• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WBNS AM-FM-TV sold to Nexstar; to merge with WCMH-TV

R

Rollo-Smokes

The long-rumoured buyout of Tegna by Nexstar has been made official. Sale price is $6.2 million. Pending final FCC approval–and with the help of further loosening of the regulations–Nexstar will be merging 10TV, 97.1 the FAN and ESPN 1460 with their existing Columbus property, NBC4.

The big impact will obviously be felt on the television side, and that is dominating the conversation. But how would WBNS (AM) and WBNS-FM–Tegna's only radio stations–fit in the Nexstar universe, assuming that the new owner doesn't decide to spin them off? We shall see...
 
Last edited:
I can see Nexstar holding onto the radio property for one reason - The Ohio State University rights! But truthfully I can see it also being sold. The problem is who would want to buy a standalone AM/FM station outside of also getting the The Ohio State University sports rights. Plus the major radio media companies in the market are already maxed on ownership (i.e. Saga, iHeart, Radio One). Would someone like NABCO be able to pick up the AM/FM if Nexstar wanted to unload it?

The interesting thing I think about is is there a market where Nextstar owns two major network affilates? i.e. CBS and NBC? Will they keep separate newsroom/lineups or will we see Nexstar consolidate the newsroom side of things which ultimately would lead to job losses.

Market wise it also means two major broadcasters control the full power TV licenses in the market with Sinclair owning WTTE, WSYX, WWHO and Nexstar who would own WBNS, WCMH.
 
Another thing you would have to take notice is Nexstar currently owns WGN-AM and outside of the news programming, currently is the flagship for Blackhawks and Northwestern Football and Basketball. My thing is if Nexstar takes over, are they gonna keep all the local programming that the Fan does. They are currently llive from 6am - 8pm daily, including a digitial show on youtube, original weekend programming, flagship for the Buckeyes and Blue Jackets. Carry Westwood One and the Reds. Oh they also have the ONN network that's still pretty active across the state of Ohio. We all know that Perry Sook loves paying dirt cheap so I would assume they be asking for pay cuts for no reason.

Another thing to take into consideration is that NBC4's tower is at that building. So there's a chance they would move all of NBC4 over to that building.
 
RadioListener21 said:
Another thing to take into consideration is that NBC4's tower is at that building. So there's a chance they would move all of NBC4 over to that building.
Click to expand...
If they do combine news assets I fully see them relocating NBC4 to the WBNS facility since WCMH as you said already transmits from there. I would assume Nexstar owns the property NBC4 studios is currently located on and it's in a prime development location so I could see them easily selling that real-estate possibly.
 
xmusicmatt said:
If they do combine news assets I fully see them relocating NBC4 to the WBNS facility since WCMH as you said already transmits from there. I would assume Nexstar owns the property NBC4 studios is currently located on and it's in a prime development location so I could see them easily selling that real-estate possibly.
Click to expand...
That is my feeling also. On the technical side, the WBNS plant may be better suited to host WCMH than the other way around. And there would be no more need for channel 4 to use a STL.

3165 Olentangy River Rd can definitely be repurposed. Its proximity to the Ohio State campus makes it very desirable.
 
xmusicmatt said:
The problem is who would want to buy a standalone AM/FM station outside of also getting the The Ohio State University sports rights. Plus the major radio media companies in the market are already maxed on ownership (i.e. Saga, iHeart, Radio One). Would someone like NABCO be able to pick up the AM/FM if Nexstar wanted to unload it?
Click to expand...
Saga could sell one of its class A's should it make a deal to acquire WBNS from Nexstar. It's also possible that ownership limits could be eliminated by the current administration.
 
Not only WCMH on the WBNS tower, but numerous FM stations too. Nice cash register the Wolfe's installed on the property when that tower went up. Anyone know the lease price for transmitter space on a tower these days?
 
Does Saga own a personnel heavy station like WBNS? Do they own sports rights in any other market? WBNS is a complicated intricate operation, with a big staff and a lot of moving parts.. Nexstar does own WGN, another complicated big staff station with lots of moving parts. I think they keep it.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
The long-rumoured buyout of Tegna by Nexstar has been made official. Sale price is $6.2 million. Pending final FCC approval–and with the help of further loosening of the regulations–Nexstar will be merging 10TV, 97.1 the FAN and ESPN 1460 with their existing Columbus property, NBC4.

The big impact will obviously be felt on the television side, and that is dominating the conversation. But how would WBNS (AM) and WBNS-FM–Tegna's only radio stations–fit in the Nexstar universe, assuming that the new owner doesn't decide to spin them off? We shall see...
Click to expand...
Sale priced is 6.2 BILLION, not million!
 
Does Nexstar care that they have a high-class station like WBNS in their portfolio? Are they going to nurture it consistent with the kind of station it has been or are they going to treat it like all the other stations they have? With Perry Sook being an Ohio University graduate, you have to think he knows full well what kind of station it is.

Also surprised they are selling WTHR, but their CBS/Fox duopoly in Indianapolis must make more money. That's what happened in Providence where they ended up offloading WJAR, which was the WBNS of that market.

It appears that the Wolfes sold out at the right time.
 
Over the weekend, WBNS was tagging their newscasts with the Nexstar copyright. Same one that runs after WCMH newscasts. It’s now gone from Chan 10.
 


Back
Top Bottom