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Sinclair Broadcast Group - General Discussion


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Sinclair has renewed its agreement with CBS in four markets (Austin, Gainesville, Salt Lake City & South Bend).

 

The agreement would also expand to six other affiliates currently owned by Tribune, should they complete that acquisition.

 

Follow up.

 

Sinclair has re-upped four more (Portland (ME), Cedar Rapids, Brownsville & Syracuse)

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In the Providence Journal today...

 

"WJAR forced to run pro-Trump programs"

 

I love it...:"Forced"???

 

Who was forced to run Pro Trump programming?

The writer gets an "F" for failing to show any example of someone being forced to run a program.

Did they tie up the master control op and hold a gun to his head???

 

The whole article is a bit OTT...send in Godzilla....such drama.

 

How about they just change the channel?

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Corporate Mandate = Forced

 

Corporate Mandate= Do the job you were hired to do

It's a condition of employment that they play the programs on the log.

 

Stop with the drama.

Nobody is being forced to do anything.

 

They don't like it...they should look for work someplace else...like real adults not a bunch of whiny children.

 

There are PLENTY of jobs that pay more...with less drama.

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I just thought I'd ask this, does anyone know if there is any penalty for Sinclair stations that fail to carry any must-runs?

 

You get fired.

 

You don't get to claim Contentious Objector status if that's what you mean.

 

Besides...just "WHO" is going to object at the station?

 

Here's how it works...

The log in master control says "Chatting With Boris" runs at 7:47:30...that day.

But you run "Friskies Catfood" commercial at 7:47:30....an not Boris.

You note the "discrepancy" on the log. in the section marked "reason for discrepancy" you write down "refuse to run".

 

The next day you get summoned to the traffic office where they ask "why didn't you run Boris when the log said to do so???"

 

What are you gonna say to your boss???

"Uh- I didn't feel like it???" duh

 

There will be no "Kumbya" singing...not sit-in's...no signs made of cardboard...no chants.

 

Just a trip out the door with the HR lady and your box of personal crap from your locker...and your last pay check.

 

No little newsroom uprisings...if you don't like how the place is run...you can leave.

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If enough ND's or GM's refused to air the "must" runs, the company would probably just give up. They couldn't fire everybody and it would send a message to corporate that it was a bad idea (and GM's getting together to complain about something until it goes away is a thing that HAS happened in the past.) But these people work for Sinclair. They're probably more concerned with finding a new job and not burning bridges than they are about fighting running Boris' Rant.

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You get fired.

 

You don't get to claim Contentious Objector status if that's what you mean.

 

Besides...just "WHO" is going to object at the station?

 

Here's how it works...

The log in master control says "Chatting With Boris" runs at 7:47:30...that day.

But you run "Friskies Catfood" commercial at 7:47:30....an not Boris.

You note the "discrepancy" on the log. in the section marked "reason for discrepancy" you write down "refuse to run".

 

The next day you get summoned to the traffic office where they ask "why didn't you run Boris when the log said to do so???"

 

What are you gonna say to your boss???

"Uh- I didn't feel like it???" duh

 

There will be no "Kumbya" singing...not sit-in's...no signs made of cardboard...no chants.

 

Just a trip out the door with the HR lady and your box of personal crap from your locker...and your last pay check.

 

No little newsroom uprisings...if you don't like how the place is run...you can leave.

 

Alright, besides the obvious layoffs, would the station be fined money or get budget cuts? And what about on occasions when BLWB or BTH failed to air due to technical meltdowns?

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If enough ND's or GM's refused to air the "must" runs, the company would probably just give up.

 

Not if a few heads are lopped off to show they mean business...

 

I hear the ND in Anytown has 6 kids ...and is upside down in his house.

That will make one hell of a statement at Christmas time.

 

...cuz that's how they operate...

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Alright, besides the obvious layoffs, would the station be fined money or get budget cuts? And what about on occasions when BLWB or BTH failed to air due to technical meltdowns?

 

These are company owned stations...

NOT affiliates.

 

What would your boss do if you refused to do the work you were paid for?

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I'm no rocket scientist, but I'm 99% sure that when people stop watching something, its ratings go down.

 

Math.

Loss of (expensive) talent that identify with the viewer can risk being a big turnoff. After all, Sinclair's favorite colors are pink and green.

 

WJW and WGN-TV risk being wounded irreparably by THAT... moreso than by being forced to run Osama bin Epshteyn ordering the arrests of people protesting the Trump Regime... or Sheryl Atkinson's poor impersonation of a non-discredited journalist.

 

(And to clarify, both WJW and WGN-TV will be losing a lot of veteran talent, even in the imperceptible chance the Sinclair deal implodes.)

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Loss of (expensive) talent that identify with the viewer can risk being a big turnoff. After all, Sinclair's favorite colors are pink and green.

 

WJW and WGN-TV risk being wounded irreparably by THAT... moreso than by being forced to run Osama bin Epshteyn ordering the arrests of people protesting the Trump Regime... or Sheryl Atkinson's poor impersonation of a non-discredited journalist.

 

(And to clarify, both WJW and WGN-TV will be losing a lot of veteran talent, even in the imperceptible chance the Sinclair deal implodes.)

 

Having this entire acquisition, especially if this takes a while, hanging over so many stations is bad for morale. KTVK/KASW suffered from that during the prolonged Belo/Gannett/Sander/Meredith acquisition process.

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Having this entire acquisition, especially if this takes a while, hanging over so many stations is bad for morale. KTVK/KASW suffered from that during the prolonged Belo/Gannett/Sander/Meredith acquisition process.

 

The Rite Aid /Wallgreens merger proposal is into year #2...so companies do expect delays to occur.

Delays cost money...so let's just wait and see if Sinclair is really into this for the long run.

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The Rite Aid /Wallgreens merger proposal is into year #2...so companies do expect delays to occur.

Delays cost money...so let's just wait and see if Sinclair is really into this for the long run.

 

The problem is that acquisitions in broadcasting require different approvals and license transfers. There also is an outside date that will need to be considered. With Allbritton, SBG wanted to get the deal done before that date and made several concessions.

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The problem is that acquisitions in broadcasting require different approvals and license transfers. There also is an outside date that will need to be considered. With Allbritton, SBG wanted to get the deal done before that date and made several concessions.

 

And the transfer of pharmaceutical licensees and approvals are NOT complicated and full of delays?

 

But I get your point.

 

I think the delays will only help Sinclair...kinda like the way delays worked for the Rocket Boy of the North.

 

Reminder:

I'm against the Sinclair deal... not because of politics...but because I believe in LOCAL ownership. I support free speech for all...not just a few.

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The Rite Aid /Wallgreens merger proposal is into year #2...so companies do expect delays to occur.

Delays cost money...so let's just wait and see if Sinclair is really into this for the long run.

Tribune risks having to pay a hefty "kill fee" if the merger isn't completed by some point next spring, or if it collapses.

 

In reality, both Sinclair and Tribune should have set that kill fee for two years, not one year. But Sinclair also expected Paid Off to ignore the rules and let it go with a rubber stamp as big as the Free Stamp on Cleveland's downtown.

 

That's really the only signal worth keeping an eye on, IMO. If that kill fee deadline is extended, that means something is up.

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Tribune risks having to pay a hefty "kill fee" if the merger isn't completed by some point next spring, or if it collapses.

 

Why is it Tribune that would have to pay that? Isn't it normally the would-be-buyer that would pay?

 

Also, it makes it look like Tribune's the one being punished for the deal collapsing for regulatory reasons, even if those reasons are because of Sinclair's massive size.

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