Triolopoly or Quadrolopy or more stations?

[nomadcowatbk]

Is NBC even considered a 4th place network anymore?

 

[dave73]

Well what happens if you buy a fifth ranked station and it moves to #3 or #2 or #1? Do you have to sell it or are you grandfathered in?

I believe in a situation like that, it might get grandfathered in. However, I would have a hard time seeing an independent or a netlet owned by a company with an ABC, NBC, CBS, or Fox affiliation (or owned by the network themselves) get high enough ratings to bump a major network station down position #5 and lower. If the duopoly is owned by the networks themselves, there's no way they want the other station to outperform the major network station.

 

[compubit]

I believe in a situation like that, it might get grandfathered in. However, I would have a hard time seeing an independent or a netlet owned by a company with an ABC, NBC, CBS, or Fox affiliation (or owned by the network themselves) get high enough ratings to bump a major network station down position #5 and lower. If the duopoly is owned by the networks themselves, there's no way they want the other station to outperform the major network station.

Look at Miami:

Post Newsweek (WPLG/10/ABC) was going to purchase NBC O&O WTVJ/6. In the Miami market, due to signal issues and the Hispanic market, WTVJ is the 5th or 6th highest ranted station, thus the duopoly would be permitted. Other factors ensued resulting the failure of the acquisition, but it could have happened.

J