The CW Opts Not To Renew Affiliation Deals With Scripps-Owned Stations In Seven Markets

[Rusty Muck]

Maybe not...

Owner of WADL Detroit Urges Mission To Close Station Purchase

‘After June 30, 2024, I will be exploring all of my options,’ says CEO Kevin Adell

www.nexttv.com

Mission was going to sit this out after the FCC handcuffed WADL from even becoming a CW affiliate. It was a deal killer.

Kevin’s poor grammar ("I will exploring all of my options"), misspellings (“Oder and Opinion”) and “govern yourselves accordingly” signature make for one of the least professional letters to come from anyone in the history of broadcasting.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Nexstar CEO Perry Sook criticizes streaming business weeks after CW launches first FAST channel

Nexstar's CEO Perry Sook disparaged the streaming television business, several weeks after the company's broadcast network launched its first free streaming TV channel.

thedesk.net

Here is more on Perry Sook's response on streaming.

The top executive at Nexstar Media Group has criticized the streaming television business, just a few weeks after the company’s CW Network launched its first free, ad-supported streaming channel.

On a phone call with investors on Thursday, Nexstar CEO Perry Sook affirmed the company has few aspirations to deliver its broadcast and cable stations directly to consumers through an à la carte online offering, unless that product somehow resembles the traditional cable or satellite bundle.

Local broadcast affiliates owned by Nexstar are distributed through a number of cable-like streaming services, including YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream, along with some network-owned services like Paramount Plus with Showtime and Comcast’s Peacock. The platforms are able to distribute Nexstar-owned ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates because of carriage agreements negotiated between the broadcast networks and the platforms.

 

[DarrenVision]

At least The CW app is not paywalled unlike the TVE based Big 3 network apps or Fox moving to Hulu and Fox.com after discontinuing the FoxNow app.

 

[only1moore]

Meanwhile, back in Detroit…

Exclusive: Mission Broadcasting terminates deal to acquire WADL-TV Detroit

The decision to terminate a purchase agreement with Adell Broadcasting comes about a month after the FCC conditionally approved the deal.

thedesk.net

 

[coxchantal8]

BREAKING: The sale of WADL to Mission Broadcasting has been canceled

Mission Broadcasting Terminates Agreement To Buy WADL Detroit

Cites conditions stemming from order to divest WPIX New York

www.nexttv.com

That leaves the 13th-largest television media market without a CW affiliate because WMYD is disaffiate from the CW at the end of this summer. NBC affiliate WDIV, is owned by Graham Media Group might be in the running to carrying a subchannel of the CW this fall. The subchannel of WDIV had been carried CW Sports before due to former CW affiliate WKBD declined to carried LIV Golf due to CBS Sports' contract with PGA tour.

 

[only1moore]

BREAKING: The sale of WADL to Mission Broadcasting has been canceled

Mission Broadcasting Terminates Agreement To Buy WADL Detroit

Cites conditions stemming from order to divest WPIX New York

www.nexttv.com

That leaves the 13th-largest television media market without a CW affiliate because WMYD is disaffiate from the CW at the end of this summer. NBC affiliate WDIV, is owned by Graham Media Group might be in the running to carrying a subchannel of the CW this fall. The subchannel of WDIV had been carried CW Sports before due to former CW affiliate WKBD declined to carried LIV Golf due to CBS Sports' contract with PGA tour.

This would be the best solution to get The CW on a sub channel in Detroit. WDIV would be the perfect fit.

 

[DarrenVision]

This would be the best solution to get The CW on a sub channel in Detroit. WDIV would be the perfect fit.

Or maybe Graham buys WADL instead, Graham already has a CW station in Jacksonville.

 

[Rusty Muck]

For the upteenth time, Graham is not going to want to deal with Kevin Adell, a man so deranged and unprofessional that he torpedoed the Mission deal to begin with. (The FCC merely finished it off.)

There's a far more realistic chance Adell loses WADL in bankruptcy court and it gets sold to a Godcaster for a pittance.

 

[Megatron]

I wonder if WDIV DT2 becomes The CW if they will air syndication or keep This TV and just air The CW primetime & sports. Kevin Adell is never going to get $75 Million for WADL blows it with CBS in 94 and now The CW and not playing nice with Nexstar, I knew that the deal was dead why didn't The FCC outright deny it then say they signed off to the deal. I strongly disagreed with The FCC putting rules when they approved the deal I agree with Brandon Carr.

 

[coxchantal8]

Prediction for the new CW affiliate come in 3 months from Saturday:

Lafayette, LA: The subchannel of CBS affiliate KLFY
Norfolk, VA: The subchannel of FOX affiliate WVBT (Both has been confirmed because both are own by Nexstar Media Group)

Still waiting who will be the new CW affiliate for the 5 remaining markets:
Corpus Christi, TX: The subchannel of FOX affiliate KSOC (Own by Sinclair Media)
Tucson, AZ: The subchannel of CBS affiliate KOLD (Own by Gray Television)
Miami, FL: The subchannel of FOX affiliate WSVN (Own by Sunbeam)
Detroit, MI: The subchannel of NBC affiliate WDIV (Own by Graham Media Group)
Santa Barbara, CA: TBA (I hoping that KPMR to be sold to Mission Broadcasting soon)

 

[Rusty Muck]

Prediction for the new CW affiliate come in 3 months from Saturday:

Lafayette, LA: The subchannel of CBS affiliate KLFY
Norfolk, VA: The subchannel of FOX affiliate WVBT (Both has been confirmed because both are own by Nexstar Media Group)

Still waiting who will be the new CW affiliate for the 5 remaining markets:
Corpus Christi, TX: The subchannel of FOX affiliate KSOC (Own by Sinclair Media)
Tucson, AZ: The subchannel of CBS affiliate KOLD (Own by Gray Television)
Miami, FL: The subchannel of FOX affiliate WSVN (Own by Sunbeam)
Detroit, MI: The subchannel of NBC affiliate WDIV (Own by Graham Media Group)
Santa Barbara, CA: TBA (I hoping that KPMR to be sold to Mission Broadcasting soon)

With all due respect, there's no reason why any of these stations should or would pick up the CW, and the likelihood companies like Sunbeam or Graham sink money into creating new stations when barely any syndicated programs exist just to carry a bottom-of-the-barrel network defies all reason and logic.

There is a good chance that Detroit, Miami, Tucson and Santa Barbara have no CW affiliate at all come September 1. There exists no such mandate for a network to have an affiliate in a given market, no matter what. If there is no affiliate, then there is no affiliate.

 

[tripinva]

I note that Tegna has CW stations. Which implies that KTTU in Tucson isn't outside the realm of reason, just slotting the programming into the existing lineup in place of My Network TV.

In Santa Barbara, the affiliate would be CW+ which has its own full schedule. So if NPG picked it up (NPG has CW affiliates), they could park it on a subchannel with minimal effort assuming they could find the bandwidth for it.

Miami and Detroit are definitely the odd markets out here, though. There isn't an obvious home in either one beyond a subchannel. It's possible they end up with no home, but an alternative would be for Nexstar to just lease a subchannel outright and program it as if it were any other subchannel network.

- Trip

 

[DarrenVision]

I note that Tegna has CW stations. Which implies that KTTU in Tucson isn't outside the realm of reason, just slotting the programming into the existing lineup in place of My Network TV.

In Santa Barbara, the affiliate would be CW+ which has its own full schedule. So if NPG picked it up (NPG has CW affiliates), they could park it on a subchannel with minimal effort assuming they could find the bandwidth for it.

Miami and Detroit are definitely the odd markets out here, though. There isn't an obvious home in either one beyond a subchannel. It's possible they end up with no home, but an alternative would be for Nexstar to just lease a subchannel outright and program it as if it were any other subchannel network.

- Trip

KFMB 8.2 might be a MNTV affiliate soon since Nexstar bought KUSI but I would be suprising what will happen soon in Memphis, Des Moines, East Texas, Macon, Spokane.

 

[Rusty Muck]

I note that Tegna has CW stations. Which implies that KTTU in Tucson isn't outside the realm of reason, just slotting the programming into the existing lineup in place of My Network TV.

Tegna is contracted with the CW through 2026, and they are clearly playing out the string since Nexstar gave them a three-year disaffiliation notice for KFMB-DT2. They also refuse to carry LIV as a group (KFMB's refusals go further than that IIRC).

Miami and Detroit are definitely the odd markets out here, though. There isn't an obvious home in either one beyond a subchannel. It's possible they end up with no home, but an alternative would be for Nexstar to just lease a subchannel outright and program it as if it were any other subchannel network.

I don't know if Nexstar is even legally capable of programming a subchannel by LMA or if it goes against the cap. And what would they be able to do to fill in the other 22 hours of the day that the CW doesn't program? Run 22 straight hours of Bryon Allen court shows? Simulcast WGN?

I just can't see any practical outcome but no affiliate in Detroit and Miami (and likely Tuscon).

 

[Rusty Muck]

KFMB 8.2 might be a MNTV affiliate soon since Nexstar bought KUSI but I would be suprising what will happen soon in Memphis, Des Moines, East Texas, Macon, Spokane.

KFMB-DT2 is contracted with the CW through 2026. It won't move to KUSI until then as Tegna simply won't let them.

And MyNetworkTV is not a network.

 

[DarrenVision]

Tegna is contracted with the CW through 2026, and they are clearly playing out the string since Nexstar gave them a three-year disaffiliation notice for KFMB-DT2. They also refuse to carry LIV as a group (KFMB's refusals go further than that IIRC).

Tegna is under the 39 percent cap and in case Nexstar might sell some stations including the sidecars including Mission they might swap and/or buy some assets, stations and affiliation rights and give Nexstar some space and capacity to buy WPIX.

I don't know if Nexstar is even legally capable of programming a subchannel by LMA or if it goes against the cap. And what would they be able to do to fill in the other 22 hours of the day that the CW doesn't program? Run 22 straight hours of Bryon Allen court shows? Simulcast WGN?

Unless Nexstar buys those AMG shows via syndication to fill on their CW Plus cable feed and their CW/MNTV/IND duopoly and subchannel stations. U cant fool Byron Allen even he tried to buy something including Tegna because mergers aren't going away.

I just can't see any practical outcome but no affiliate in Detroit and Miami (and likely Tuscon).

Unless Tegna, Gray, Hearst, Graham, BH, and/or Sunbeam buys either WSFL or WBFS. I'm sure they're still a lot of people are worried about losing some CW shows OTA in their markets unless consolidation. Graham is more likely pick up WADL because carrying via WDIV's subchannels is a non starter. AMG, Tegna, and Gray might be looking into Tucson either the Univision/UniMas station or Telemundo.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Tegna is under the 39 percent cap and in case Nexstar might sell some stations including the sidecars including Mission they might swap and/or buy some assets, stations and affiliation rights and give Nexstar some space and capacity to buy WPIX.

Nexstar is not going to sell anything, and they are not going to anything to a chain hostile to the CW. End of story.

Unless Nexstar buys those AMG shows via syndication to fill on their CW Plus cable feed and their CW/MNTV/IND duopoly and subchannel stations. U cant fool Byron Allen even he tried to buy something including Tegna because mergers aren't going away.

This makes zero sense.

Unless Tegna, Gray, Hearst, Graham, BH, and/or Sunbeam buys either WSFL or WBFS.

Neither station is for sale.

I'm sure they're still a lot of people are worried about losing some CW shows OTA in their markets unless consolidation.

No one in either market is worried about losing a network with zero identity, Z-level sports and cheap, forgettable programming in primetime. I betcha the average person has no idea what the CW is.

Graham is more likely pick up WADL because carrying via WDIV's subchannels is a non starter.

For the upteenth time again, Graham is not buying WADL. That scenario does not exist in real life and yet you keep rehashing it over and over in sheer defiance of the facts. Stop it.

 

[DarrenVision]

Nexstar is not going to sell anything, and they are not going to anything to a chain hostile to the CW. End of story.

The Biden FCC says so, either sell WPIX or sell some of their Nexstar/Mission/White Knight/Vaughan stations to buy WPIX. The LMA sidecar era is over and so does Sinclair.

 

[tripinva]

I don't know if Nexstar is even legally capable of programming a subchannel by LMA or if it goes against the cap. And what would they be able to do to fill in the other 22 hours of the day that the CW doesn't program? Run 22 straight hours of Bryon Allen court shows? Simulcast WGN?

I don't see how it would be any different than paying for carriage of Antenna TV or Rewind, which they legally do in plenty of places where they don't own stations. Obviously, I'm not an attorney, but it seems comparable.

Why not Rewind the other 22 hours? It's Nexstar's, they already own it, and it doesn't have an affiliate in Detroit or Miami.

- Trip

 

[Kelly A]

The Biden FCC says so, either sell WPIX or sell some of their Nexstar/Mission/White Knight/Vaughan stations to buy WPIX. The LMA sidecar era is over and so does Sinclair.

Very little of this makes any sense. Gibberish.