WBNX to be acquired by Nexstar & re-affiliate with the CW in Fall 2025 creating a duopoly with FOX affiliate WJW

[snowdog88]

Weigel could have bought it as a diginet coatrack but opted not to.

I always thought that would happen. They probably inquired about buying, but didn't agree on the purchase price and decided to purchase what is now WOCV-CD from Media-Com.

However, if Weigel did buy WBNX, I doubt that they would continue to operate the main channel as a local independent, and it would be hard to re-locate the existing syndicated programming to the other stations if the main channel ended up carrying one of their networks full time. Still, Weigel would have improved upon the independent format of WBNX.

 

[Firebird61]

However, if Weigel did buy WBNX, I doubt that they would continue to operate the main channel as a local independent, and it would be hard to re-locate the existing syndicated programming to the other stations if the main channel ended up carrying one of their networks full time. Still, Weigel would have improved upon the independent format of WBNX.

Weigel operates WCIU/26 in Chicago and WMLW/49 in Milwaukee as full power independents consisting of much of the same fare seen on WBNX. As such, WBNX or if another station becomes available (I'm looking at you Channel 61) could be operated as full power independents with the diginets on the subchannels.

 

[Rusty Muck]

However, if Weigel did buy WBNX, I doubt that they would continue to operate the main channel as a local independent, and it would be hard to re-locate the existing syndicated programming to the other stations if the main channel ended up carrying one of their networks full time. Still, Weigel would have improved upon the independent format of WBNX.

Weigel's purchases almost always wind up with one of their diginets replacing the programming on the primary channel outright. They would have absolutely junked everything on 55 and moved MeTV to 55.1, which honestly would have been an improvement.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Weigel operates WCIU/26 in Chicago and WMLW/49 in Milwaukee as full power independents consisting of much of the same fare seen on WBNX. As such, WBNX or if another station becomes available (I'm looking at you Channel 61) could be operated as full power independents with the diginets on the subchannels.

I honestly disagree. There is nowhere near enough syndicated programming of quality that can be had for an newly-established independent station, unless you want it to have 7–8 hours of poorly produced court shows from Byron Allen. Weigel wouldn't waste their time trying to program something with minimal programming available when much better options already exist with their turnkey diginets.

And why would Univision sell off 61? It makes money as a Univision relay transmitter with no staff and gets must-carry revenue.

 

[skiwest]

And why would Univision sell off 61? It makes money as a Univision relay transmitter with no staff and gets must-carry revenue.

$$$$

 

[Rusty Muck]

$$$$

Univision got a lot of money after pawning off their dud radio stations to Latino Media Group for a king's ransom. They are not cash poor.

WQHS has no budget and turns a profit running Univision on the bird, let alone whatever contracts exist for their subchannels. They aren't selling it and have no reason to, nor would anyone not named Daystar want to overpay for a station that needs infrastructure and a program inventory.

 

[MediaLover]

WBNX has announced the addition of Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble this fall. It also shows the new CW 55 logo too!

https://www.facebook.com/wbnxtv/posts/pfbid038P1c8WBDhZZShtVxAC5ZDDg8ePffcH3bVp1fmE5NgfNVmvZMLE7bZK8J3gaZJtDLl

 

[Mr Tony]

WBNX has announced the addition of Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble this fall. It also shows the new CW 55 logo too!

https://www.facebook.com/wbnxtv/posts/pfbid038P1c8WBDhZZShtVxAC5ZDDg8ePffcH3bVp1fmE5NgfNVmvZMLE7bZK8J3gaZJtDLl

Those shows were on this past season on the CW so it’s not an addition. It is to the station since they have now have CW

 

[MediaLover]

WBNX also confirmed in the same post that the new logo is going up on WJW's building in South Marginal Road/Dick Goddard Way in Cleveland. That means CW 55 is now in with FOX 8 near I-90.

 

[snowdog88]

WBNX has announced the addition of Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble this fall. It also shows the new CW 55 logo too!

https://www.facebook.com/wbnxtv/posts/pfbid038P1c8WBDhZZShtVxAC5ZDDg8ePffcH3bVp1fmE5NgfNVmvZMLE7bZK8J3gaZJtDLl

So, not radically different then what they initially had before, other than the addition of the channel allocation at the end. Most of the CW affiliate logos use the same basic template, with the original WBNX logo being an exception.

 

[Rusty Muck]

WBNX also confirmed in the same post that the new logo is going up on WJW's building in South Marginal Road/Dick Goddard Way in Cleveland. That means CW 55 is now in with FOX 8 near I-90.

Surprised they'd even do that given WBNX is going to be a rack of engineering equipment in a broom closet.

 

[jtakach98]

That logo is so... boring, and that's comparing it to channel 3's number-in-a-circle logo.

Are all the CW station logos that bland?

 

[Rusty Muck]

That logo is so... boring, and that's comparing it to channel 3's number-in-a-circle logo.

Are all the CW station logos that bland?

Yes. That is the template from the network that almost all affiliates (not including WPIX, KTLA, WGN, KRON, KPLR and KWGN) use. The CW is closer to Canadian networks that push a consistent branding style among the affiliates (as was UPN and The WB way back when).

The CW Unveils New Branding Look, Dropping the ‘The’ and Embracing a ‘Hot Sauce’ Color Palette (EXCLUSIVE)

Timed to Sunday's Critics Choice Awards, The CW is unveiling a new branding look that drops the "The" from its logo and embraces a color palette it calls 'hot sauce.'

variety.com

 

[jtakach98]

(as was UPN and The WB way back when).

Still, UPN and The WB let you have some freedom with your logo/branding back then. Either that, or Cleveland was just rebellious and said "we're doing it our way." WB55 kept the old-standard "55" logo from the '80s/'90s until they dropped the channel number from the logo near the end of the WB days (when it just became Cleveland's WB) and never looked back until they went independent again. 43 kept the same brush-style "43" from their "The Block" era until they dropped MyNetworkTV's logo and adopted that awful "CLE43" branding. At least the old CW43 logo kept a different font for "43" that wasn't just a basic serif font. Yes, it was the then-standard CW typeface, but it at least looked different.

Now? CW55 looks like someone pasted the CW logo onto a Word document and typed "55" next to it.

As an aside, can I hope that an 8/55 duopoly will force WJW's hand to adopt a new presentation style that's akin to most of the other Fox stations across the country? WGHP (the "other" Fox 8 - the one that kept "myFOX" for their website address at myfox8.com) has a slightly better graphic presentation, but I'd like to see WJW adopt something like the presentation that most of the other Fox stations use. However, I know how resistant WJW is to change, so I doubt that anything like that will happen. I'm now thinking that CW55 should have adopted a three-rectangle logo like what Fox 8 uses, but something in black and CW-orange.

 

[Rusty Muck]

As an aside, can I hope that an 8/55 duopoly will force WJW's hand to adopt a new presentation style that's akin to most of the other Fox stations across the country? WGHP (the "other" Fox 8 - the one that kept "myFOX" for their website address at myfox8.com) has a slightly better graphic presentation, but I'd like to see WJW adopt something like the presentation that most of the other Fox stations use. However, I know how resistant WJW is to change, so I doubt that anything like that will happen.

They are not tied to the network anymore as an owned-station. They can use whatever logo they want.

I'm now thinking that CW55 should have adopted a three-rectangle logo like what Fox 8 uses, but something in black and CW-orange.

Why? They have a template design and are using it. It looks just fine.

 

[snowdog88]

They are not tied to the network anymore as an owned-station. They can use whatever logo they want.

Not sure how true this is, but I heard years ago that WJW has to keep the FOX branding in their logo and on-air for so many years as part of the sales agreement after FOX sold it to Local TV LLC in 2007. The same likely goes for the FOX network affiliation as well.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Not sure how true this is, but I heard years ago that WJW has to keep the FOX branding in their logo and on-air for so many years as part of the sales agreement after FOX sold it to Local TV LLC in 2007.

I would like some actual proof on that claim as it doesn't make a lick of sense. WJW has been branded as "Fox 8" since 1996 and they have no reason to scrap it.

The same likely goes for the FOX network affiliation as well.

WJW and the other stations Fox spun off were signed to long-term deals (10 years if I'm not mistaken) and, in the case of WJW, is now fully bundled in with all Nexstar-owned Fox affiliates.

 

[snowdog88]

@Nathan Obral I see your updates on the WBNX Wikipedia article. I want to point out a few observations about the Parma transmitter, despite what the referenced sites claim. If you look at W35AX's FCC applications, it looks like Media Com were the ones who had the tower built. This is reflected in their major modification from 4/29/1991. From what I can tell, it looks like the tower was fully built in/by 1993, but WBNX wasn't transmitting from it until 2000. WBNX's minor modification from 12/1/1999 is the earliest application that states the tower's coordinates, with all applications filed prior being license renewals and authorization assignments. I can back this up further as I constantly watched WBNX throughout the mid 90s to mid 2000s. My reception of WBNX was iffy in the 90s, which consisted of a mostly snowy picture and at times multipath issues. It wasn't until around 2000 when I noticed a vast improvement in reception with no change in my setup, along with a stereo broadcast, which was likely when they started broadcasting from Parma. Also around that same time, the WBNX call sign in front of the WTAM tower was removed, as I used to pass by that tower on an occasional basis during that time, though I have always recalled the tower looking like it does now.

I have heard about WBNX wanting to broadcast from Richfield back in the day, but was told that was happening around 1996, and when that fell through, then pursued to move to Parma. Other factors likely played a role in the move as well, like the WB affiliation or their future plans for a digital broadcast.

 

[Rusty Muck]

@Nathan Obral I see your updates on the WBNX Wikipedia article. I want to point out a few observations about the Parma transmitter, despite what the referenced sites claim. If you look at W35AX's FCC applications, it looks like Media Com were the ones who had the tower built. This is reflected in their major modification from 4/29/1991. From what I can tell, it looks like the tower was fully built in/by 1993, but WBNX wasn't transmitting from it until 2000. WBNX's minor modification from 12/1/1999 is the earliest application that states the tower's coordinates, with all applications filed prior being license renewals and authorization assignments. I can back this up further as I constantly watched WBNX throughout the mid 90s to mid 2000s. My reception of WBNX was iffy in the 90s, which consisted of a mostly snowy picture and at times multipath issues. It wasn't until around 2000 when I noticed a vast improvement in reception with no change in my setup, along with a stereo broadcast, which was likely when they started broadcasting from Parma. Also around that same time, the WBNX call sign in front of the WTAM tower was removed, as I used to pass by that tower on an occasional basis during that time, though I have always recalled the tower looking like it does now.

I have heard about WBNX wanting to broadcast from Richfield back in the day, but was told that was happening around 1996, and when that fell through, then pursued to move to Parma. Other factors likely played a role in the move as well, like the WB affiliation or their future plans for a digital broadcast.

I'm going by what the reliable sources (including and especially the Plain Dealer) say. They said Winston Broadcasting leased the land from Parma, constructed the tower and had the construction challenged in court. Ernest Angley was soliciting for money on the Ninety and Nine Club in 1991 for the Parma tower's construction. More than one source said the tower was activated for WBNX in July 1993 and that their signal strength doubled.

Media-Com used the same tower for the WAOH-LP repeater W35AX, but they were leasing it from WBNX/Winston. (See here and here). Even if Media-Com owned it, they would have never built it that tall and especially for an LPTV.

 

[snowdog88]

I'm going by what the reliable sources (including and especially the Plain Dealer) say. They said Winston Broadcasting leased the land from Parma, constructed the tower and had the construction challenged in court. Ernest Angley was soliciting for money on the Ninety and Nine Club in 1991 for the Parma tower's construction. More than one source said the tower was activated for WBNX in July 1993 and that their signal strength doubled.

Then it would appear that some filings are missing from the FCC's LMS. That one that I linked was a minor modification, which could have been a power boost or re-pattern of the signal, which in my case, would have made sense. It's hard to tell since there are no attachments to further explain the situation.

Media-Com used the same tower for the WAOH-LP repeater W35AX, but they were leasing it from WBNX/Winston. (See here and here). Even if Media-Com owned it, they would have never built it that tall and especially for an LPTV.

I thought that too, as why would they need such a high tower for the small area that they covered? Makes sense now, but seeing that W35AX's antenna was at the same height as the current day WOCV-CD makes me think that they wanted to transmit at a low ERP and still cover a sizable area. (35 in Erie caused them to limit their signal towards the northeast).

If Media-Com didn't build the tower, then that would mean that a WBNX filing from 1991 or earlier to relocate their transmitter and build a new tower is missing on the FCC's LMS. W35AX didn't light up until 96 (remember my uncle trying to tune in at that time and stating that it was a new station still making adjustments), but apparently Media-Com collaborated with WBNX since the early 90s in order to get W35AX on that tower once it was built. And yes, I do remember seeing WBNX promos on W35AX back in the mid 2000s, so that must have been part of the leasing agreement.

BTW: At the end of the WBNX Wikipedia article, it's stated that Nexstar bought WBNX for an undisclosed amount. Page 14 of the purchase agreement found here states $22 million.