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Sinclair, Tribune Close to Merger Deal


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Reuters reporting Sinclair has prevailed and a deal to acquire Tribune is near...

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tribune-media-m-a-sinclair-exclusive-idUSKBN1830QH

 

We'll probably know for sure Monday, but now you have to wonder how much Rupert wants to protect his network and, potentially, the one thing it has going for it right now: The NFL. Is it worth potentially taking the hit on SKY for? Or do the Murdochs give up, focus on FNC, and let FOX rot like they did to Network Ten in Australia?

 

Long term, if this pans out, I'd argue FOX and its O&Os are the bigger losers than Trib.

 

Unless...you think FOX could go nuclear and block the transfer of its Trib affiliates to Sinclair? They do have the legal power to do that, right?

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The NY Times said that Fox didn't even make a bid.

Fox had explored making a bid for Tribune in partnership with the investment firm Blackstone Group — in part out of concern that Sinclair would end up controlling too many Fox local television affiliates — but it did not make a bid, according to two other people with knowledge of the matter.

 

Prayers go out to all of the Tribune outlets, should this deal stick.

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The NY Times said that Fox didn't even make a bid.

 

23d01e4e-9c50-4091-87e4-50fbcaf16fa8.jpg

 

Pretty much confirms the Murdochs are putting all their chips into acquiring SKY.

 

Or--they're going to block the affiliate transfer and you'll likely see more FOX O&Os in NFC markets again, one way or the other (looking at you, Seattle, Milwaukee, Greensboro and maybe CT and Grand Rapids.)

 

Wow.

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23d01e4e-9c50-4091-87e4-50fbcaf16fa8.jpg

 

Pretty much confirms the Murdochs are putting all their chips into acquiring SKY.

 

Or just wait until Sinclair implodes from debt a few years down the road. FOX will just clean up the scraps and mess.

Unless this is a cash deal?

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Murdoch isn't stupid, the less brick & mortar News Operations in this day and age the better - who needs the expense of real estate when all the viewership has been steadily heading to the web - where delivery of content to viewers is much cheaper. He may be an ass but he's not an idiot.

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Pretty much confirms the Murdochs are putting all their chips into acquiring SKY.

 

Which would be both hilarious and sad if he strikes out on that... because of that silly fiasco at Fox News making him look really, really bad across the pond.

 

Pretty much

Or--they're going to block the affiliate transfer and you'll likely see more FOX O&Os in NFC markets again, one way or the other (looking at you, Seattle, Milwaukee, Greensboro and maybe CT and Grand Rapids.)

 

Wow.

Who knows. Honestly, Fox is aiming for those aforementioned stations... because Sinclair was going to have to give them up anyway.

 

I don't think they're THAT interested in WGHP, IMO.

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Which would be both hilarious and sad if he strikes out on that... because of that silly fiasco at Fox News making him look really, really bad across the pond.

 

 

Who knows. Honestly, Fox is aiming for those aforementioned stations... because Sinclair was going to have to give them up anyway.

 

I don't think they're THAT interested in WGHP, IMO.

 

Also, the deal blows the cap even with the UHF discount so they will have to divest about 5% reach PLUS conflicts. Basically, there is no way they can keep (at least most of) the ex-Local TV LLC stations if they want the big ones. Just adding WPIX, WGN and KTLA puts them at around 36% reach (since WPIX is on RF 11, it adds 6 points in itself).

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No matter what happens, Sinclair will have to sell quite a bit.

 

Or rush things a bit in their post-spectrum sell-offs in conflict markets. WCGV's spectrum was sold; will a quick LMA be made to light up 24.1 on WITI 6.3 now that a spectrum merger onto WVTV isn't needed?

 

And this pretty much assures that This will finally get a rebranding of some kind besides 'that bad movie network'. TBD and Charge! might not get out of mid-markets either with Antenna under their wing.

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bloody hell right wing commentary in my city? NYC!

Not concerned about the political leanings (ironically I have libertarian/conservative leanings.), but more of the way Sincrap operates. Most conservatives should be better off moving to the Internet. OANN and Newsmax are struggling, I don't know why Sincrap thinks it can. Oh wait, never mind.

 

Second point: RIP WGN Morning News 1994-2017

 

Add: Here in Milwaukee, I am very concerned about WITI. Like Gousha, I guess Pip and Vince knew when to jump. To be fair WVTV/soon ex-WCGV I heard has always been one of the better Sinclair duos, but mostly because they don't have news means less load of the staff, also concerned for the staff there. I won't be surprised if Scripps/TMJ will have another shakeup in the future and grab some WITI managers/staff if they don't want to work under Sincrap? They really need it with TV being mediocre and radio's floundering stocks.

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The WGN Morning News, and WGN's news department, will still be around. They are not being canceled. Good Lord.

 

Most conservatives should be better off moving to the Internet. OANN and Newsmax are struggling, I don't know why Sincrap thinks it can. Oh wait, never mind.

Good luck getting hayseed hicks and senior citizens to work a smartphone. It's why Fox News still has an audience and NewsMax/OANN don't.

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I am not so convinced WPHL will go to FOX when this is all done. PA is now a politically important swing state and Sinclair will, when the smoke clears, have a station in every PA market. Why would they give up revenue in the 4th media market with no conflicts AND a 10pm News already farmed out to the 800 lb gorilla in the region that, in just a few years, is now tying and occasionally beating WTXF in the slot? That is an easy decision to keep.

 

I think WGHP is in play for FOX because they now have to play defense and preserve their footprint in NFC markets, including secondary ones. The more NFC markets Sinclair is in, the more power they'll have vs. FOX at the bargaining table. Imagine if Sinclair kept KCPQ and sold off KOMO just to spite FOX.

 

I wonder how much they'd be willing to overpay Raycom for WVUE...

 

Last thing--we're all assuming the duopoly rules are going to stay the same. I don't think that's a wise assumption in this political climate.

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Look for trade-ups in St. Louis, Greensboro and Norfolk. Sinclair would be stupid not to at this point. Heck, we may even get the "ABC 11" we've all been dreaming of for years!

WITI could easily absorb WVTV and the non-license assets of WCGV.

As for the others, I'll leave that to the speculatron. I highly doubt that they would part with KOMO given that it's practically their west coast hub.

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