Tribune to buy Local TV

[Kent]

was it a top 4 during the WB years?

When it had the WB plus the Cardinals, KPLR was top-4. When the Cards went to KSDK a few years ago, they dropped out.

As we've talked about on another thread, the Cards have been with KPLR off and on for a long time, though I only moved to the area in '01, which is my reference point. Since then, with the Cards, KPLR was top-4. Without them, they've fallen out.

 

[justpassingthough]

If St Louis is a nine station market and is allowed one duopoly, won't the KSDK and KMOV duopoly supersede the KPLR and KTVI duopoly, assuming the Gannett- Belo deal closes first? It sounds like one of these groups will be responsible for selling a station.

With Tribune investing in original programming for WGN America, it will be interesting to see if they use there new, larger station group to buoy this programming- or if this is an even larger plan to run a cable network and national tv station group with original programming since the CW is mere years from going away.

Certainly Peter Liguouri is capable of building up a network worth of programming after transforming FX from an also ran to one of the leaders in cable original programming.

 

[searadiofreak]

Tribune is not new to big market tv stations, most with strong local news operations. WGN Chicago, KTLA Los Angeles, WPIX New York, KCPQ Seattle/Tacoma, Denver, Washington DC, Miami to name a few. This will make them a real player, perhaps partnering their CW stations up with network affiliates in some places.

 

[JeeperOne]

Looking at the list of markets where there might be an overlap, unless KFCT For Collins & KDVR simulcast, one of those has to be sold, as Tribune already owns KWGN with Local TV running an LMA on the station. Otherwise, they don't overlap.

KFCT merely relays KDVR 31into the Ft. Collins area. It is NOT a seperate station

As for the KWGN/KDVR duo itself, all that will change is the credits at the end of each newscast. Nothing more

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

Will they even keep WGN America?

More than likely - Yes

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

Maybe Tribune/Local TV can make a deal with FOX by selling KCPQ - Seatle, KSWB - San Diego, KTVI - St. Louis, KDVR - Denver to FOX Broadcasting.

Why ?? What would be gained by that ??

If KDVR were sold back to Fox, Tribune would have to rebuild the primetime news audience on KWGN (Which has been DECIMATED since moving from 9:00 PM to 7:00 PM) & do so WITHOUT the help of KDVR !! Tribune REALLY doesn't wanna even THINK about going there

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

Nor is Gannett going to sell KTVK/KASW after setting Jack Sander's sidecar company up.

Gannett HAS to sell Indie KTVK 3 !!! They have NO choice unless they decide to sell NBC affiliate KPNX 12 instead (Pigs will grow wings before THAT happens)

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

Also maybe Tribune & Media General can swap KRON (4, San Francisco) to Tribune for those stations:

Snip.....

Why do you think Tribune would be even REMOTELY interested in KRON 4 ?? It's only a MyNetwork TV affiliate (And a WEAK one at that)

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[Markxxx]

Does anyone know if any of these Local TV stations have bad DTV allocations? Like short spaced RF frequencies or transmitters that are directional or other such things?

Anyone have any info on cable penetration in the Local TV markets? That could also make a huge difference.

 

[michael hagerty]

If St Louis is a nine station market and is allowed one duopoly, won't the KSDK and KMOV duopoly supersede the KPLR and KTVI duopoly, assuming the Gannett- Belo deal closes first? It sounds like one of these groups will be responsible for selling a station.

KSDK and KMOV won't be a duopoly. St. Louis is one of two markets where Gannett is selling the Belo station to Jack Sander, and not doing a shared services agreement to operate the station. Legally, KSDK and KMOV will, according to Gannett, be separate, competing entities.

 

[michael hagerty]

Looking at the list of markets where there might be an overlap, unless KFCT For Collins & KDVR simulcast, one of those has to be sold, as Tribune already owns KWGN with Local TV running an LMA on the station. Otherwise, they don't overlap.

KFCT merely relays KDVR 31into the Ft. Collins area. It is NOT a seperate station.

Cheers & 73 ;D

KFCT is a separate station with a separate FCC license. That's how the FCC looks at it. Depending how signal contours overlap, it could give Tribune 3 signals where they are only allowed 2. One would have to be sold and the Denver stations generate more cash.

 

[michael hagerty]

Nor is Gannett going to sell KTVK/KASW after setting Jack Sander's sidecar company up.

Gannett HAS to sell Indie KTVK 3 !!! They have NO choice unless they decide to sell NBC affiliate KPNX 12 instead (Pigs will grow wings before THAT happens)

Cheers & 73 ;D

We went through this...and you were a particpant...int the Gannett+Belo thread.

Gannett is transferring ownership of KTVK/KASW to Jack Sander. They're guaranteeing the loan. The full context of my quote was that Gannett will not be selling KTVK/KASW to Tribune (as another poster suggested) or any other currently existing station group.

 

[fybush]

KFCT is a separate station with a separate FCC license. That's how the FCC looks at it.

Except that it isn't, exactly, and they don't.

In this particular case, KFCT has "satellite station" status, which means that while it does have a separate license, it's not considered to be a separate attributable ownership interest. The tradeoff is that it also doesn't qualify separately for cable/satellite must-carry so long as it's considered a satellite.

There aren't many such satellite stations in markets this big. The other example that immediately comes to mind is KPNX/KNAZ in the Phoenix market.

As with the former second satellite of KPNX, KMOH 6 Kingman, KNAZ or KFCT could be sold to separate owners (and I believe Gannett has tried to sell KNAZ in recent years.) If KFCT were sold to a separate owner, it could then assert must-carry. As long as Local TV or Tribune keeps the KDVR/KFCT situation intact, it doesn't appear to me that it would create an ownership cap issue - and if it does, they'll simply sell KFCT.

(Which, presumably, is why Local has kept KFCT as a separate license instead of converting it to a high-powered digital replacement translator; a separate license can be sold, while a digital replacement translator can't be.)

 

[michael hagerty]

KFCT is a separate station with a separate FCC license. That's how the FCC looks at it.

Except that it isn't, exactly, and they don't.

In this particular case, KFCT has "satellite station" status, which means that while it does have a separate license, it's not considered to be a separate attributable ownership interest. The tradeoff is that it also doesn't qualify separately for cable/satellite must-carry so long as it's considered a satellite.

There aren't many such satellite stations in markets this big. The other example that immediately comes to mind is KPNX/KNAZ in the Phoenix market.

As with the former second satellite of KPNX, KMOH 6 Kingman, KNAZ or KFCT could be sold to separate owners (and I believe Gannett has tried to sell KNAZ in recent years.) If KFCT were sold to a separate owner, it could then assert must-carry. As long as Local TV or Tribune keeps the KDVR/KFCT situation intact, it doesn't appear to me that it would create an ownership cap issue - and if it does, they'll simply sell KFCT.

(Which, presumably, is why Local has kept KFCT as a separate license instead of converting it to a high-powered digital replacement translator; a separate license can be sold, while a digital replacement translator can't be.)

Scott: Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense. Sorry if I caused any confusion in the thread.

So the bottom line now is that Tribune's acquisition of Local creates no issues that would force divestiture of a TV station. There's one market where there'd be a TV/newspaper crossownership, but Trib's expected to sell the paper.

 

[Morgan Wick]

Hey Pat, if you opened up each quote link in a new tab, not only would you be able to copy-and-paste to put all your replies in a single post, you'd know when you'd be covering ground gone over in the thread already.

 

[KeithE4]

There aren't many such satellite stations in markets this big. The other example that immediately comes to mind is KPNX/KNAZ in the Phoenix market.

Tribune's WTTV/WTTK Indianapolis (licensed to Bloomington and Kokomo, respectively) is another.

 

[TheRob]

We churn out a lot of news and make a lot of money for a station of our market size. So does KTVI. So do a lot of the former FOX O&Os. I don't see Tribune turning around to trade us to someone else. We make bank. Tribune has bills to pay and transmission rights to negotiate. Stations like WSFL or KIAH, jokes among jokes, won't cut it in today's market.

 

[JeeperOne]

Looking at the list of markets where there might be an overlap, unless KFCT For Collins & KDVR simulcast, one of those has to be sold, as Tribune already owns KWGN with Local TV running an LMA on the station. Otherwise, they don't overlap.

KFCT merely relays KDVR 31into the Ft. Collins area. It is NOT a seperate station.

Cheers & 73 ;D

KFCT is a separate station with a separate FCC license. That's how the FCC looks at it. Depending how signal contours overlap, it could give Tribune 3 signals where they are only allowed 2. One would have to be sold and the Denver stations generate more cash.

Not if KFCT is used as a satellite station for either KWGN 2 or KDVR 31 (Which it is - For KDVR 31). Doubtful FCC will force Tribune to sell it (Doing that would make Ft. Collins its own TV market - With only ONE station - KFCT)

It would also put Fox in the same position ABC got out of in the SF Bay Area when Granite-owned KNTV left ABC for homeless NBC back in the 90s (NBC of course later bought KNTV). This is NOT that sitation

I don't think the FCC REALLY wants to open up the can of worms of signal overlapping

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[michael hagerty]

Looking at the list of markets where there might be an overlap, unless KFCT For Collins & KDVR simulcast, one of those has to be sold, as Tribune already owns KWGN with Local TV running an LMA on the station. Otherwise, they don't overlap.

KFCT merely relays KDVR 31into the Ft. Collins area. It is NOT a seperate station.

Cheers & 73 ;D

KFCT is a separate station with a separate FCC license. That's how the FCC looks at it. Depending how signal contours overlap, it could give Tribune 3 signals where they are only allowed 2. One would have to be sold and the Denver stations generate more cash.

Not if KFCT is used as a satellite station for either KWGN 2 or KDVR 31 (Which it is - For KDVR 31). Doubtful FCC will force Tribune to sell it (Doing that would make Ft. Collins its own TV market - With only ONE station - KFCT)

It would also put Fox in the same position ABC got out of in the SF Bay Area when Granite-owned KNTV left ABC for homeless NBC back in the 90s (NBC of course later bought KNTV). This is NOT that sitation

I don't think the FCC REALLY wants to open up the can of worms of signal overlapping

Cheers & 73 ;D

Thanks, Pat. Scott Fybush cleared that up for me in a post this morning.

 

[dave73]

There aren't many such satellite stations in markets this big. The other example that immediately comes to mind is KPNX/KNAZ in the Phoenix market.

Tribune's WTTV/WTTK Indianapolis (licensed to Bloomington and Kokomo, respectively) is another.

In the past, WTTV & WTTK had little overlap in the market, that it made sense for a simulcast. Since Tribune moved WTTK's transmission to Marion County, WTTK covers nearly all the same areas as most other Indianapolis stations (it mainly lost some far northern counties when their antenna moved to the immediate Indianapolis area). There's too much overlap in coverage between WTTV & WTTK, that I believe this duo should be split. One station that WTTV could be paired with is WNDY Marion, IN, since WNDY only covers the northern part of the market, & can not move their transmitter any further south than it can now. Just like WTTV can't move any further north, since WTTV is licensed to Bloomington, IN. For now, I don't see WTTV & WTTK being split, despite having too much overlap in coverage.