WOI to buy KCWI: is the sinking of "el cinco de stinko" nigh?

[joebtsflk1]

In the Des Moines market, Nexstar, the new owners of WOI-TV, is buying KCWI 23 from Pappas Telecasting for $3.5 million ( https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...xt=25&appn=101655908&formid=314&fac_num=51502 )

Could this be the sinking of "el cinco de stinko" as we know it, or the end of operation on RF channel 5? It would seem very likely that Nexstar will move WOI to RF channel 23 while maintaining the virtual channel 5 designation.

ABC on 5.1, CW on 5.2? Or will KCWI continue to exist as a separate entity and separate virtual channel? I don't know how that works, can there be a virtual 5.1 and 23.1 on the same RF channel? Let the speculation begin!

(Cynics' retort: Could Nexstar be speculating that RF 23 has a bigger payday in the next few years with the upcoming incentive auction? FCC estimates put a full power U in the Des Moines market at $8.5 million. If Nexstar doesn't move to consolidate WOI and KCWI on RF 23 in shorter order after the sale consummates, then it would appear the folks at Nexstar would be going spectrum gambling.)

 

[joebtsflk1]

Nexstar, the new owners of WOI-TV, is buying KCWI 23 from Pappas Telecasting for $3.5 million ( https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...&fac_num=51502 )

Could this be the sinking of "el cinco de stinko" as we know it, or the end of operation on RF channel 5? It would seem very likely that Nexstar will move WOI to RF channel 23 while maintaining the virtual channel 5 designation.

ABC on 5.1, CW on 5.2? Or will KCWI continue to exist as a separate entity and separate virtual channel? I don't know how that works, can there be a virtual 5.1 and 23.1 on the same RF channel? Let the speculation begin!

(Cynics' retort...could we see the end of 23, instead? See my thread on " Get your full power TV, cheap!" Nexstar could give up 23 to the upcoming repack auction and consolidate every thing on 5.)

 

[frankberry]

I moved the original post to the National TV forum. This is posted in the Iowa RADIO forum.

 

[joebtsflk1]

I reposted it to Iowa since it involved Iowa TV stations and thought it wasn't of national interest. When I checked on it and found it in National TV, I thought I'd posted in the wrong forum. OK, carry on...

 

[frankberry]

We'll soon be creating an enhanced TV section. Until then, please avoid posting TV information on the RADIO boards.
That will make our jobs less difficult when we move the individual TV threads to their new homes.

Thanks,
Frank

 

[Avid Listener]

Huh? What the hell is this about? How does this impact national television?

 

[joebtsflk1]

Per lead moderator Frank:

"We'll soon be creating an enhanced TV section. Until then, please avoid posting TV information on the RADIO boards.
That will make our jobs less difficult when we move the individual TV threads to their new homes.

Thanks,
Frank"

 

[Avid Listener]

Per lead moderator Frank:

"We'll soon be creating an enhanced TV section. Until then, please avoid posting TV information on the RADIO boards.
That will make our jobs less difficult when we move the individual TV threads to their new homes.

Thanks,
Frank"

That still doesn't tell me what this has to do with national TV.

 

[frankberry]

Avid,

We have asked that you stop complaining on these public forums.
I have explained why TV posts do not belong in the RADIO section.
End of argument.

Thanks,
Frank

 

[Mr Tony]

]Could this be the sinking of "el cinco de stinko" as we know it, or the end of operation on RF channel 5? It would seem very likely that Nexstar will move WOI to RF channel 23 while maintaining the virtual channel 5 designation.

ABC on 5.1, CW on 5.2? Or will KCWI continue to exist as a separate entity and separate virtual channel? I don't know how that works, can there be a virtual 5.1 and 23.1 on the same RF channel? Let the speculation begin!

they can have any virtual channel they want to use for each station. So yes you can have 5.1 and 23.1 using the same RF channel. Previously in Minneapolis the Fox and My affiliates (owned by Fox) had a SD simulcast on each others RF station. So as example you had
RF9
9-1 Fox HD
29-2 My SD

RF29
29-1 My HD
9-2 Fox SD

 

[Morgan Wick]

I would argue that the nationwide trend of consolidating two network affiliations onto a single license makes any specific instance of it very much a national story, one I personally don't like for multiple reasons.

 

[joebtsflk1]

I'd agree with that.

In this case, it's really hard to know what Nexstar might do. Since this is a case of a big 4 affiliate purchasing a secondary affiliate, unlike the Gray deals in Nebraska and North Dakota where a big 4 station bought out another big 4, Nexstar can choose to keep both channels running..

I think this might play out one of three ways:

1. WOI-TV and ABC programming will move to RF 23, virtual ch. 5.1, KCWI and CW to RF 5, virtual 23.1, basically in the manner like UncleHonkey described above. The .two channels will mirror each other...the .2 and .3 channels will be SD simulcasts of the other's .1 channel. Each station's current sub-channel offerings might go bye-bye, or they might try to squeeze them all onto RF 5.

2. WOI-TV and KCWI share RF 23 with 720p HD signals. Subchannels would probably be on the chopping block.

3. Nexstar maintains the status quo and everything stays put.

OTA viewers, be very wary if it plays out like scenario #3. That would seem to be telegraphing Nexstar's next move, putting RF 23 up for bids in the incentive auction ,and consolidating everything on RF 5. Wisest move for Nexstar would seem to be scenario #1 in my opinion.

 

[Avid Listener]

Avid,

We have asked that you stop complaining on these public forums.
I have explained why TV posts do not belong in the RADIO section.
End of argument.

Thanks,
Frank

I did not complain. I asked a question. It was, I think, a valid question. If there is some sort of national implication to this topic, I would like to know what it is. I didn't ask about why it wasn't posted in the radio section. I asked what it was about. The launch post is not clear about the national TV implications.

I would argue that the nationwide trend of consolidating two network affiliations onto a single license makes any specific instance of it very much a national story, one I personally don't like for multiple reasons.

Is that what's going on? That wasn't clear, at least to me, from what I read in the launch post. If that is what it is about, then thank you for the answer to my question.

 

[tripinva]

OTA viewers, be very wary if it plays out like scenario #3. That would seem to be telegraphing Nexstar's next move, putting RF 23 up for bids in the incentive auction ,and consolidating everything on RF 5. Wisest move for Nexstar would seem to be scenario #1 in my opinion.

That seems highly unlikely. Des Moines is not an area where station values will be high enough to justify auction participation. Depending on participation in places like New York and Los Angeles, it may be that no stations at all get bought in Iowa.

#3 makes sense if your goal is to force people to cable so the station gets a bigger retrans check.

- Trip

 

[Mr Tony]

2. WOI-TV and KCWI share RF 23 with 720p HD signals. Subchannels would probably be on the chopping block.

WOI has Live Well which is ending at end of year
KCWI has no subchannels so its a moot point

 

[joebtsflk1]

That seems highly unlikely. Des Moines is not an area where station values will be high enough to justify auction participation. Depending on participation in places like New York and Los Angeles, it may be that no stations at all get bought in Iowa.

#3 makes sense if your goal is to force people to cable so the station gets a bigger retrans check.

- Trip

While I think the FCC is over-optimistic with their revenue estimates, I can buy into their "daisy-chain" methodology that predicted higher potential revenues the closer a market is to a major population center, such as Chicago. For example, FCC estimated WMDTA (worth more dead than alive) values for Cedar Rapids - Waterloo, a smaller market than Des Moines but closer to Chicago, are considerably higher than Des Moines. Travel east to market #100 Quad Cities IA/IL, and they're a little higher still. Head northeast to market #136 Rockford, adjacent to the Chicago DMA and the WMTDA values rise to between $45 million and $55 million. Cut all of these figures by half, and it's still a lot of money. Maybe $4 million instead of the FCC estimate of $8 million for Des Moines won't cause a station owner to turn in a UHF license, but you can bet $20 million would make a bottom rung U in Rockford go dark.

If anyone wants to read more...http://wireless.fcc.gov/incentiveauctions/learn-program/docs/ia-opportunities-book.pdf The values by market start on page 30 of the pdf.

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Pappas Files Suit to Block KCWI Des Moines Sale

Harry and Stella Pappas have filed suit to block the sale of KCWI Des Moines to Nexstar. Nexstar agreed to acquire the CW affiliate for $3.5 million Nov. 3, subject to regulatory approval.

Pappas Liquidating Trust (PLT) is selling stations out of bankruptcy, but the Pappas pair believes the sale price in Des Moines is too low. "The proposed sale transaction is so substantially below the likely value of KCWI that it must be denied," reads the suit.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/pappas-files-suit-block-kcwi-des-moines-sale/135785

 

[mvcg66b3r]

From northpine.com:

Hearst CBS affiliate KCCI/8 (Des Moines) already carries "Me," and soon it'll be home to "My" as well. The station has announced plans to launch "My Des Moines" on channel 8.3 on Monday, Dec. 1, apparently carrying programming from MyNetworkTV and the Heroes & Icons network. H&I is a relatively new classic TV network launched by Weigel Broadcasting, operator of the classic Me-TV network already seen on KCCI/8.2. MyNetworkTV was previously seen in the market on Pappas' KDMI/19.1 (Des Moines), which continues to carry ThisTV.

KCWI has no subchannels so its a moot point

KCWI and KDMI have the same subchannels:
KDMI: http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=78915#station
KCWI: http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=51502#station

Whither KDMI?

 

[Mr Tony]

KCWI and KDMI have the same subchannels:

that is outdated. Each has just their "main" station (at least that is the info I got from a friend near there) and no subchannels

 

[mvcg66b3r]

Here's how I'd do a subchannel shuffle in Des Moines. Perhaps Nexstar and Pappas could do a deal with ION so that KFPX could move to KDMI's channel and get a stronger signal and wider coverage area.

KCWI → WOI (RF 23, VC 5) 5.1 ABC (720p HD), 5.2 CW (720p HD), 5.3 ThisTV (480i SD)
KDMI → KFPX (RF 19, VC 19) 19.1 ION (720p HD), 19.2 qubo (480i SD), 19.3 ION Life (480i SD), 19.4 ShopTV (480i SD), 19.5 QVC (480i SD), 19.6 HSN (480i SD)
WOI → ???? (RF 5, VC 23) (spun off) 23.1 ????
KFPX → ???? (RF 39, VC 39) (sold by ION) 39.1 ????