WIYC-DT Sold

[rolltide2013]

A buyer has stepped forward to claim WIYC-TV Troy AL, serving the Montgomery AL DMA. The station has a history of receivership and is coming at a big discount from the contract price of an earlier attempt to sell it.

The seller of the Channel 48 facility is Josie Park Broadcasting Inc. Kelly F. Jones signed off on the FCC application.

Buying the station is WIYC Inc. Neal Ardman is the sole principle.

The price will be a heavily back-loaded $650K. Ardman will put $100K into escrow, and the remainder will be paid over time via a promissory note.

Ardman has an interest in WKBX-FM Kingsland GA, licensed to Radio Kings Bay Inc. and serving the coastal area between Brunswick GA to its north and Jacksonville FL to its south. Another interest for Ardman is WPAN-DT Fort Walton Beach FL, which he operates via an LMA. There are no local ownership concerns in either case.

On 1/9/09, Southern Venture Capital signed an agreement to run the station in an LMA and eventually by it for $3M. The application for the transfer was filed with the FCC but was eventually dismissed.

 

[Poledo]

WPAN-DT in Fort Walton is one of the most confused and disorganized full power TV stations in Dixie. Not a good sign for y'all up in the Gump.

WPAN is running Cozi and Shop NBC along with some local infomercials. No rhyme or reason to the scheduling.

 

[tomservo]

I guess these second-tier stations are forever destined to be in the hands of second-tier operators. WPAN's schedule makes no sense. I get it now on DirecTV and the guide never matches what's on screen. It's usually infomercials when I tune in, when the guide simply says, "Movie" with no title or description.

 

[Poledo]

I guess these second-tier stations are forever destined to be in the hands of second-tier operators. WPAN's schedule makes no sense. I get it now on DirecTV and the guide never matches what's on screen. It's usually infomercials when I tune in, when the guide simply says, "Movie" with no title or description.

If you could get WPAN-DT2 you'd be able to watch the palatable programming.

 

[Charles1]

Outside of re-affiliating with My Network, how could this station be effectively programmed? Montgomery seems to be a fairly small market to have as many signals as what it does.

 

[StrayKats]

Maybe the University of Alabama could purchase them or program them similar to a radio LMA by simulcasting Tuscaloosa's WVUA-TV. The live sports programming itself would certainly garner more of an audience than the parade of informercials.

Just replace the local (Tuscaloosa) news with something else during that time frame.

WIYC has a prime cable channel (7) in metro Montgomery, even moreso than the CW affiliate on channel 14. Of course, even WBIH-TV knocked the Weather Channel from 12 to 31. All four major affiliates, WIYC, WBIH, and WFRZ-LP (cable 13) all have prime cable placement and good reception over the air. They missed the boat not snapping up the CW affiliation.

"Hindsight"

I wonder if that billboard on I-65 at the middle Prattville exit will ever change.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Maybe the University of Alabama could purchase them or program them similar to a radio LMA by simulcasting Tuscaloosa's WVUA-TV. The live sports programming itself would certainly garner more of an audience than the parade of informercials.

Just replace the local (Tuscaloosa) news with something else during that time frame.

That would be a neat idea, but WVUA relies upon ThisTV programming. WCOV already has This at 20.3 locally and supplies it to local cable companies as a separate channel. Of all Montgomery-area stations, WCOV might be most sensitive to an 'outsider' duplicating its programming


http://www.wcov.com/history.html

 

[Rob]

WPAN has killed their FB page and has gone back to 24/7 infomericals. How sad.

-Rob