Sinclair to add another group to its conquest: Fisher!

[only1moore]

Look for this deal to be official:

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/...mpaign=Sinclair+Poised+To+Buy+Fisher+Stations

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Will the keep KOMO and KATU or just trade it for more small market stations? Sinclair doesn't own at lot of major market heavily news budget stations

 

[Iowan]

Sinclair is also alleged to be the frontrunner for Local TV stations...

 

[Joe_Capitano]

All I have to say is they'd better keep their grubbies off KOMO's newsroom. They're putting out a quality product here.

Honestly, I'm not too thrilled about Fisher feeding (or being fed to) this pig. Thank you, Mario Gabelli, you unmentionable.

 

[jdb820]

Sinclair is also alleged to be the frontrunner for Local TV stations...

The fact that this is even a possibility when there is a ton of overlap is laughable in that they'd try and sad that there seems to be nobody wanting to buy TV stations anymore. Are the Gannetts, Scripps, Hearsts, Belos, and the like really that broke or unmotivated?

As for "being poised" to buy stations, Sinclair has been "poised" to buy the English language, network affiliated Titan stations for nearly two weeks to the point of Titan selling WCWG Greensboro to Lockwood where Sinclair would've had a triopoly. Even though that deal on paper makes a lot more sense than a very stratified Fisher, that seems to have entered some sort of limbo, of course knowing Sinclair there could be a falling out over the remaining Titan stations picking up programming such as Ring of Honor so...

 

[EricStein]

Sinclair is also alleged to be the frontrunner for Local TV stations...

The fact that this is even a possibility when there is a ton of overlap is laughable in that they'd try and sad that there seems to be nobody wanting to buy TV stations anymore. Are the Gannetts, Scripps, Hearsts, Belos, and the like really that broke or unmotivated?

It might be a good thing that Scripps is not buying at this time. They've become notoriously cheap, but not "Sinclair cheap," in their programming department.

I don't think the communities of Seattle and Portland are going to take kindly of Sinclair taking over a couple of their local TV stations.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Sinclair is also alleged to be the frontrunner for Local TV stations...

The fact that this is even a possibility when there is a ton of overlap is laughable in that they'd try and sad that there seems to be nobody wanting to buy TV stations anymore. Are the Gannetts, Scripps, Hearsts, Belos, and the like really that broke or unmotivated?

It might be a good thing that Scripps is not buying at this time. They've become notoriously cheap, but not "Sinclair cheap," in their programming department.

I don't think the communities of Seattle and Portland are going to take kindly of Sinclair taking over a couple of their local TV stations.

Will they even keep those stations is just sell/trade them and get some more small market stations in battleground states?

 

[Kent]

The fact that this is even a possibility when there is a ton of overlap is laughable in that they'd try and sad that there seems to be nobody wanting to buy TV stations anymore. Are the Gannetts, Scripps, Hearsts, Belos, and the like really that broke or unmotivated?

Supposedly, the other interested buyer for the Fisher stations was LIN.

 

[EricStein]

Champagne bottles are popping at KOMO and KATU's competition this morning.

 

[Kent]

Champagne bottles are popping at KOMO and KATU's competition this morning.

I always heard KOMO-TV and KATU were struggling under Fisher. I suppose that could have changed, or I could have heard incorrectly, though.

Whatever the case, I'm sure the competition isn't as worried about them trying to mount a comeback!

 

[jdb820]

Champagne bottles are popping at KOMO and KATU's competition this morning.

I always heard KOMO-TV and KATU were struggling under Fisher. I suppose that could have changed, or I could have heard incorrectly, though.

KOIN improved a ton under New Vision's ownership and that kind've pushed KATU into third place and I wouldn't be shocked if they were in fourth in some time periods though what may be saving them from that is KPTV's dragging their heels with HD news.

As for KOMO, the fact that a station in a large market is still doing SD news, even as "enhanced widescreen", in 2013 probably is hurting them more than they'd like to admit. Even the jarring "HD in-studio but SD in-the-field" approach taken by stations such as WJLA is better than nothing.

 

[garn91]

Sinclair is also alleged to be the frontrunner for Local TV stations...

Dear God no! The Des Moines market can only withstand one $inclair owned station.

 

[Morgan Wick]

Off-hand, I think that this deal gives Sinclair its first Univision affiliates (KUNS, KUNP, and KUNW).

I think Fisher, Entravision, and Univision are the only owners of any Univision affiliates whatsoever, at least in markets of any size. I wouldn't be surprised if Sinclair spun off the Univisions to one of those.

I also never noticed KOMO's news being in sub-HD quality those few times I've peeked in on it since getting HD.

I'm pissed off enough that one of the last truly local ownership groups, and certainly one of the bigger ones, is going out of business, but for it to go to Sinclair just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The one bright spot could be if they try to keep KOMO or KATU, the liberals in those markets might organize some mor concerted anti-Sinclair action...

 

[michael hagerty]

Sinclair is also alleged to be the frontrunner for Local TV stations...

The fact that this is even a possibility when there is a ton of overlap is laughable in that they'd try and sad that there seems to be nobody wanting to buy TV stations anymore. Are the Gannetts, Scripps, Hearsts, Belos, and the like really that broke or unmotivated?

Scripps paid off all its debt two years ago and bought McGraw-Hill's stations last year. I think they'll sit out anything but the most amazing deal for a while.

 

[jdb820]

The one bright spot could be if they try to keep KOMO or KATU, the liberals in those markets might organize some mor concerted anti-Sinclair action...

The main reason why Sinclair (and even Nexstar) have flown under the radar on their buying sprees are that they've avoided larger markets and those that Sinclair is in mainly have been mostly netlet affiliates. This obviously changes everything especially as criticism in a Seattle or Portland is much different than criticism in Madison or even Austin.

In contrast, the radio parallel to this (Clear Channel's turn-of-the-century buying spree) was much, much larger and when it was all said and done which mainland markets of note did they not own stations in besides Buffalo?

 

[tmanokc]

Off-hand, I think that this deal gives Sinclair its first Univision affiliates (KUNS, KUNP, and KUNW).

I think Fisher, Entravision, and Univision are the only owners of any Univision affiliates whatsoever, at least in markets of any size. I wouldn't be surprised if Sinclair spun off the Univisions to one of those.

Univision actually has some affiliates owned by companies other than those three. The local affiliate here in Oklahoma City, KUOK, is owned by a local company called Tyler Media, which also owns the city's Telemundo (KTUZ-TV) and Estrella TV (KOCY-LP) affiliates.

The one bright spot could be if they try to keep KOMO or KATU, the liberals in those markets might organize some mor concerted anti-Sinclair action...

The main reason why Sinclair (and even Nexstar) have flown under the radar on their buying sprees are that they've avoided larger markets and those that Sinclair is in mainly have been mostly netlet affiliates. This obviously changes everything especially as criticism in a Seattle or Portland is much different than criticism in Madison or even Austin.

In contrast, the radio parallel to this (Clear Channel's turn-of-the-century buying spree) was much, much larger and when it was all said and done which mainland markets of note did they not own stations in besides Buffalo?

I don't see why other station groups have simply let Sinclair and Nexstar buy up stations to begin with. Now it's almost as if they feel that they aren't going to get the stations no matter how hard they try, so they leave it to those two to get them. I think that groups like Gannett, Journal and others need to take a much harder look at stations that go on the market than they currently are doing as it seems, and pick out stations that fit their portfolios. To let two companies fill their portfolios with 100+ stations, while risking the companies own bottom lines because of their greediness doesn't make business sense. Sinclair and Nexstar are not Time Warner or News Corporation, they can't make the conglomerate model work for them as the big boys that have more diverse media properties do.

 

[michael hagerty]

I don't see why other station groups have simply let Sinclair and Nexstar buy up stations to begin with. Now it's almost as if they feel that they aren't going to get the stations no matter how hard they try, so they leave it to those two to get them. I think that groups like Gannett, Journal and others need to take a much harder look at stations that go on the market than they currently are doing as it seems, and pick out stations that fit their portfolios. To let two companies fill their portfolios with 100+ stations, while risking the companies own bottom lines because of their greediness doesn't make business sense. Sinclair and Nexstar are not Time Warner or News Corporation, they can't make the conglomerate model work for them as the big boys that have more diverse media properties do.

Doesn't that actually suggest that the Journals and Gannetts are being very smart? If the Sinclair and Nexstar acquisitions aren't sustainable, those stations will eventually be available again at significantly reduced prices.

 

[tmanokc]

I don't see why other station groups have simply let Sinclair and Nexstar buy up stations to begin with. Now it's almost as if they feel that they aren't going to get the stations no matter how hard they try, so they leave it to those two to get them. I think that groups like Gannett, Journal and others need to take a much harder look at stations that go on the market than they currently are doing as it seems, and pick out stations that fit their portfolios. To let two companies fill their portfolios with 100+ stations, while risking the companies own bottom lines because of their greediness doesn't make business sense. Sinclair and Nexstar are not Time Warner or News Corporation, they can't make the conglomerate model work for them as the big boys that have more diverse media properties do.

Doesn't that actually suggest that the Journals and Gannetts are being very smart? If the Sinclair and Nexstar acquisitions aren't sustainable, those stations will eventually be available again at significantly reduced prices.

But at the same time, the Gannetts and Journals would take a more thorough analysis on which stations would fit their portfolios. I have my doubts that Sinclair and Nexstar are looking as thoroughly, and that seems to show in the fact that they are buying stations in bulk over and over again. In fact, on the Fisher deal, the firm Glancy Binkow & Goldberg LLP is investigating claims as to whether Fisher's board of directors even adequately shopped the group to other owners before choosing to sell the company to Sinclair.

http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/04/11/2613425/fisher-communications-inc-board.html

As far as the sustainability of the stations, other than them selling stations they don't want anymore, I think its either going to come to some sort of antitrust filing that causes Sinclair and Nexstar to get rid of the majority or all of their stations or a Chapter 7/11 bankruptcy, and my feeling is it's probably going to be the latter. But as long as they are getting cash to purchase the stations from the banks, that may or may not be a little while down the road.

 

[michael hagerty]

I don't see why other station groups have simply let Sinclair and Nexstar buy up stations to begin with. Now it's almost as if they feel that they aren't going to get the stations no matter how hard they try, so they leave it to those two to get them. I think that groups like Gannett, Journal and others need to take a much harder look at stations that go on the market than they currently are doing as it seems, and pick out stations that fit their portfolios. To let two companies fill their portfolios with 100+ stations, while risking the companies own bottom lines because of their greediness doesn't make business sense. Sinclair and Nexstar are not Time Warner or News Corporation, they can't make the conglomerate model work for them as the big boys that have more diverse media properties do.

Doesn't that actually suggest that the Journals and Gannetts are being very smart? If the Sinclair and Nexstar acquisitions aren't sustainable, those stations will eventually be available again at significantly reduced prices.

But at the same time, the Gannetts and Journals would take a more thorough analysis on which stations would fit their portfolios. I have my doubts that Sinclair and Nexstar are looking as thoroughly, and that seems to show in the fact that they are buying stations in bulk. In fact, on the Fisher deal, the firm Glancy Binkow & Goldberg LLP is investigating claims as to whether Fisher's board of directors even adequately shopped the group to other owners before choosing to sell the company to Sinclair.

http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/04/11/2613425/fisher-communications-inc-board.html

That'll be interesting to follow, but still, it's not just about whether a station might fit your group but what it will cost and whether it's in your company's interest to make a huge investment at any given time.

Having spent 30 years in TV, 10 on the management side, I can tell you that if a careful company like Scripps were buying, Gannett and Journal would need to pay close attention and maybe switch into acquisition mode, because Scripps will keep those assets forever.

But if they believed the buyers are being reckless and there's a good chance that all the stations they eat are going to get thrown up, maybe in bankruptcy court at pennies on the dollar, in four or five years, then why not sit by, build the cash reserves and buy the ones that make sense for less when the time comes?

 

[ding12]

Seattle is a huge market, home to Microsoft, Starbucks, etc and it's a huge an international destination/hub. Sinclair running one of the major network stations, an ABC affiliate, won't be good. Likely costs will be cut and the city/market will get a low class product. All the tourists into the market will see a low class ABC affiliate as well.

Assuming the ABC affiliation was close to expiring, Maybe Disney could buy out another station in the market?