Sinclair, Tribune Close to Merger Deal

[brianpr3 173]

Heard fox pulled a stonecold stunner on sinclair and boris is preparing his rant as we speak

http://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/8/4/sinclair-stock-tanks-after-fox-news

[Rusty Muck 4164]

was fox planning to enter the daytime soap buisness?

It sounds like they wanted to do more than just talk in the 9am hour (with the failed importing of FX's Breakfast Time; other attempts, like a national version of Good Day LA and The Morning Show with Mike and Juilet, were syndicated internally by 20th Television). Plus there was the Fox Kids block, which the New World group didn't even want.

 

Remember that Fox was interested in Conan O'Brien after the NBC Tonight Show debacle, but the affiliates rebelled, not wanting to cede their local inventory after 11pm.

[David Salter JR 66]

It sounds like they wanted to do more than just talk in the 9am hour (with the failed importing of FX's Breakfast Time; other attempts, like a national version of Good Day LA and The Morning Show with Mike and Juilet, were syndicated internally by 20th Television). Plus there was the Fox Kids block, which the New World group didn't even want.

 

Remember that Fox was interested in Conan O'Brien after the NBC Tonight Show debacle, but the affiliates rebelled, not wanting to cede their local inventory after 11pm.

if fox knew that the new world affiliates were not going to clear the fox kids lineup, why didn't they scrap it or make it saturday only?

[ToriElectra 291]

if fox knew that the new world affiliates were not going to clear the fox kids lineup, why didn't they scrap it or make it saturday only?

Yeah, I would've phased out the weekday block, and forced all the new stations to carry FK Saturdays.

[channel2 869]

Maybe the advertising or something about Power Rangers's popularity justified not dropping it entirely? They found other outlets to clear the lineup in all the markets but St. Louis, and the big markets mostly still carried it.

[oklahomanewsman 210]

I'm curious to see which markets is the Justice Department wanting to probe about potential antitrust issues? I'm willing to bet that it would be Oklahoma City, Seattle, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, West Michigan and potentially NEPA

[The Frog 392]

This reminds me, did HulkieD ever finish his Fox Kids write-up?

[ToriElectra 291]

This reminds me, did HulkieD ever finish his Fox Kids write-up?

Nope, he didn't even start that one, and only got partway into how Marvel Comics was tied into the mess.

[Rusty Muck 4164]

if fox knew that the new world affiliates were not going to clear the fox kids lineup, why didn't they scrap it or make it saturday only?

Something something Power Rangers, something something Pokemon.

 

They found other outlets to clear the lineup in all the markets but St. Louis, and the big markets mostly still carried it.

 

In the Cleveland market, WBNX owes almost all of it's success and visibility in the market to getting the Fox Kids affiliation.

[CircleSeven 1944]

Here's a new piece about Sinclair posted yesterday by Politico.

 

Also, Today (8/7) is the last day for anyone or group who wants to file a "petition of deny" in the Sinclair-Tribune acquisition (17-179). Some groups who already oppose the deal will have a press call later today, calling for the regulators to reject the deal. Former FCC commissioner Michael Copps will take part in this press gathering today.

[channel2 869]

Something something Power Rangers, something something Pokemon.

 

Pokémon aired on Kids' WB!, but it was in syndication before then and, indeed, KDVR cleared it. You're thinking of Digimon.

[tyrannical bastard 3443]

In the Cleveland market, WBNX owes almost all of it's success and visibility in the market to getting the Fox Kids affiliation.

 

This put WBNX on the map and opened the gates to them picking up real syndicated shows. Before that, the station was riddled with classic sitcoms (probably barter), cheap local ads and direct response ads out the yin-yang.

 

Getting the WB made them even more of a force in the market, and they were able to land the shows that WUAB was too cheap to keep around, and took over them in the ratings as a result.

 

By the time most Northeast Ohioans had heard of WBNX...(or Cleveland's WB...or WBNX CW), the stigma of Ernest Angley was long gone, as they aired shows "as-is" and buried Ernest in a 9am daily slot and gave his 10pm slot to "Friends" repeats.

[CircleSeven 1944]

Some groups who already oppose the deal will have a press call later today, calling for the regulators to reject the deal. Former FCC commissioner Michael Copps will take part in this press gathering today.

 

Official. Dish Network and American Cable Association have filed petitions of deny.

 

EDIT 8/8: NewsMax, Public Knowledge & IBEW as well.

[MidwestTV 1173]

Weirdly enough, there's a subreddit dedicated to this deal with a few hundred subscribers. www.reddit.com/r/opposesinclair

[CalItalian2 163]

Official. Dish Network and American Cable Association have filed petitions of deny.

 

EDIT 8/8: NewsMax as well.

None of which will amount to anything. DOJ asking for more info. will. They will require them to spin off stations and not to one of their sidecars. FTC got burned during the Haggen/Safeway/Albertsons merger and that won't happen with the DOJ. http://www.insideradio.com/free/sinclair-tribune-hits-justice-dept-snag-on-merger-path/article_2310dac2-7c0b-11e7-b57c-4b85c31098c1.html

[Rusty Muck 4164]

None of which will amount to anything. DOJ asking for more info. will. They will require them to spin off stations and not to one of their sidecars. FTC got burned during the Haggen/Safeway/Albertsons merger and that won't happen with the DOJ. http://www.insideradio.com/free/sinclair-tribune-hits-justice-dept-snag-on-merger-path/article_2310dac2-7c0b-11e7-b57c-4b85c31098c1.html

Look at CBS Radio's planned merger with Entercom. In every conflict market, both parties voluntarily agreed to put as many stations as possible on a list for divestures. Of course they won't need to sell off that much, but it was a courtesy move to accommodate whatever the DOJ will ultimately ask for (and it even hasn't gotten to that stage yet; the CBS-Entercom merger was announced in early February).

 

Sinclair did the opposite, failing to list any significant level of divestures, UHF Discount or no UHF Discount. They tried to list as little divestures as possible with the Allbritton takeover, and were eventually forced in the third attempt to do IP moves with WBMA+, WCIV and a few other stations.

 

The DOJ may be making Sinclair and Tribune do what CBS Radio/Entercom did, and put the majority of their conflict market stations on the table, regardless of what divestures may ultimately occur. It will eat up time and delay consummation significantly.

[Eat News 4738]

FTC got burned during the Haggen/Safeway/Albertsons merger and that won't happen with the DOJ. l

 

I ended up getting a Gelsons out of that deal.

 

Still sucks.

[CircleSeven 1944]

So T-Mobile has filed a comment. Their concern was Sinclair could use its influence to delay the repacking schedule for stations to vacate the 600mhz band. And that would affecting T-Mobile's rollout plan.

"The 'New' Sinclair will have over 110 stations slated for repacking and over 50 stations vacating the newly created 600 MHz band—making it by far the largest broadcaster engaged in repacking," T-Mobile told the FCC. "In addition to broadcast stations, Sinclair also controls Dielectric, the nation’s largest television antenna manufacturer, and Acrodyne Services, a television equipment servicing company; and owns numerous broadcasting tower and transmission sites. This massive portfolio of stations and vertically integrated businesses will provide New Sinclair with multiple means to thwart the repacking process in practically every region of the country."

_______

 

It signaled if those risks were not ameliorated through deal conditions, the merger should be denied.

 

Those conditions are: 1) the imposition of a clear and unambiguous obligation on the Applicants to comply with the repacking timetable that the Commission has adopted for their stations [stations are being repacked in 10 phases]; 2) the imposition of substantial penalties for failing to meet this timetable; and 3) a prohibition on the Applicants’ requesting any ATSC 3.0-related concessions from carriers [like T-Mobile] in negotiations to accelerate Sinclair’s departure from the 600 MHz band."

_______

 

It argues Sinclair has the incentive to impede the auction in addition to a history of trying to do so, pointing to its appeal of the 39-month schedule in court, which was rejected, and telling the FCC it should be providing for the inevitable delays of that timeline.

 

T-Mobile says Sinclair's "all-in" support of ATSC 3.0—it has long been a proponent of the advanced TV standard and holds a handful of related patents—“gives it a strong self-interest in using whatever leverage it has to promote the adoption of this standard," including delaying access to the spectrum by winning wireless bidders.

 

And Free Press has filed a petition of deny.

 

Even though Sinclair-Tribune didn't mention the Wilkes Barre-Scranton & Hampton Roads markets in their paperwork, Free Press did.

[GoldenShine9 1509]

Over 400 complaints have been filed so far. While most probably do not have standing, it is possible they may be considered as well.

 

At a minimum, I expect an order for Sinclair to have to go under the adjusted cap and clear all conflicts (and not to shells) with the second look and the "deep state" involvement. I think the chance of the deal collapsing altogether, although still low, has increased as well.

 

Even if Sinclair somehow got everything, they could be stuck with 233 independents - Fox has threatened to pull, and I can see the other networks doing the same.

[channel2 869]

So wait a minute, why did Fox sell WUTB to Sinclair-I mean Deerfield? Has that come back to bite them?

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

So wait a minute, why did Fox sell WUTB to Sinclair-I mean Deerfield? Has that come back to bite them?

 

I've mentioned numerous times that Fox still has WMDE as an option if they choose to deaffiliate from WBFF. It can happen.

[GoldenShine9 1509]

I've mentioned numerous times that Fox still has WMDE as an option if they choose to deaffiliate from WBFF. It can happen.

 

Would that be better for them given it is so far east (and technically in the Salisbury market), or would going onto 2.2 or 11.2 make more sense?

[Eat News 4738]

 

Even if Sinclair somehow got everything, they could be stuck with 233 independents - Fox has threatened to pull, and I can see the other networks doing the same.

 

If they get stuck with all those indys, you can bet they will try to create some kind of

"network".

 

And don't think for a second that there won't be plenty of folks offering programming of all sorts.

 

Sure it won't be pretty, but it sure will be fun to watch.

 

Anyway...

This is just a test run now, it goes back to the drawing board and will re-emerge later as Sinclair 2.0... remixed into a nice Tropical House Music version.

 

By then the AT&T deal should be dominating in the trades, and with John Oliver.

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

Would that be better for them given it is so far east (and technically in the Salisbury market), or would going onto 2.2 or 11.2 make more sense?

 

 

The transmitter is located in the Baltimore market. All they would have to do is somewhat move the city of license (Easton, Maryland would be a place I'd consider) and they'd be good.

[Rusty Muck 4164]

So wait a minute, why did Fox sell WUTB to Sinclair-I mean Deerfield? Has that come back to bite them?

WUTB didn't have much of an identity by then aside from simulcating WTTG's 10pm news. There was no way Fox was going to be able to poach the affiliation off of WBFF.

 

And, it wasn't necessarily a sale, but a trade. Sinclair offered to Fox a few MyTV and CW stations comparable to WUTB's value (most notably WSTR in Cincinnati) but Fox declined the offer.