reverted, the Fresno station has been called KFSN-TV since 1971.

Oops, you're right. My bad.

 

[kilamanjero]

Thinking: WABC (New York), WPVI (Philadelphia), WLS (Chicago), KABC (Los Angeles), WXYZ (Detroit), KTRK (Houston), KGO (San Francisco)...who am I missing?

WXYZ-TV is owned by Scripps. ABC had to sell it when Cap Cities bought the company in '86. The other ABC O&Os are KFRE/30 Fresno & WTVD/11 Durham NC. Both had been Cap Cities stations.

I know for fact Disney/ABC is glad its still has its hands on WTVD (ABC11) in this rapidly growing Southern market (unlike NBC-Universal whom was stupid enough to unload WNCN to Media General in 2006). I wouldn't be surprised if the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville market wind up in the top 20 largest markets within the next 10 years considering they have jettisoned from the top 30s to top 25 in the last 10 years.

 

[DToTheJ]

Wait, does your phone already provide an alarm clock?

Yes, but now you can wake up to the dulcet tones of your favorite local ABC O&O personalities! ;D

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

KTRK had the absolute dumbest on-air explainer when the app launched earlier this week.

Their "Consumer Reporter" Jeff Ehling fronted it at their (over-hyped, yet underwhelming) touchscreen "Smartboard."

Apparently, with the app, you can set the alarm to the "Breaking News" stinger the station uses.

 

[ding12]

Thinking: WABC (New York), WPVI (Philadelphia), WLS (Chicago), KABC (Los Angeles), WXYZ (Detroit), KTRK (Houston), KGO (San Francisco)...who am I missing?

WXYZ-TV is owned by Scripps. ABC had to sell it when Cap Cities bought the company in '86. The other ABC O&Os are KFRE/30 Fresno & WTVD/11 Durham NC. Both had been Cap Cities stations.

I know for fact Disney/ABC is glad its still has its hands on WTVD (ABC11) in this rapidly growing Southern market (unlike NBC-Universal whom was stupid enough to unload WNCN to Media General in 2006). I wouldn't be surprised if the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville market wind up in the top 20 largest markets within the next 10 years considering they have jettisoned from the top 30s to top 25 in the last 10 years.

It probably was a nice asset, but NBCUniversal wanted cash - I think to reduce debt. The merger itself brought a number of cable assets, and broadcast assets weren't valued as much relatively. NBCUniversal even tried to sell the Miami NBC at one point (crazy given that they co-own the Telemundo affiliate). NBCUniversal and Disney in general are less interested in owning broadcast affiliates and more into cable networks. NBC sold WNCN with 3 other stations to Media General so it was bundled in the deal- not like they chose sold it alone. Somewhat like those DVD packs at Wal-Mart and Best Buy: Buy 3 movies for $15, and there is atleast one flop in that package. Raleigh was bundled with Columbus (small growth projections), Providence(market overshadowed by Boston), and Birmingham.

In the top 3 markets and some more (up to top 10), it's a necessity to own the stations but after that, it's marginal. Disney hasn't bought a station when it could have. For both, it's a better return on investment starting a cable network, bundle it with another cable net, and let it grow over time (and gets national exposure as well).

Fox and CBS take a different approach however,primarily due to their history. Fox itself doesn't deal with as many affiliate groups - it's mainly Sinclair, bankrupt Tribune owning a few, Cox, a cable company, owning a few. From that point, Fox has gone solo and has had to keep exposure of Fox mostly on its own.

The big thing now of course are sites like YouTube and Facebook, which are self-created, rather than affiliates. If Disney or NBCUniversal could get some venture that is successful like them, they'd prefer that over affiliate ownership.

 

[bpatrick]

I can't understand why ABC has never looked for stations in the
South and Southwest (WTVD and KTRK excepted). We've said
at other times that WFTV Orlando would be a logical choice for
an o&o, since Disney World is located there, less likely WSB Atlanta
and WFAA Dallas/Ft. Worth, flagship stations of Cox and Belo, respectively.
But how about WSOC Charlotte, WPLG Miami, WKRN Nashville, or KSAT
San Antonio? And how about something better in New Orleans, even it
means buying WWL or WDSU?

On the subject, NBC sold two Southern o&os to Media General; besides WNCN it
unloaded WVTM Birmingham, which I hear has gone south big time since the sale
(perennial doormat WIAT, Birmingham's CBS affiliate, has come on really strong).

I also wouldn't mind seeing CBS make an offer for either WBTV Charlotte or WRAL
Raleigh. A few months back the rumor mill was stirring with suggestions that CBS
was going to buy WAGA and it would once again be Atlanta's CBS station, but that
obviously isn't going to happen.

 

[justpassingthough]

I think ABC/Disney and NBCUniversal have a more astute reading of the nature and direction that broadcast television is going to take within the next decade. While there is value in owing stations in large markets, eventually the networks will likely be gone and will transition into national cable networks. So owning a broadcast affiliate in New York or Los Angeles will continue to bring you revenue down the line, even once these stations are strong independents that still offer local news and syndicated fare, because there are enough eyeballs to sustain these stations and make money. Owning stations in small markets becomes less important, though, to the long term cash flow equation. Its tantamount to the large newspaper groups selling off newspapers in smaller cities within the past 15 years.

Fox and CBS seem to fine with amassing large television groups. Fox originally did it out of necessity, as the New World deal propelled them into actual relevancy. They might have died on the vine as a network, otherwise. CBS is still very much an old school media company, in that they still own clusters of radio stations in various markets, along with outdoor advertising, book publishing, etc. Of course, they have had the forethought to essentially place all of the old school mediums into one corporation (CBS), while effectively spinning off the cable networks and other properties ripe for growth into a second company (Viacom) that won't be dragged down by any decline in reveneues at CBS.

Fox is still very much stuck in the old thinking that a media conglomerate needs to own everything from radio to broadcast stations to a movie studio and so on, but we all saw what happened to the granddaddy of all media conglomerates (AOL Time Warner).

 

[ding12]

I think ABC/Disney and NBCUniversal have a more astute reading of the nature and direction that broadcast television is going to take within the next decade. While there is value in owing stations in large markets, eventually the networks will likely be gone and will transition into national cable networks. So owning a broadcast affiliate in New York or Los Angeles will continue to bring you revenue down the line, even once these stations are strong independents that still offer local news and syndicated fare, because there are enough eyeballs to sustain these stations and make money. Owning stations in small markets becomes less important, though, to the long term cash flow equation. Its tantamount to the large newspaper groups selling off newspapers in smaller cities within the past 15 years.

I agree but I don't think the broadcast networks will become cable networks atleast so easily. It'd be too many hoops to jump through. Also local news (say WRC's local news) fits very well with NBC News and successful programs like 'Today' and those national shows would suffer going cable only. The coupling is too strong.

However, I suspect scripted dramas and comedies may disappear from broadcast network at some point earlier. Like NBC going with Celebrity Apprentice Season #45, ABC with Dancing With The Stars Season #45, and reality TV, sensational type news programming (like Nancy Grace) across both of those networks lineups over scripted programming. Some people will make a lot of money like Trump, Nancy Grace, etc., but most actors, writers, etc. will not find work through television.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

A few months back the rumor mill was stirring with suggestions that CBS
was going to buy WAGA and it would once again be Atlanta's CBS station, but that
obviously isn't going to happen.

I'd be curious to know the the source of this rumor as I very much doubt FOX/Newscorp would sell a competitive O&O in a top 10 market.

All four of the networks have shed smaller-market assets in the last 5-10 years, the latest deal involved ABC O&Os in Toledo and Flint. That left Fresno & Raleigh/Durham as the two smallest markets in the ABC fold. As stated before, probably growth opportunities with Raleigh/Durham and I believe I read they kept Fresno because the station serves as their test bed for things that are later rolled out across the O&Os.

 

[recto101]

I can't understand why ABC has never looked for stations in the
South and Southwest (WTVD and KTRK excepted). We've said
at other times that WFTV Orlando would be a logical choice for
an o&o, since Disney World is located there, less likely WSB Atlanta
and WFAA Dallas/Ft. Worth, flagship stations of Cox and Belo, respectively.
But how about WSOC Charlotte, WPLG Miami, WKRN Nashville, or KSAT
San Antonio? And how about something better in New Orleans, even it
means buying WWL or WDSU?

On the subject, NBC sold two Southern o&os to Media General; besides WNCN it
unloaded WVTM Birmingham, which I hear has gone south big time since the sale
(perennial doormat WIAT, Birmingham's CBS affiliate, has come on really strong).

I also wouldn't mind seeing CBS make an offer for either WBTV Charlotte or WRAL
Raleigh. A few months back the rumor mill was stirring with suggestions that CBS
was going to buy WAGA and it would once again be Atlanta's CBS station, but that
obviously isn't going to happen.

I doubt Disney/ABC will buy new TV stations. I looked at Disneys 10-K Sec records and they tend to put emphasis on their theme parks, and cable divisions, Studio divisions rather than spending money on Local TV. I remember back in 2006 and 2007 they sold radio stations with an ABC Radio affiliation to Citadel Broadcasting (Now Cumulus inc).

 

[ding12]

I'd be curious to know the the source of this rumor as I very much doubt FOX/Newscorp would sell a competitive O&O in a top 10 market.

All four of the networks have shed smaller-market assets in the last 5-10 years, the latest deal involved ABC O&Os in Toledo and Flint. That left Fresno & Raleigh/Durham as the two smallest markets in the ABC fold. As stated before, probably growth opportunities with Raleigh/Durham and I believe I read they kept Fresno because the station serves as their test bed for things that are later rolled out across the O&Os.

The Flint and Toledo ABC O&Os were apparently originally purchased as backup for Detroit at one point, but were no longer needed. It's somewhat interesting that Flint is it's own TV market, as it's considered part of the combined statistical area with Detroit now.

In Raleigh, ABC could sell the affiliate to Hearst which owns the NBC affiliate in Greensboro. There might be some synergistic benefit for Hearst owning stations that are driving distance apart (e.g. WBAL WGAL), however it's obviously not a great as owning the two in the same market.

In some cases, ABC should have bought out the station. St. Louis is a market that ABC should have bought out the ABC affiliate-from Sinclair, even if it was to just flip it and sell it off to a better station group. It's known to be a weak ABC affiliate for a mid-size market.

 

[recto101]

Well I'm surprised that Disney Never got WJLA 7 in Washington DC in 2006-2007 when they sold the ABC radio stations to Citadel.

 

[DToTheJ]

... I believe I read they kept Fresno because the station serves as their test bed for things that are later rolled out across the O&Os.

Apparently, not the case with this new "alarm clock" - in fact, according to the rollout schedule, I think Fresno will be one of the last markets that gets their own.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

Well I'm surprised that Disney Never got WJLA 7 in Washington DC in 2006-2007 when they sold the ABC radio stations to Citadel.

There were rumors more than a decade ago that ABC had made overtures to Albritton about buying WJLA, but Albritton wanted them to buy all their broadcast assets (which ABC didn't want).