Local TV Station Selloff Guesses

[ShawnHill1]

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

You're correct; Gannett never owned a TV station in Milwaukee. The only newspaper/television companies that owns stations there are Journal (WTMJ) and Hearst (WISN).

 

[bpatrick]

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.

If that's the case then tough luck, ABC, you won't be getting KPLR as your St. Louis affiliate. Tribune does have one ABC affiliate (WGNO New Orleans) that I know of, but in light of what you guys are saying--that Local can't sell KPLR--I would think KPLR stays with the CW regardless of where KTVI goes, unless by some chance KPLR goes on the block and Hearst or Scripps buys it. Then and only then do I see ABC finally getting back on VHF there.

As for Denver, I don't see much chance of KWGN changing networks. KCNC is a CBS o&o, KMGH is owned by a company (McGraw-Hill or whatever it's called now) that affiliated all its stations with ABC, KUSA is owned by Gannett and will stay with NBC, and Tribune would have to put KWGN on the block for that station to have any hope of moving to Fox (and being on Ch. 2, Fox would no doubt love to have it).

 

[mgsports]

Cox buy FOX4KC so it can added it's Digital Sub Channels that WFTV has that KC doesn't have yet.

 

[ShawnHill1]

As for Denver, I don't see much chance of KWGN changing networks. KCNC is a CBS o&o, KMGH is owned by a company (McGraw-Hill or whatever it's called now) that affiliated all its stations with ABC, KUSA is owned by Gannett and will stay with NBC, and Tribune would have to put KWGN on the block for that station to have any hope of moving to Fox (and being on Ch. 2, Fox would no doubt love to have it).

The McGraw-Hill stations were bought by Scripps in late 2011, but as you said, and I agree, ABC stays on KMGH for a long time to come. KUSA was previously affiliated with ABC for decades (dating back to its KBTV incarnation), and has been long-dominant in Denver since at least the early '80s. Gannett has a duopoly there as well, with MyTV affiliate KTVD, so no chance of them owning a third station there.

KWGN is more-or-less a heritage Tribune station, so unless the Trib gets an offer they couldn't refuse, I see them staying put.

 

[kingskip]

It would be interesting in Memphis if Local TV who owns WREG 3 CBS, and WHBQ 13 Fox, which is a O&O, traded stations. WHBQ was actually CBS when it started out. It would be interesting to see Fox on 3 because for some odd reason, Fox is not on channel 3 anywhere in the United States. 3 is the only VHF channel Fox has never had any affiliates on, it has been on every other VHF channel somewhere.

 

[kilamanjero]

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

Never say never. Newscorp spun off these stations because they were too damn stupid to realize acquiring the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones was going to be big old flop. Which it wind up being... They may want some of these larger market/growing market stations back.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

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

Never say never. Newscorp spun off these stations because they were too damn stupid to realize acquiring the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones was going to be big old flop. Which it wind up being... They may want some of these larger market/growing market stations back.

maybe the ones in NFC markets

 

[JeeperOne]

Cox buy FOX4KC so it can added it's Digital Sub Channels that WFTV has that KC doesn't have yet.

Is Cox the cable company there? If so, they might have a tough time getting past the Feds. The only reason why Comcast was able to eek by them was because it bought NBC itself. The stations were just part of the package

As such, since Cox isn't trying to buy Fox, that situation wouldn't apply here

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

As for Denver, I don't see much chance of KWGN changing networks. KCNC is a CBS o&o, KMGH is owned by a company (McGraw-Hill or whatever it's called now) that affiliated all its stations with ABC, KUSA is owned by Gannett and will stay with NBC, and Tribune would have to put KWGN on the block for that station to have any hope of moving to Fox (and being on Ch. 2, Fox would no doubt love to have it).

The McGraw-Hill stations were bought by Scripps in late 2011, but as you said, and I agree, ABC stays on KMGH for a long time to come. KUSA was previously affiliated with ABC for decades (dating back to its KBTV incarnation), and has been long-dominant in Denver since at least the early '80s. Gannett has a duopoly there as well, with MyTV affiliate KTVD, so no chance of them owning a third station there.

KWGN is more-or-less a heritage Tribune station, so unless the Trib gets an offer they couldn't refuse, I see them staying put.

Who said ABC would go to KWGN ?? I never said that (Besides ABC would never go for it anyway as they don't want another KDNL or WGNO on their hands). Heck, I never even said that Fox would move there. All I said is if KWGN were sold to Fox, they would likely keep it For MyNetwork TV !!!

This would of course drop the CW off at the doorstep of KTVD 20 but I don't think Gannett would mind taking it since it doesn't affect their syndie programming or newscast times

That's all I said

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

It would be interesting in Memphis if Local TV who owns WREG 3 CBS, and WHBQ 13 Fox, which is a O&O, traded stations. WHBQ was actually CBS when it started out. It would be interesting to see Fox on 3 because for some odd reason, Fox is not on channel 3 anywhere in the United States. 3 is the only VHF channel Fox has never had any affiliates on, it has been on every other VHF channel somewhere.

Actually 12 is the only other one. I'm not aware of anyone branding themselves as Fox 12 that's not a cable assignment

Then again.....I could be wrong ??

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

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

Never say never. Newscorp spun off these stations because they were too damn stupid to realize acquiring the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones was going to be big old flop. Which it wind up being... They may want some of these larger market/growing market stations back.

maybe the ones in NFC markets

.....And in MLB cities

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[bpatrick]

It would be interesting in Memphis if Local TV who owns WREG 3 CBS, and WHBQ 13 Fox, which is a O&O, traded stations. WHBQ was actually CBS when it started out. It would be interesting to see Fox on 3 because for some odd reason, Fox is not on channel 3 anywhere in the United States. 3 is the only VHF channel Fox has never had any affiliates on, it has been on every other VHF channel somewhere.

Actually 12 is the only other one. I'm not aware of anyone branding themselves as Fox 12 that's not a cable assignment

Then again.....I could be wrong ??

Cheers & 73 ;D

KPTV Portland is a Fox station on Channel 12; I believe it joined Fox at the same time KMSP/9 in the Twin Cities did.

As for KWGN joining Fox, that is strictly hypothetical; Fox is the only major network KWGN could possibly get (note my reasons for CBS, ABC, and NBC staying put in Denver; there seems to be no possibility of ABC changing from 7 to 2 there); frankly, I also doubt it would move as long as Tribune owns it. What I'm saying is that it could happen with a change of ownership, but I'm not exactly holding my breath.

 

[DToTheJ]

Random: KPTV still airs "Perry Mason" reruns every day at noon.

 

[LKidd]

Cox Cable isn't in KC, but it is in almost every other major city in Kansas outside the KC market. IIRC they aren't in Emporia and in the Wichita/Hutchinson market they only big towns they aren't in are Hays and Liberal.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

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

Never say never. Newscorp spun off these stations because they were too damn stupid to realize acquiring the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones was going to be big old flop. Which it wind up being... They may want some of these larger market/growing market stations back.

maybe the ones in NFC markets

.....And in MLB cities

Cheers & 73 ;D

they probably aren't interested in WDAF ;D

 

[mgsports]

Cox Media Group is what I'm talking about. I wish BHN was in KC area or better yet TWCKC in Olathe.

 

[SixtiesGuy]

Am I alone in thinking that the duopoly rule needs to be revisited? After all, it was created in the NTSC days, when one TV channel was actually one TV channel. With the ATSC broadcast system each station can have as many as four sub-channels, all within the space of a single "channel" allocation. In this environment, owning two stations in one market can give an organization as many as eight distinct channels. So, how many stations/channels in a single market does one organization need to own?

 

[kilamanjero]

Am I alone in thinking that the duopoly rule needs to be revisited? After all, it was created in the NTSC days, when one TV channel was actually one TV channel. With the ATSC broadcast system each station can have as many as four sub-channels, all within the space of a single "channel" allocation. In this environment, owning two stations in one market can give an organization as many as eight distinct channels. So, how many stations/channels in a single market does one organization need to own?

Good question, indeed. Also it is remarkable that Newscorp/FOX doesn't seem to be very big on subchannels on their O&Os as with other groups. It would be wise to just go back to requiring station owners to use their subchannels for their additional sources of revenue rather than hogging up all the allocated signals for a DMA for their monopolization of the local media.

 

[Kent]

Cox Cable isn't in KC, but it is in almost every other major city in Kansas outside the KC market. IIRC they aren't in Emporia and in the Wichita/Hutchinson market they only big towns they aren't in are Hays and Liberal.

Unless it's consolidated more since I left, cable in KC was always a hodgepodge as more people live in surrounding communities than in KC itself. You could move two miles and be in a completely different city with a completely different cable company. However, as far as I know, Cox has never operated in any of the five metro KC counties.

By the way, hope you're doing well in Hutch! I don't think I've talked to you since I left KC, and July marks a dozen years since I officially left town!

 

[Brother]

Random: KPTV still airs "Perry Mason" reruns every day at noon.

Does it now? I thought I had read last year they planned to shift it to a morning timeslot on sister station KPDX. But in a world of networks and subchannels aplenty, though, I have quite a time keeping up with who's airing what and when in St. Louis, let alone Portland or anywhere else.