I posted a bit about this on my Google+ page, but I thought it might be worth mentioning here as well. Media General has announced they're buying Meredith Corporation for $2.4 billion. This will once again entangle WKRG, WFNA (Media General) and WALA (Meredith). Mobile-Pensacola was one of the markets listed in the press release as having stations that will require either being spun out or divested in some way.
About a year and a half ago, Media General bought LIN, and at the time WALA was owned by LIN. LIN divested the station to Meredith so that deal could go through. Now, Media General again finds itself in the position of having to do something about WALA. It'll be interesting to see which station gets divested, although it's almost a given that it will be WALA again.
The FCC's local ownership rule for TV is that a single entity can own two stations in a market if either the Grade B contours don't overlap -OR- one of the stations does not rank in the top four stations with audience share -and- at least eight independently run stations (com or noncom) will remain. This means that a merging company could not keep both WKRG and WALA, the #1 and #2 stations in the market, most likely (or vice versa). Media General showed preference for their existing station in the last MG/LIN merger, keeping WKRG and ditching WALA at the altar. I am almost certain this will happen again. The question then becomes: who can buy WALA as a standalone Fox affiliate now? There aren't many smaller companies left interested in small potatoes markets like Mobile-P'cola.
About a year and a half ago, Media General bought LIN, and at the time WALA was owned by LIN. LIN divested the station to Meredith so that deal could go through. Now, Media General again finds itself in the position of having to do something about WALA. It'll be interesting to see which station gets divested, although it's almost a given that it will be WALA again.
The FCC's local ownership rule for TV is that a single entity can own two stations in a market if either the Grade B contours don't overlap -OR- one of the stations does not rank in the top four stations with audience share -and- at least eight independently run stations (com or noncom) will remain. This means that a merging company could not keep both WKRG and WALA, the #1 and #2 stations in the market, most likely (or vice versa). Media General showed preference for their existing station in the last MG/LIN merger, keeping WKRG and ditching WALA at the altar. I am almost certain this will happen again. The question then becomes: who can buy WALA as a standalone Fox affiliate now? There aren't many smaller companies left interested in small potatoes markets like Mobile-P'cola.