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

The CW has opted not to renew affiliations with E.W. Scripps-owned stations in seven markets.

Nexstar Media Group, the broadcast network’s corporate parent, says it is “confident” that replacement deals will keep The CW on the air across the U.S. Affected markets include Detroit, Miami, Tucson, AZ; Corpus Christi, TX; San Luis Obispo, CA; Norfolk, VA; and Lafayette, LA.

In a statement provided to Deadline, Nexstar said the CW affiliations in Norfolk and Lafayette would be moving to Nexstar-owned stations as of September 1.

Oddly enough Detroit is on the list again for losing their CW affiliation. The last time that happened was because Paramount ended the CW affiliation on WKBD because the CW Sports contract went against the CBS Sports contract when it came to LIV Golf. Also WKBD is a secondary CBS affiliate whenever CBS Detroit has to go to breaking news or has to continue CBS Sports programming.
 
Oddly enough Detroit is on the list again for losing their CW affiliation. The last time that happened was because Paramount ended the CW affiliation on WKBD because the CW Sports contract went against the CBS Sports contract when it came to LIV Golf. Also WKBD is a secondary CBS affiliate whenever CBS Detroit has to go to breaking news or has to continue CBS Sports programming.
I would be suprising if Graham might buy WADL at some point so they can put CW back on channel 38.
 
TBH: Do u think that Sunbeam will drop Fox in Miami (assusming if the affliation deal expires) and move to WSFL and pick up CW for WSVN and probably move their Boston affiliation to WHDH and turn WLVI into a MNTV station? It wont be the last time that Miami will change their affiliation.
 
TBH: Do u think that Sunbeam will drop Fox in Miami (assusming if the affliation deal expires) and move to WSFL and pick up CW for WSVN and probably move their Boston affiliation to WHDH and turn WLVI into a MNTV station? It wont be the last time that Miami will change their affiliation.

Highly unlikely. I don't even think Miami or Boston is that desperate to have MNTV since, unlike The CW or even Ion, they don't have live sports coverage. It's just syndication programming for 10 hours a week.

With WSVN, I can't see them dropping NFL coverage (specifically Dolphins games, even though they're an AFC team) for "loud, intrusive, vile" golf. Same with WHDH. They went the independent route just to provide more local news and kept The CW on WLVI, and it will likely stay that way.
 
Highly unlikely. I don't even think Miami or Boston is that desperate to have MNTV since, unlike The CW or even Ion, they don't have live sports coverage. It's just syndication programming for 10 hours a week.

With WSVN, I can't see them dropping NFL coverage (specifically Dolphins games, even though they're an AFC team) for "loud, intrusive, vile" golf. Same with WHDH. They went the independent route just to provide more local news and kept The CW on WLVI, and it will likely stay that way.
CW now has WWE NXT, ACC, and NASCAR Xfinity Series, Ion has WNBA and NWSL, also there's some news producing CW stations like KTLA, KRON, WPIX, WCCB, and WISH (WGN might return at some point with KUSI might join soon). So basically it was Scripps now focusing the Big 4 stations (with bigger sports rights), Ion and independents. WSFL was then under Tribune Media, Sinclair attempted to buy Tribune Media and Fox offered to buy some of the Sinclair and Tribune stations including WSFL. Miami might be a critical find compare that to Detroit after they moved from WKBD to WADL to WMYD and probably WADL? Wait till the guys from Tegna, Gray, Hearst, or Sinclair might claw in to buy more stations especially if Nexstar want to sell some stations in order to take control of WPIX.
 
Does CW make any money? It seems like a drifting network.
It has never made money. Nexstar has aimed to have it break even by the end of next year, and it is very possible that still happens even with the current affiliation drama.
 
It has never made money. Nexstar has aimed to have it break even by the end of next year, and it is very possible that still happens even with the current affiliation drama.
Their cut to the bone strategy may well make them profitable. No one will mistake them for a wildly successful enterprise, but the purpose of the CW under the C and the W was one component of a multifaceted approach. Not so much under the new sheriff in town. That’s not a criticism of either; just that the mission changed dramatically when majority control changed.
 
Looks like you can take Detroit off that list….
But wait, there's more! The FCC basically prohibited Mission from engaging in any business with Nexstar in operating WADL, forcing the shell corporation to run a station when they have had little to no staff or facilities of any sort. And Adell is retaining ownership of WADL's current facilities.

This is a horrible decision for Nexstar and it makes you wonder if WADL can even become the CW affiliate again given that Nexstar owns the network.

From the above TheDesk.net article:
“Any financing utilized by Mission in connection with either the acquisition of WADL or Mission’s operation of the Station, including with regard to day-to-day operations, capital improvements, programming acquisition, or technical upgrades to the Station, may not involve Nexstar, its affiliates,…or any related person or entity in any manner, including through the provision of such financing directly or indirectly, the guarantee of any loan or debt instrument sought or held by Mission, or the provision of collateral to secure a loan or debt instrument sought or held by Mission.”

Additionally, the FCC said the sale is allowed to move forward if Mission is allowed to claim 70 percent of WADL’s ad inventory revenue for itself, limit Nexstar’s annual performance bonuses to $155,500 and restructure certain purchase options involving Nexstar should Mission enter into a shared services agreement with the broadcaster to operate WADL when the sale closes. It also prohibits Mission from extending Nexstar an option to purchase the station at some point if both sides enter into a shared service agreement.
 
But wait, there's more! The FCC basically prohibited Mission from engaging in any business with Nexstar in operating WADL, forcing the shell corporation to run a station when they have had little to no staff or facilities of any sort. And Adell is retaining ownership of WADL's current facilities.

This is a horrible decision for Nexstar and it makes you wonder if WADL can even become the CW affiliate again given that Nexstar owns the network.

From the above TheDesk.net article:

And here is one that may prevent WADL from getting the CW affiliation its this one related to the fines that Mission has to deal with relating to CW affiliate WPIX-TV New York.


The Federal Communications Commission has ordered Mission Broadcasting to sell WPIX New York and fined Nexstar Media Group more than $1.2 million because Nexstar has taken de facto control of the station in violation of agency rules.


The agency also ordered Mission to pay a forfeiture of $612,395 for rules violations, the maximum allowed.


“We find that Mission and Nexstar have committed apparent willful and repeated violations,” the FCC said.

Nexstar said it intends to dispute the ruling “vigorously.” Mission called the decision "unwarranted" and said it would also contest the ruling.

Nexstar, which has a financial interest in Mission, operates WPIX under a series of management agreements. The FCC said that because Nexstar programs the stations and collects its advertising and distribution revenue, it controls the station without approval. The arrangement also puts Nexstar over the 39% station ownership cap, which is why Nexstar opted to divest WPIX and WGN Chicago after buying Tribune Media in 2019.
 
The FCC document. And it is basically making a CW affiliation all but impossible.

From paragraph 54:
Accordingly, we impose the following condition: No more than 15% of the programming time aired on WADL may consist of programming provided by, procured from, or owned by Nexstar, its affiliates, or its VIEs. Accordingly, Mission may not lease time to, procure from, outsource to, or otherwise air programming owned, provided, produced, or procured by Nexstar, its affiliates, or its VIEs for more than 15% of WADL's programming time, including, but not limited to, by affiliation with The CW Network, NewsNation, or any other programming source majority-owned or controlled by Nexstar or its affiliates. For purposes of clarity, if WADL airs more than one channel of programming, this limitation shall apply to each channel or multicast stream of programming offered by the station, such that no more than 15% of the programming time on any one channel or multicast stream may consist of programming provided by, procured from, or owned by Nexstar, its affiliates, or its variable interest entities.
15% of 168 hours means Nexstar cannot supply more than 25 hours and 20 minutes of programming per week. The CW primetime takes up 15 hours total per week, meaning they cannot program any more than 10 hours of sports per week or any NewsNation simulcasts.

Mission got a greenlight to purchase a boat anchor. For $75 million.
 
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But wait, there's more! The FCC basically prohibited Mission from engaging in any business with Nexstar in operating WADL, forcing the shell corporation to run a station when they have had little to no staff or facilities of any sort. And Adell is retaining ownership of WADL's current facilities.

This is a horrible decision for Nexstar and it makes you wonder if WADL can even become the CW affiliate again given that Nexstar owns the network.

From the above TheDesk.net article:
It would've have being sold to another regional broadcaster like Gray, Hearst, Tegna, Sinclair, or even the owner of WDIV which is Graham. Nexstar would have talk to those rivals to sell some stations in exchange for CW renewals and if they reach more than 6-7% drop out of the 39% than Nexstar already nearly reached and they would get control of WPIX itself.
 
It has never made money. Nexstar has aimed to have it break even by the end of next year, and it is very possible that still happens even with the current affiliation drama.
For many years, the CW was allowed to lose money by then-owners CBS and Warner because it served as a platform for programs from their studios that could be sold to streaming services for a nice profit -- in essence, the streaming deals made more money for CBS and Warner than they lost on the network, so it was an overall win for them.

But when those streaming deals went away (because the parent companies wanted to bring the streaming rights in house), it collapsed that business model and they were left with an unprofitable network that had no upside. Thus the sale to Nexstar and all the instability that we're now seeing.
 
Oddly enough Detroit is on the list again for losing their CW affiliation. The last time that happened was because Paramount ended the CW affiliation on WKBD because the CW Sports contract went against the CBS Sports contract when it came to LIV Golf. Also WKBD is a secondary CBS affiliate whenever CBS Detroit has to go to breaking news or has to continue CBS Sports programming.
And unless I'm mistaken, Nexstar doesn't own a station in Detroit
 

And here is one that may prevent WADL from getting the CW affiliation its this one related to the fines that Mission has to deal with relating to CW affiliate WPIX-TV New York.
If you ask me, Nexstar/Mission should NEVER have bought WPIX back from Scripps once it completed the merger with Tribune

The machine wasn't broke. Why did they try to fix it??
 
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