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Sinclair...Again


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This is a wild guess, but I think their keeping of WBMA has to do with potential spectrum value. I noticed that more than half of Michael Dell's OTA Broadcasting stations are LPTV's and they are in Boston, Houston, New York and San Fran. Those are pretty large markets, so I understand how an LPTV would have spectrum value there, but would it have any value in Birmingham? I don't know.

 

It needs to be a Class A station to be protected in the incentive auction, which WBMA is not.

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The main reason that Sinclair is keeping WBMA is because of the affiliation agreement that ABC has with WBMA. ABC considers WBMA as the primary affiliate, and considers WCFT/WJSU as satellites of WBMA. Under this proposal, WABM would become the satellite of WBMA. The only way Sinclair will get rid of the WBMA signal is either at renewal time (making WABM the affilate), or if it will be considered redundant in the incentive auction.

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It needs to be a Class A station to be protected in the incentive auction, which WBMA is not.

 

Are you sure about that? Most of the longer-running LPTV that originated local programming applied for and received Class A status.

 

 

 

The main reason that Sinclair is keeping WBMA is because of the affiliation agreement that ABC has with WBMA. ABC considers WBMA as the primary affiliate, and considers WCFT/WJSU as satellites of WBMA. Under this proposal, WABM would become the satellite of WBMA. The only way Sinclair will get rid of the WBMA signal is either at renewal time (making WABM the affilate), or if it will be considered redundant in the incentive auction.

 

Just a formality. A one page contract would be all it would take to move ABC over to WABM.

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Why? You Sinclair haters just can't let it go, can you?

 

WJLA will be the new flagship of Sinclair Broadcast Group!!!

A condition of the Allbritton sale, IIRC, is that WJLA will need to change their callsign. Something I would expect S!nclair to honor.
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At least NewsBlues has a track record for total FUD-causing inaccuracies with this story. Why stop digging when you're already in a hole?

 

This piece is still written with the easily-refutable guess that S!nclair is shutting down the stations completely and transferring only the ABC affiliation to their MyTV affils. Apparently the genius that wrote this cannot grasp the concept of retaining a stations' intellectual property and staff and moving it to the subchannel of an existing station. Or does it invalidate the writer's anti-S!nclair narrative?

 

It boggles the mind.

Truth. I kind of ignored that. I was more surprised by the fact that they have now come to the conclusion the general manager(s) leaving is the result of the sale being near closing. And, not an indication of the newsroom being shut down as they speculated by them last week.

 

But, they still can't quite come to grips with the fact that this is all but a done deal. Stating that that the purchase "may actually be happening." It is happening. It's something several people, myself included, have been stating will happen since Sinclair released the latest amendments almost two months ago.

 

To point out to others, What Sinclair is proposing of moving Stations to subchannels has happened already with a couple of stations especially a station in Nebraska that recent done this (I don't remember the name off the top of my head but I do know it happen before.)

The station in Lincoln, Nebraska was KHAS. Gray moved all the non-license assets of that station to KSNB.

 

Gray also did the same thing with two more station in North Dakota the same day. Moving the programming of KNDX & KXND to subchannels of Gray owned stations. KNDX -> KFYR(&KQCD) and KXND -> KMOT(&KUMV).

 

Gray has already announced they will also be doing this with three more stations over the next couple months in Fargo, Monroe & Grand Junction. KJXB -> KVLY, KAQY -> KNOE and KJCT -> KKCO.

 

Given the uproar here in this thread over Sinclair doing the same thing in Birmingham and Charleston. I'm surprised Gray didn't get more flack for doing this. They seemingly got a pass which I don't really understand.

 

I agree, the only way this deal dies now is if the FCC refuses it, since even a delay would likely be a short one. The only cases I see that may create problems:

 

* The Cunningham issue with WTAT (is it really separate?)

* Loss of coverage in the eastern part of the Birmingham market (that can be rectified though with a low-power transmitter, maybe they can move the WBMA transmitter to Anniston or Gadsden?)

WTAT will be separate from WMMP under Cunningham. The arrangement is fully compliant with all the new JSA rules.

 

The eastern Alabama viewers are SOL. The current freeze would preclude such a move even if they wanted to due such a thing.

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This is a wild guess, but I think their keeping of WBMA has to do with potential spectrum value. I noticed that more than half of Michael Dell's OTA Broadcasting stations are LPTV's and they are in Boston, Houston, New York and San Fran. Those are pretty large markets, so I understand how an LPTV would have spectrum value there, but would it have any value in Birmingham? I don't know.

 

Second question a little off topic. Do any of these LPTV's except for the small market network affiliates make any money? Most of them can't get on cable and they air throwaway programming. Does anybody watch them? In Columbus, the LPTV's are Channel 8, 17, 19, 23, 32 and 43. Channel 8 shows some locally based Christian programming and they are kind of cool to watch sometimes. Channel 23 is Bounce, which has decent movies sometimes. The rest of the channels and subchannels are a barren wasteland of home shopping, Spanish and Christian.

 

You know I was told back in the late 1999s early 2000s Channel 19 the indy outlet; the WB wanted it to become their affiliate in the market. Many companies were flocking to buy it. However as you see that didn't happen. Now with these LPTV let say for the sake of wishful thinking 6/28 were not together in some form or fashion. Let say 28 & 53 were a duopolies together in their own building with their own news department. 6WSYX, 4WCMH were owned by two different media powerhouses, 10WBNS locally owned.

 

8-at one time during the mid to late 80s offered some syndicated programs. Let say Sinclair bought 8 and turned it into MyTV affiliate. 6's owners would buy 23 and create an indy outlet and produce some local newscast, and the folks at 10tv also bought 19 and did the samething. It would kind of be like the Orlando, Minneapolis and some other markets. It would be epic for the Columbus market to offer more local channel offerings.

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Given the uproar here in this thread over Sinclair doing the same thing in Birmingham and Charleston. I'm surprised Gray didn't get more flack for doing this. They seemingly got a pass which I don't really understand.

 

Simple, because Sinclair is the biggest and the haters will find anything they can to pick Sinclair with. Meanwhile Gray is not the biggest and they are not hated on the level of Sinclair so they get a pass. Even though Gray is doing the same exact thing as Sinclair intends on.
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A condition of the Allbritton sale, IIRC, is that WJLA will need to change their callsign. Something I would expect S!nclair to honor.

 

WJSS-TV (Julian Sinclair Smith)

 

or

 

WTSV (Television Seven)

 

or

 

WWSV or WSEV (Washington Seven)

 

(WBFF = Baltimore Forty Five; WTTE = Television Twenty Eight)

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A condition of the Allbritton sale, IIRC, is that WJLA will need to change their callsign. Something I would expect S!nclair to honor.

 

Too bad Cumulus isn't in the TV business or they could've resurrected the WMAL-TV call letters.

 

I guess if they did want to go for nostalgia, they could go with WDVM. Although that might confuse people since it was on Ch. 9.

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Too bad Cumulus isn't in the TV business or they could've resurrected the WMAL-TV call letters.

 

I guess if they did want to go for nostalgia, they could go with WDVM. Although that might confuse people since it was on Ch. 9.

The reuse of the WHDH-TV, WSYR-TV and WHAM-TV calls on stations unrelated to their original TV ops didn't cause much issues on those respective stations.

 

However, the WDVM calls are already in use by a non-comm AM station in Michigan owned by Starboard Media. There's nothing that says S!nclair couldn't make an arrangement with them for use of the calls on the TV side (considering the distance between both stations).

 

If all else fails, they could apply for the WJSU calls. Those will be available shortly...

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why not WDDS for David D. Smith?

 

Since WJLA was named after the old man, I thought it would be consistent to name it after another founding family member. Just trying to be consistent.

 

 

 

 

Wouldn't WBFF stay the flagship station vs. WJLA?

 

 

 

Probably, but with Washington just 40 miles away WJLA would be a far more important operation.

 

 

 

 

You know I was told back in the late 1999s early 2000s Channel 19 the indy outlet; the WB wanted it to become their affiliate in the market. Many companies were flocking to buy it. However as you see that didn't happen. Now with these LPTV let say for the sake of wishful thinking 6/28 were not together in some form or fashion. Let say 28 & 53 were a duopolies together in their own building with their own news department. 6WSYX, 4WCMH were owned by two different media powerhouses, 10WBNS locally owned.

 

8-at one time during the mid to late 80s offered some syndicated programs. Let say Sinclair bought 8 and turned it into MyTV affiliate. 6's owners would buy 23 and create an indy outlet and produce some local newscast, and the folks at 10tv also bought 19 and did the samething. It would kind of be like the Orlando, Minneapolis and some other markets. It would be epic for the Columbus market to offer more local channel offerings.

 

 

 

In the analog days, LPTV stations were junk. With a digital signal, they put out a pretty respectable signal and picture. It's too bad LPTV couldn't provide such great pictures back in the old days. They might have gotten more traction.

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Probably, but with Washington just 40 miles away WJLA would be a far more important operation.

 

They can just do what Raycom does. WJLA becomes the new flagship since they're the biggest market and then WBFF becomes Sinclair's "home station".
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If all else fails, they could apply for the WJSU calls. Those will be available shortly...

 

If you want to play that game, then the WCIV call letters go to WMMP and they continue to call themselves ABC-4 and WMMP moves over to WJAL. Since they stand for Max Media, I know this is far-fetched.

 

WCIV - TV Channel 4 Charleston

(OTA Channel 36)

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Why? You Sinclair haters just can't let it go, can you?

 

WJLA will be the new flagship of Sinclair Broadcast Group!!!

Because those bastards don't deserve it. THAT'S WHY!!!

 

I agree, the only way this deal dies now is if the FCC refuses it, since even a delay would likely be a short one. The only cases I see that may create problems:

 

* The Cunningham issue with WTAT (is it really separate?)

* Loss of coverage in the eastern part of the Birmingham market (that can be rectified though with a low-power transmitter, maybe they can move the WBMA transmitter to Anniston or Gadsden?)

That's what going to mostly come donwn too. Like I said before, it might look good on paper, the folks have to realize how truly separate are between WMMP & WTAT. Both stations will stay in the same building but as they say they will be at "arms-length". They also have a 6-month transitional agreement, but they aren't going to be moving to any other place. They can take all the time they need to be separate, I don't think they need all those six months to transition. I'm wondering and somewhat worried if the Heathens of Hunt Valley find another slick loophole, since WTAT is statying in the WMMP facility. We're talking about a company that loves to keep everything in one fold.

 

Another deal was cleared by the DOJ/FTC is the Quincy/Granite deal, and as you see, the FCC has yet to greenlight on that deal yet. But we'll see if this long awaited deal comes to a close. They have to have a greenlight by the FCC by FRIDAY!! 3 more days. And hoping they'll close it out that very night or on the weekend. They have closed deal within the day after getting the greenlight (Cox & Fisher deals).

 

No greenlight, and its back to the drawing board for Robert, so a true legitimate broadcaster can buy the stations without station disruption (and that I would love to see). And should they sue, that not Allbritton's loss, that's their loss. That's more money out of their pockets.

 

Can't believe we've gone exactly 51 weeks with this deal (7/29/13). Fisher (which I wished LIN would've acquried) wen't without no hiccups, Barrington only had one hiccup in Syracuse. But I never thought this deal would be a massive mountain to climb for them. Will it end within three days?

 

Sinclair did get approval today—not for Allbritton, but for its acquisition of WGXA in Macon, according to the FCC Daily Digest.

How come I'd miss this? This was greenlighted last Wednesday (7/16).

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I'm wondering and somewhat worried if the Heathens of Hunt Valley find another slick loophole, since WTAT is statying in the WMMP facility. We're talking about a company that loves to keep everything in one fold.

 

Yeah, but isn't WMMP taking over the WCIV building?

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Also with Sinclair, when does the New Age deal reach its expiration?

 

Fisher was a clean deal so it could breeze through; Barrington took a long time too and required changes, but had mostly dog stations involved anyway.

To be fair, Barrington was the one station group in which having Sinclair buy those stations would be an improvement.

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That's what going to mostly come donwn too. Like I said before, it might look good on paper, the folks have to realize how truly separate are between WMMP & WTAT. Both stations will stay in the same building but as they say they will be at "arms-length". They also have a 6-month transitional agreement, but they aren't going to be moving to any other place. They can take all the time they need to be separate, I don't think they need all those six months to transition. I'm wondering and somewhat worried if the Heathens of Hunt Valley find another slick loophole, since WTAT is statying in the WMMP facility. We're talking about a company that loves to keep everything in one fold.

Yeah, but isn't WMMP taking over the WCIV building?

Yes, WMMP is taking over the WCIV building.

 

To the best of my knowledge based upon the new JSA attribution rules Cunningham doesn't need to operate as a separate stand alone company. They only need to operate separately in markets where Sinclair doesn't want those stations attributed them. Charleston is a market where they are going to have two fully separate operations (one Sinclair/WMMP and one Cunningham/WTAT.)

 

All the physical assets & employees, etc. of the current WMMP/WTAT operation will be transferred to Cunningham to continue as a stand-alone WTAT operation.

 

And, the non-license assets (programming, building & employees, etc.) of WCIV will be transferred to Sinclair for a stand-alone WMMP operation.

 

They will each have their own management and sales staff at each station. They will each be fully responsible for their own programming and ad sales. Therefore, they will be compliant with the new JSA rules.

 

Another deal was cleared by the DOJ/FTC is the Quincy/Granite deal, and as you see, the FCC has yet to greenlight on that deal yet. But we'll see if this long awaited deal comes to a close. They have to have a greenlight by the FCC by FRIDAY!! 3 more days. And hoping they'll close it out that very night or on the weekend. They have closed deal within the day after getting the greenlight (Cox & Fisher deals).

 

No greenlight, and its back to the drawing board for Robert, so a true legitimate broadcaster can buy the stations without station disruption (and that I would love to see). And should they sue, that not Allbritton's loss, that's their loss. That's more money out of their pockets.

 

Can't believe we've gone exactly 51 weeks with this deal (7/29/13). Fisher (which I wished LIN would've acquried) wen't without no hiccups, Barrington only had one hiccup in Syracuse. But I never thought this deal would be a massive mountain to climb for them. Will it end within three days?

Given how close the deal is to the finish line I don't see either party pulling out of the deal should it go past the "outside date." If the FCC drags it out a bit further I don't see Allbritton nixing the deal when they are this close to getting their money. They will likely ride it out at this point and the chance of another buyer swooping in with a new offer for more money after the "outside date" is slim to none at this point. Plus, given most everything else has been satified per their purchase agreement and the only thing outstanding is FCC concent, Sinclair (or Allbritton) can extend the "outside date" an additional 60 days. And, if the FCC drags it out too long David Smith has his lawyers on speed dial to file suit.

 

Given the uproar here in this thread over Sinclair doing the same thing in Birmingham and Charleston. I'm surprised Gray didn't get more flack for doing this. They seemingly got a pass which I don't really understand.

Simple, because Sinclair is the biggest and the haters will find anything they can to pick Sinclair with. Meanwhile Gray is not the biggest and they are not hated on the level of Sinclair so they get a pass. Even though Gray is doing the same exact thing as Sinclair intends on.

Yeah, I know why. I guess I have a hard time wrapping my head around how one draws more outrage than the other. They are the same thing in my eyes. At least Sinclair is proposing to give viewers 60 days to inform them of the move(s). I don't think Gray gave viewers in any the three locales where they moved programming any more than a 24 hour notice. Plus, Gray put 3 more stations on death row. It just surprised me that they didn't get the same reaction. There was even a poster over in the Gray thread that stated Gray's move(s) didn't bother them as much as Sinclair's. I don't recall who, nor does it really matter. Everyone can have their own opinion I'm not going to rip them if that's how they feel. But, I was a bit taken aback given both companies (Gray & Sinclair) are doing the exact same things. I would have expected Gray to be ripped just as much as Sinclair. Although, the FCC really deserves the brunt of it. I'm not strictly speaking about here at TVNT either...I'm speaking in general. Due any viewers in Fargo, Grand Junction or Monroe realize they will each be losing a station in pretty short order?
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There was even a poster over in the Gray thread that stated Gray's move(s) didn't bother them as much as Sinclair's. I don't recall who, nor does it really matter.

 

Found said post:

 

I must say, this doesn't bother me nearly as much as the Sinclair/Allbrittion deal. KHAS wasn't nearly the station that ABC 33/40 and WCIV are. Plus, the main city in the market, Lincoln, is now better served.

 

Still though, this could get ridiculous.

 

Sorry but this is the same exact thing. Gray threw 60 years of history down the drain when they shut KHAS down. I can understand ABC 33/40 but WCIV's situation definitely isn't different from KHAS' at all. You just oppose it because it's Sinclair. But if any other company in you probably couldn't care less...

 

 

 

Yes, WMMP is taking over the WCIV building.

 

To the best of my knowledge based upon the new JSA attribution rules Cunningham doesn't need to operate as a separate stand alone company. They only need to operate separately in markets where Sinclair doesn't want those stations attributed them. Charleston is a market where they are going to have two fully separate operations (one Sinclair/WMMP and one Cunningham/WTAT.)

 

All the physical assets & employees, etc. of the current WMMP/WTAT operation will be transferred to Cunningham to continue as a stand-alone WTAT operation.

 

And, the non-license assets (programming, building & employees, etc.) of WCIV will be transferred to Sinclair for a stand-alone WMMP operation.

 

They will each have their own management and sales staff at each station. They will each be fully responsible for their own programming and ad sales. Therefore, they will be compliant with the new JSA rules.

 

Question: would WTAT/Cunningham maintain the news agreement with WCSC or would they switch to WCIV for news? Because if they went to WCIV then it may look like Sinclair still has a hand. But, if they want to want to definitely look independent from Sinclair then wouldn't they keep WCSC for the news?
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In regard to KHAS the news operation is somehow intact which amazes me. Gray is running about four and a half local news operations (KNOP, "KHAS", KOLN/KGIN + KOLN/KGIN/KSNB-DT2 "10/11 Central Nebraska", and KNPL "10/11 North Platte") there. They have not tipped their hand at their future plans for all that local news, either. What's amazing is that if you went to khastv.com you wouldn't have any clue about what happened last month.

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