Local TV Station Selloff Guesses

[JeeperOne]

Given the previous announcement, it's hard to see how any one broadcaster would wanna buy a bunch of primarily Fox & CW affiliates as duopolies (In fact, I think the only major network that isn't a Fox affiliate is WREG 3 (CBS) in Memphis, TN. So let's try individual sales instead

In Denver, I'm guessing that Fox will likely buy KDVR 31 back & then either sell KWGN 2 outright (I can't imagine who would want it as a standalone & it's also assuming Fox buys both to take them off Local TV's hands) or use it to lure MyNetwork TV from KTVD 20 who would take over the CW affiliation

And now your guesses.....

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[only1moore]

Personally, WREG and WTKR & WGNT/Norfolk would likely be candidates for the picking by either Hearst, Scripps, Cox, Journal or Lin, since I don't see CBS or Sinclair going after those stations.

WITI/Milwaukee, KTVI/St. Louis, WJW/Cleveland, KSTU/Salt Lake City, WDAF/Kansas City and WGHP/Greensboro would end up going back to Fox since they see these stations as their best affiliates and they may want long-term deals from whoever acquires them.

Then there's WHO/Des Moines, KFOR & KAUT/OKC, WHNT/Huntsville, KFSM/Fort Smith, WNEP/Wilkes-Barre-Scranton, WQAD/Moline, and WTVR/Richmond. This one is tricky but we could see some of these stations being swapped out by whoever gets them once the sale closes.

 

[jdb820]

Personally, WREG and WTKR & WGNT/Norfolk would likely be candidates for the picking by either Hearst, Scripps, Cox, Journal or Lin, since I don't see CBS or Sinclair going after those stations.

WITI/Milwaukee, KTVI/St. Louis, WJW/Cleveland, KSTU/Salt Lake City, WDAF/Kansas City and WGHP/Greensboro would end up going back to Fox since they see these stations as their best affiliates and they may want long-term deals from whoever acquires them.

Then there's WHO/Des Moines, KFOR & KAUT/OKC, WHNT/Huntsville, KFSM/Fort Smith, WNEP/Wilkes-Barre-Scranton, WQAD/Moline, and WTVR/Richmond. This one is tricky but we could see some of these stations being swapped out by whoever gets them once the sale closes.

No-go for WREG to Scripps (Commercial-Appeal) or WTKR/WGNT to LIN (WAVY/WVBT which is a grandfathered arrangement). I could see the group being broken up outright since there is no one company that would want everything. And to get this speculation out of the way.

Sinclair: Could buy WJW, KDVR, WDAF, WREG, WNEP, WQAD, and KFSM/KXNW without any issue. Could take KTVI, WITI, WTKR/WGNT, WGHP, and WHO if (one of) their existing station(s) was sold/shelled. Cannot buy KFOR/KAUT (KOKH/KOCB), KSTU (KUTV/KMYU) or WTVR (WRLH, plus remember the FCC rejected Sinclair's plan to buy them from Raycom several years ago).

Nexstar: Would be unable to buy KSTU (KTVX/KUCW) and KFSM/KXNW (KNWA/KFTA). Would need to dump a station they currently own and/or control for WNEP (probably WBRE) and WREG (probably WPTY). The rest of the ex-Fox O&O's are out of their league so would KFOR/KAUT, WTKR/WGNT, WTVR, WHO, and WQAD really be worth it?

 

[arnoldevns]

For what it is worth: Fox is likely done buying stations after their recent NC deal.

 

[Mr. X]

Raycom couldn't buy WREG because it owns WMC. It's the same as why, when FOX sold some O&Os to Local TV a few years ago, Local couldn't buy WHBQ.

 

[Markxxx]

Do any of these stations have issues with RF channels? In other words, could someone be looking for a better channel to broadcast on? Or do any stations in these markets have problematic assignments, that would make buyers look to the ones for sale?

 

[JeeperOne]

For what it is worth: Fox is likely done buying stations after their recent NC deal.

I doubt that because KDVR used to be a Fox O&O (In fact, they were one of the original O&O's dating back BEFORE 1995) & have done nothing but improve their already-impressive news operation since the merger with KWGN 2

Speaking of KWGN 2, it would make a nice addition to MyNetwork TV considering all the affiliates they have atop the cable lineups WERE PUT THERE BY THE CABLE COMPANIES & BROADCASTERS because their "Natural" channel is so low (Or high depending on how you look at it) that they would be right in the middle of the cable nets if they didn't move up. Fox wouldn't have this problem with KWGN as a MyNetwork TV affiliate since it already was a Channel 2 from the beginning of TV

Simply put - MyNetwork TV needs as many Channel 2's as it can get right now if it wants to emerge from the syndication service rat hole it's in. Fox can easily survive on a Channel 11 (Like LA has) with no problem at all

Just my opinion.....

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[KML0224]

Or be like Hartford/New Haven shaking the old UHF stigma! The only one who still identifies by their old analog virtual channel here is WCCT-TV (CW) channel 20 of Waterbury (digital 20). The others?

WUVN-TV (UNI) channel 18 (digital 46) Hartford: Univision
WEDH-TV (PBS) channel 24 (digital 45) Hartford: CPTV [Connecticut Public Television]
WHPX-TV (ION) channel 26 (digital 26) New London: ION, with the legal ID at T.O.H. only
WVIT-TV (NBC) channel 30 (digital 35) New Britain: NBC Connecticut
WEDN-TV (PBS) channel 53 (digital 9) Norwich: CPTV [Connecticut Public Television]
WCTX-TV (MY) channel 59 (digital 39) New Haven: MY TV-9
WTIC-TV (FOX) channel 61 (digital 31) Hartford: FOX Connecticut or FOX-CT
WEDY-TV (PBS) channel 65 (digital 6/CP 41) New Haven: CPTV [Connecticut Public Television]

Merideth owns WFSB (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford. LIN owns WTNH-TV (ABC) channel 8 of New Haven and operates WCTX. Entravision owns WUVN. NBC owns WVIT. Tribune owns WTIC and operates WCCT. I'm not sure about ION. I believe Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc. operates CPTV and WNPR, which is their radio network.

 

[dave73]

Or be like Hartford/New Haven shaking the old UHF stigma! The only one who still identifies by their old analog virtual channel here is WCCT-TV (CW) channel 20 of Waterbury (digital 20). The others?

WUVN-TV (UNI) channel 18 (digital 46) Hartford: Univision
WEDH-TV (PBS) channel 24 (digital 45) Hartford: CPTV [Connecticut Public Television]
WHPX-TV (ION) channel 26 (digital 26) New London: ION, with the legal ID at T.O.H. only
WVIT-TV (NBC) channel 30 (digital 35) New Britain: NBC Connecticut
WEDN-TV (PBS) channel 53 (digital 9) Norwich: CPTV [Connecticut Public Television]
WCTX-TV (MY) channel 59 (digital 39) New Haven: MY TV-9
WTIC-TV (FOX) channel 61 (digital 31) Hartford: FOX Connecticut or FOX-CT
WEDY-TV (PBS) channel 65 (digital 6/CP 41) New Haven: CPTV [Connecticut Public Television]

Merideth owns WFSB (CBS) channel 3 of Hartford. LIN owns WTNH-TV (ABC) channel 8 of New Haven and operates WCTX. Entravision owns WUVN. NBC owns WVIT. Tribune owns WTIC and operates WCCT. I'm not sure about ION. I believe Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc. operates CPTV and WNPR, which is their radio network.

Except for a few Ion affiliates, any Ion station that also carries Qubo & Ion Life are Ion Media owned stations. So if your Ion station has those 2 subchannels as well, Ion Media owns your local Ion station.

 

[TheRob]

I would allow for the possibility of another private equity group buying the lot. But it will be difficult, I think, to sell the former FOX O&O's and the ex-New York Times stations to one buyer.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Who else would be interested in the former Fox O&Os, they probably have too much overhead for Sinclair or Nexstar who are mostly snapping up small markets?

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Could Fox possibly be interested in buying back KTVI and then buying WBRU from it's bankrupt owner for duopoly in St. Louis or will they possibly wait to see how the Rams stadium situation settles? If the Rams stay in STL, that would give them another duopoly in an NFC market. I don't see Fox really interested in getting back in KC or Denver since they're single station AFC markets? They might be in Milwaukee (Packers)?

 

[bpatrick]

I can't quite see Sinclair buying WGHP, since it has a
duopoly in Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point
(ABC affiliate WXLV and MyNetwork affiliate WMYV),
although WGHP is far stronger than either of Sinclair's
stations. And I have to agree that, since Fox just
bought a station in Charlotte, it's hardly likely to buy
back WGHP now.

 

[mavtv]

In Cleveland,Denver. Kansas City E.W scripps could not buy them as they have a station in each of those markets. In Cleveland,Denver,Greensboro, St Louis Gannett could not buy as they have a station in each o hose markets.

For Sinclair, there is too much overhead and Sinclair is looking at smaller markets. Hearst has a strong relationship with ABC so the FOX stations would seem out of place.

Currently Tribune is owned by oaktree capitol and the head of Tribune Peter Liguori is looking to grow the broadcast division and given the common ties between the two the upper markets would fit in and complement what Tribune does.

In my old home of Cleveland what is the possibly of CBS buying WJW as Cleveland is a AFC market and they could very easily pick up a rim shot like WMFD,WGGN, or WRLM and move the station closer to Cleveland as there are many shows not cleared in the market and very few shows get double runs as there are not enough holes for all of the shows in the marketplace.

 

[JeeperOne]

Could Fox possibly be interested in buying back KTVI and then buying WBRU from it's bankrupt owner for duopoly in St. Louis or will they possibly wait to see how the Rams stadium situation settles? If the Rams stay in STL, that would give them another duopoly in an NFC market. I don't see Fox really interested in getting back in KC or Denver since they're single station AFC markets? They might be in Milwaukee (Packers)?

You're basing this solely on Fox & its deal with the NFL & not what makes the most practical business sense. The two worlds don't always jive if ya know what I mean

Since we're talking about a Fox/CW duopoly here in Denver, can you see Hearst wanting to buy something like that? I can't. Fox could buy KDVR back (Along with KWGN) & then flip KWGN from CW to MyNetwork TV (They wouldn't have to pay Gannett very much to part ways with the network mid-contract if that's an issue). True it would be akin to what Local TV also has in Indy but still.....

Gannett would then pick up the CW for KTVD 20 since it wouldn't affect any of their programming & would actually give that station a slight boost in primetime (Original programming as opposed to ALL reruns ALL the time)

As for KTVI/KPLR, I see them going to either Fox, Hearst or Scripps (With the latter two wanting to put ABC on KPLR 11 at least since it's no secret ABC wants off KDNL & would go to almost any length to accomplish that feat). WDAF in KC would likely go to Belo or Gannett since it would be a perfect companion to KMOV 4 (CBS - Belo) & KSDK 5 (NBC - Gannett) in St. Louis)

WITI could conceivably go back to Fox but since they bailed on Fox 11 in GB itself, why would they? Gannett used to own it way back when they were a CBS affiliate. I'd put them atop the list along with Scripps, Belo or even Meredith

Just my opinion though.....

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[bpatrick]

I thought Storer owned WITI when it was a CBS affiliate;
I don't remember Gannett ever being in Milwaukee.

ABC has tried before to get on 11 in St. Louis, last time
being when KTVI went to Fox, and has been repeatedly
turned down. Scripps-Howard would probably be willing to
change KPLR to ABC (remember the deal to move Baltimore,
Cincinnati, Phoenix, and Tampa into the ABC fold in exchange
for keeping Cleveland and Detroit from going to CBS); Hearst
I'm not so sure about, since it owns some NBC affiliates (Baltimore,
Cincinnati, Orlando, Greenville, SC, Winston-Salem, NC, Harrisburg-Lancaster, PA,
and--I think--Dayton, but I could be wrong about that one), and a couple of
CBS affiliates (Louisville and Des Moines) but I'm aware that Hearst is about as
tight with ABC as Gannett is with NBC, so who knows?

Belo might conceivably keep WDAF with Fox, but I wouldn't be surprised to see
Gannett move it back to NBC. And who's to say Gannett couldn't sell a station
it currently owns and buy another in the same market; it used to own KARK
Little Rock, sold it, and later bought KTHV. (Of course, that depends on how
profitable WKYC, KUSA, WFMY, and KSDK are. Also, I wouldn't mind if Gannett
sold the Courier-Journal (print media becoming a thing of the past) and bought
back WLKY Louisville.)

 

[mavtv]

I thought Storer owned WITI when it was a CBS affiliate;
I don't remember Gannett ever being in Milwaukee.

ABC has tried before to get on 11 in St. Louis, last time
being when KTVI went to Fox, and has been repeatedly
turned down. Scripps-Howard would probably be willing to
change KPLR to ABC (remember the deal to move Baltimore,
Cincinnati, Phoenix, and Tampa into the ABC fold in exchange
for keeping Cleveland and Detroit from going to CBS); Hearst
I'm not so sure about, since it owns some NBC affiliates (Baltimore,
Cincinnati, Orlando, Greenville, SC, Winston-Salem, NC, Harrisburg-Lancaster, PA,
and--I think--Dayton, but I could be wrong about that one), and a couple of
CBS affiliates (Louisville and Des Moines) but I'm aware that Hearst is about as
tight with ABC as Gannett is with NBC, so who knows?

Belo might conceivably keep WDAF with Fox, but I wouldn't be surprised to see
Gannett move it back to NBC. And who's to say Gannett couldn't sell a station
it currently owns and buy another in the same market; it used to own KARK
Little Rock, sold it, and later bought KTHV. (Of course, that depends on how
profitable WKYC, KUSA, WFMY, and KSDK are. Also, I wouldn't mind if Gannett
sold the Courier-Journal (print media becoming a thing of the past) and bought
back WLKY Louisville.)

I know at least in Cleveland, Gannett is happy with WKYC (cannot say the same about NBC after a few weeks ago), so I cannot see them spinning off 3 for 8. Same goes with WEWS as scripps signed on ch 5 so that too is unlikely.

I could see however trades being made where for example Gannett buy's local TV and then trades the stations where they already have a station. Let's say Gannett trades Cleveland and Denver to Fox in exchange for Austin and Memphis. I cannot see the whole group go to one owner as there is a wide range of markets so a big player may not want a Ft Smith Ar market. I do suspect that the stations will be sold based on who wants what as that is how most station group sales have went recently.

 

[bpatrick]

Frankly I don't see Gannett selling off WFMY either; that
station is a CBS affiliate, and if Gannett were to sell it and
pick off WGHP, CBS would probably move from 2 to 8, which--
like NBC in Cleveland--I don't think it wants. Besides, WFMY
has been number one in Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point
about as long as ratings have been kept.

However, I'll say it again: I'd like to see WLKY back in the
Gannett family. Gannett owned it when it was one of ABC's
weakest affiliates, but since then WHAS has switched from
CBS to ABC and seen its ratings decline as WLKY's have gone
up to the point that it's one of CBS's strongest affiliates. (I'd
argue for Gannett's buying WIAT Birmingham, maybe the biggest
turnaround for the better of all CBS affiliates, had LIN not just
acquired it.)

 

[badwolf56]

Maybe I am wrong. (That's never happened before.) But I don't think Local owns KWGN Denver, they just run it for Tribune under an LMA. So they can't sell it.

 

[Brother]

Maybe I am wrong. (That's never happened before.) But I don't think Local owns KWGN Denver, they just run it for Tribune under an LMA. So they can't sell it.

You are 100% correct. In Denver, Local TV owns KDVR and operates Tribune-owned KWGN. It's the same set-up in St. Louis, where Local TV owns KTVI and operates Tribune-owned KPLR.

As to guessing where each of the Local TV-owned stations end up (and how this could affect the Local TV/Tribune operations in Denver and St. Louis in particular), I'll leave that to the wiser and/or more daring TV denizens.