WLNE in receivership (Bankrupt)

[Markxxx]

Bankruptcy isn't a crisis anymore. It just another financial tool companies use. Bankruptcy is just a way for a company who doesn't want to pay debt not to pay it.

Of course they have to qualify, but they say "Look why pour more money into this."

Look at the Tribune Bankruptcy, it's is nothing but a shady mess and the bankruptcy judge has seemed to affirm that.

A station isn't likely to go dark unless there is some reason for it. Are there any Providence or even Boston stations that could benefit from the channel number. In that case it might be profitable for the station to sell out.

 

[alg2468]

WLNE = We Love New England, but New England did not love us.

 

[KML0224]

WLNE= We've Lost No Employees! Um, I don't think that slogan would go over very well!

 

[DToTheJ]

Has there ever been a major affiliate that just totally shut down before?

WNHT-Ch. 21, which was a CBS affiliate in Concord, NH owned by The Flatley Company, went off the air March 1989. The station remained off the air until the mid '90s, when it was purchased by Boston University as a satellite of WABU-Ch. 68 in Boston...

I do remember this, but can Concord, NH be considered a "major" market?

 

[bostonmediaguy]

I do remember this, but can Concord, NH be considered a "major" market?

Can Providence?

 

[KML0224]

The difference is that Concord is still a portion of the Boston/Worcester TV market, whereas Providence is its own market and should stand alone from Boston/Worcester. There's been many a debate that southern New Hampshire should split off and become its own market before. I don't know how dominant then-CBS affiliate WNEV-TV channel 7 was at the time, but I would imagine that they would've exercised their exclusivity as the market's CBS affiliate. WNHT-TV was never a satellite of WNEV-TV, as far as I know.

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

Let's face it. WLNE (and before that, WTEV) was doomed from the very beginning......stretching all the way back to before the station even signed on.

WTEV/WLNE is...essentially...a "move-in" to the New Bedford/Providence market.

In the late 1950's, VHF Channel 6 was still licensed to Martha's Vineyard, and quite a bit of legal and technical wrangling was required to get the license moved to the nearest mainland city....New Bedford.

It's painfully clear that Rhode Island and Bristol County Massachusetts is either unable...or...more likely...unwilling...to support more than two local news operations.

Need more evidence of WTEV/WLNE's unbroken record of failure and frustration? You need go no further than HERE:

http://chef.menujoy.com/wtev/index.htm

 

[mescutia]

I do remember this, but can Concord, NH be considered a "major" market?

Heck, no. It's part of the same Manchester/southern NH "sub-market" as WMUR, WZMY, and NH Public Television.

The difference is that Concord is still a portion of the Boston/Worcester TV market, whereas Providence is its own market and should stand alone from Boston/Worcester. There's been many a debate that southern New Hampshire should split off and become its own market before. I don't know how dominant then-CBS affiliate WNEV-TV channel 7 was at the time, but I would imagine that they would've exercised their exclusivity as the market's CBS affiliate. WNHT-TV was never a satellite of WNEV-TV, as far as I know.

It wouldn't surprise me if the existence of WMUR as an ABC affiliate helped WNHT secure the CBS affiliation. Also, I think the area was still being considered for possibly becoming its own DMA at the time; it was the fall of WNHT that quashed that notion.

It'll be interesting to see if the idea is revisited once this year's census data is released and everyone has a better idea of the size of New Hampshire's population.

 

[Blackroc]

I doubt there have been many VHF original network affiliates that have gone the bankruptcy route, no matter what the market size.

In Montreal last winter two 50k powerhouse radio stations just went off the air ending operations. I don't know if it was receivership or what the status was but I don't believe the stations were sold they just ceased to exist though I assume they are still licensed.

 

[w9wi]

I doubt there have been many VHF original network affiliates that have gone the bankruptcy route, no matter what the market size.

In Montreal last winter two 50k powerhouse radio stations just went off the air ending operations. I don't know if it was receivership or what the status was but I don't believe the stations were sold they just ceased to exist though I assume they are still licensed.

I suspect a number have gone bankrupt over the years but very few have gone permanently dark. At least one has: channel 8 in Elk City, Oklahoma. I want to say there was once a channel 12 in Alpine, Texas but that's REALLY pushing my memory.

The two Montreal stations have surrendered their licences. I don't *think* they were in bankruptcy, I think their owners were just losing too much money.

 

[dhett]

I doubt there have been many VHF original network affiliates that have gone the bankruptcy route, no matter what the market size.

In Montreal last winter two 50k powerhouse radio stations just went off the air ending operations. I don't know if it was receivership or what the status was but I don't believe the stations were sold they just ceased to exist though I assume they are still licensed.

I suspect a number have gone bankrupt over the years but very few have gone permanently dark. At least one has: channel 8 in Elk City, Oklahoma. I want to say there was once a channel 12 in Alpine, Texas but that's REALLY pushing my memory.

The two Montreal stations have surrendered their licences. I don't *think* they were in bankruptcy, I think their owners were just losing too much money.

Five Montana full-service stations went dark during June 2009, two of which were VHF stations: KBAO 13 Lewistown, KBBJ 9 Havre, KBTZ 24 Butte, KLMN 26 Great Falls and KMMF 17 Missoula. I believe all were major network affiliates but may have been satellite stations, as I believe KVIJ 8 Sayre OK was.

Also, two Nevada full-service stations have bitten the dust this year: KWNV 7 Winnemucca on 4/22, and KEGS 7.x (50) Tonopah on 7/6, although KWNV was a satellite and KEGS was never a network affiliate.

Analog station KTFL 4 Flagstaff AZ also shut down before ever going digital, but again, not a major network affiliate.

I'd be quite surprised if WLNE goes dark. A major network affiliation has to be quite a lure for prospective buyers.

 

[w9wi]

I believe all were major network affiliates but may have been satellite stations, as I believe KVIJ 8 Sayre OK was.

It was. Of KVII-7 Amarillo, Texas.

I'd be quite surprised if WLNE goes dark. A major network affiliation has to be quite a lure for prospective buyers.

Agreed. Is it even a done deal that WLNE will be sold? It's not at all unusual for bankruptcy to simply result in the restructuring of debt, without transfer of control of the business.

That said, with money as tight as it is these days, some firms that might otherwise be interested might have trouble putting together a deal.

But I'd bet WLNE would be particularly attractive to the owners of WCVB or WTNH, who might see some possibilities for consolidation of operations. Heck, with the high-speed data circuits available these days, WLNE could be practically "hubbed" to just about anywhere.

 

[mescutia]

But I'd bet WLNE would be particularly attractive to the owners of WCVB or WTNH, who might see some possibilities for consolidation of operations. Heck, with the high-speed data circuits available these days, WLNE could be practically "hubbed" to just about anywhere.

The problem there is that WTNH is owned by LIN, which owns WPRI.

 

[Schuyler]

But what a jewel for Hearst, if they went for it: 5, 6, 8 (in Maine) and 9 (NH), all of them ABC.

 

[Sammi Brie]

If you really want to stretch it, add WVII and you get 5-6-7-8-9! Of course, that station is the laughing stock of the region.

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

But I'd bet WLNE would be particularly attractive to the owners of WCVB or WTNH, who might see some possibilities for consolidation of operations. Heck, with the high-speed data circuits available these days, WLNE could be practically "hubbed" to just about anywhere.

The problem there is that WTNH is owned by LIN, which owns WPRI.

LMA it like they do with WNAC.Simulcast WTNH if they can. Im sure some syndicated programming would have to be blacked out with Informercials or something.

WCVB would be a better simulcast because there has always been a need for a Boston news simulcast of some sort so a complete or almost complete simulcast of WCVB could actually work.

 

[Skynet74]

WCVB is a good station. I bet that if they replaced WLNE most of Rhode Island would actually be happy about it. I'm not expecting WLNE to go dark though. Very very slim chance of that happening. Let's see ABC scoop up the station and go full HD with News though. What a punch in the gut that would be for WPRI and WJAR. Can you imagine if ABC 6 is the first station in this market to have an HD Newscast? That would be a twist that nobody in town expects. I would love to see it happen.

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

WCVB is a good station. I bet that if they replaced WLNE most of Rhode Island would actually be happy about it. I'm not expecting WLNE to go dark though. Very very slim chance of that happening. Let's see ABC scoop up the station and go full HD with News though. What a punch in the gut that would be for WPRI and WJAR. Can you imagine if ABC 6 is the first station in this market to have an HD Newscast? That would be a twist that nobody in town expects. I would love to see it happen.

I want to make it clear too. I don't see WLNE going dark either. The worst scenerio I see is a cut back in the news division again to mabe just evening newscasts and/or wall to wall informercials.

 

[Skynet74]

25 years ago they didn't even have Noon News. I don't think they had early morning News either. Just two newscasts a day. One at 6PM and one at 11PM. They could always go back to that. But I'm thinking that the station would be sold long before they have to take that drastic step backwards. But who knows? ANYTHING could happen. WLNE is the station that commonly pulls surprises. Things like not paying their syndicators.... and other things like adding a 7 PM Newscast. Expect the unexpected with them.

 

[alg2468]

I'd like to see Hearst buy the station and put money into it, producing the first HD newscast. I would change the old logo, possibly the call letters (is WVIP - 6 Providence or WCVI - channel 6) available? And how about adding a new show - Chronicle at 7:30, tailored to Rhode Island, like WMUR has Chronicle for New Hampshire?