Sinclair, Tribune Close to Merger Deal

[xaaatdt 1]

I’m really out of the know here. I tried to find news on Google search about when the deal is going through, but I can’t really find a clear answer. If there even is one. The station I watch. KSWB will likely become a Fox O&O after the deal which I’m really happy about. I’m no fan of Sinclair either, but I’m sick of Tribune. Maybe it’s just my station alone, but apparently a guy punching a cop is a bigger news story than an actual murder, and airport security breach to them. Then they were showing a story about birth control vending machines, and as the stock footage showed a close up video of a magnum condom box in a vending machine. Sunbeam has better news prioritization than them, and they’re actually fun to watch. When KSWB does it it’s cringy, and more political. I’m not saying they’re politically biased, but they like to focus on these political non-issues way too much. Long story short when this DOJ decision happens in the next few days does that mean the deal is close to being final?

[mardek1995 200]

Nexshit should also be shut down too. They're a huge mega group that treats their employees bad. Look what they did after acquiring MG. Lots of layoffs, cell phones and credit cards taken away from employees, and they gave KLFY a bland logo, ruining the station's legacy. They deserve to end up like RKO General. Working at Nexstar can be a bad time.

What? Is Nexstar conservative too?

[RetroCirq 148]

What? Is Nexstar conservative too?

 

They’re not as bad as Sinclair but they pinch pennies with their news product.

[detroiter313 178]

What? Is Nexstar conservative too?

Nexstar believes in one thing: localism, never interested in politics....

[xaaatdt 1]

Nexstar believes in one thing: localism, never interested in politics....

That’s what I prefer. Ideally I would like a balance, but I had to stop watching KSWB, because it’s not much different than a national politics show. That’s not what I turn to local news for mainly.

[xaaatdt 1]

Once I think about it maybe I’ve just been spoiled by KUSI. If you’re in the area you know that they are one of the most “local” local news stations in the country.

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

Nexstar believes in one thing: localism, never interested in politics....

 

You gotta give Nexstar credit. They launched a 5:30 newscast here in my market for Texarkana which airs on KSHV. Texarkana has never really had anything other than an insert in our Newscasts until now. Also, they've launched news departments on three Fox stations that previously had to outsource their news. In doing so, they brought further voices to Waco (KWKT), Roanoke (WFXR) and Huntsville (WZDX). They're getting better since the MG merger, say what you want.

[TheRolyPoly 1843]

You gotta give Nexstar credit. They launched a 5:30 newscast here in my market for Texarkana which airs on KSHV. Texarkana has never really had anything other than an insert in our Newscasts until now. Also, they've launched news departments on three Fox stations that previously had to outsource their news. In doing so, they brought further voices to Waco (KWKT), Roanoke (WFXR) and Huntsville (WZDX). They're getting better since the MG merger, say what you want.

 

That's true. IMO, Nexstar is the lesser of two evils over Sinclair.

 

I feel like Nexstar wants to launch more news departments on some more of its FOX affiliates in the near future. I just have that feeling.

[Rusty Muck 4159]

This is a surprise given the prior history in the Third Circuit in Philly, most of their rulings (stay requests included) have sided with the advocacy groups.

 

Now that doesn't mean the groups' court case won't be heard. But their request to delay the implementation of the new rules was shot down today. This will no doubt open up the floodgates for new M&As. And no doubt these new rules benefit this M&A.

 

This is double whammy for the public interest groups, as they asked the DC Circuit to stay the implementation of the UHF loophole reinstatement last year, and that was shot down too. #nostayforyou

The biggest rule that fell in this motion - the Newspaper-Broadcast Cross Ownership Ban - was pretty much outdated and unnecessary, and that was long a bipartisan opinion (the odd refusal to repeal is one thing I disagreed with Wheeler on). And even the JSA discouragement/sunset rule instituted by Wheeler was often evaded via subchannel or LPTV relocations of IP to create duopolies, there was no one willing to actually enforce it or reprimand the prime offenders (Gray, Nexstar).

 

Unless Sinclair wanted to buy Tronc or Gannett (or vice versa, but talk about a true merger of irrelevance!), I don't think this refusal of a stay impacts THIS deal as much as people would want to think. The only major chain remaining with serious sizable newspaper and broadcast assets is Cox, and it will probably benefit THEM moreso in terms of M&As or upgrading existing radio facilities.

 

The UHF "Discount" fiasco all but sealed this merger anyway, as did Fox's obvious strong-arming with Sinclair that helped alleviate the vast majority of conflict markets.

[GoldenShine9 1509]

The biggest rule that fell in this motion - the Newspaper-Broadcast Cross Ownership Ban - was pretty much outdated and unnecessary, and that was long a bipartisan opinion (the odd refusal to repeal is one thing I disagreed with Wheeler on). And even the JSA discouragement/sunset rule instituted by Wheeler was often evaded via subchannel or LPTV relocations of IP to create duopolies, there was no one willing to actually enforce it or reprimand the prime offenders (Gray, Nexstar).

 

Unless Sinclair wanted to buy Tronc or Gannett (or vice versa, but talk about a true merger of irrelevance!), I don't think this refusal of a stay impacts THIS deal as much as people would want to think. The only major chain remaining with serious sizable newspaper and broadcast assets is Cox, and it will probably benefit THEM moreso in terms of M&As or upgrading existing radio facilities.

 

The UHF "Discount" fiasco all but sealed this merger anyway, as did Fox's obvious strong-arming with Sinclair that helped alleviate the vast majority of conflict markets.

 

The NBCO is irrelevant anyway...that should have been eliminated a long time ago. There is no evidence that Sinclair is looking at newspapers either.

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

That's true. IMO, Nexstar is the lesser of two evils over Sinclair.

 

I feel like Nexstar wants to launch more news departments on some more of its FOX affiliates in the near future. I just have that feeling.

 

Wouldn't be shocking if Nexstar bought at least KDAF, KIAH, and WSFL and later on decided to do the same for those. They're CW stations but still. KASW could get the same treatment as well.

[Kenneth Kissel 280]

Sinclair has ran FOX 53 into the ground. And if anyone can resurrect the station, its Fox. At last check, though, I think that the 10pm news race here in Pittsburgh isn't all that competitve. The WPXI-produced 10pm news on WPGH beats KDKA's 10pm news on WPCW by leaps and bounds. Their slogan for the 10pm news on WPGH is actually "Pittsburgh's 10 O'Clock News Station".

 

If Fox Does acquire WPGH, They would have to acquire WPNT as well or sell it to Hearst or Cox. I think if Fox is serious in Sports and News programming, WPGH should be a no brainier. They can have a great chance to get the Steelers rights and be a strong competitor to CBS O&Os KDKA and WPCW.

[tjt24 309]

If Fox Does acquire WPGH, They would have to acquire WPNT as well or sell it to Hearst or Cox. I think if Fox is serious in Sports and News programming, WPGH should be a no brainier. They can have a great chance to get the Steelers rights and be a strong competitor to CBS O&Os KDKA and WPCW.

 

If WPGH gets sold to Fox, chances are good that WPNT goes to Fox as well. But this is Sinclair that we're talking about here, so what do I know?

[kruejac 9]

Has there been any word from the DOJ yet on approval? I know the deadline was yesterday.

[NewsMaster 226]

Has there been any word from the DOJ yet on approval? I know the deadline was yesterday.

 

Nope. I have no idea why they haven't said anything yet.

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

Has there been any word from the DOJ yet on approval? I know the deadline was yesterday.

 

It'll probably be tomorrow, if not later this week. Of course, we were saying this last month everyday. It'll for sure be soon, though.

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

If Fox Does acquire WPGH, They would have to acquire WPNT as well or sell it to Hearst or Cox. I think if Fox is serious in Sports and News programming, WPGH should be a no brainier. They can have a great chance to get the Steelers rights and be a strong competitor to CBS O&Os KDKA and WPCW.

 

Fox isn't immune to stations without news departments (see WJZY) so it wouldn't be too far fetched to see WPGH (and WUTV/Buffalo) under Fox ownership if they're serious about getting as many NFL markets as they can. They'll just build the news department that should have already been at WPGH by now.

[Guest]

Fox isn't immune to stations without news departments (see WJZY) so it wouldn't be too far fetched to see WPGH (and WUTV/Buffalo) under Fox ownership if they're serious about getting as many NFL markets as they can. They'll just build the news department that should have already been at WPGH by now.

 

Didn't WPGH have a news department before?

[ColtFromGulfcoast 695]

Didn't WPGH have a news department before?

 

They did before Sinclair decided that it needed to screw everything up with that stupid News Central BS.

[DonDonP1 113]

It'll probably be tomorrow, if not later this week. Of course, we were saying this last month everyday. It'll for sure be soon, though.

Fingers crossed.

[oklahomanewsman 210]

The reason why there hasn't been anything coming out of the Justice Department with regards to Sinclair-Tribune is because Sinclair STILL has not submitted it's plans to divest stations to either the DOJ or the FCC.

 

And until they do that, we won't hear a word from the Justice Department regarding Sinclair-Tribune anytime soon (which is also why the FCC hasn't restarted the 180 day shot clock as of yet)

[GoldenShine9 1509]

Based on the repeal of the 8 voices test, the only "conflict" that is no longer one is in Portland, OR with KRCW (KUNP is not a conflict as it is a low-power station in Portland; its full-power signal is far removed from Portland and does not overlap with either KATU or KRCW).

 

In Richmond and Des Moines, a shelling or an exception may be reasonable, as you are dealing with a distant 4th place station with no news operation. Also, they might want to wait until after February sweeps in Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, as if either WWMT or WXMI is a 5th place station (not entirely out of the question), it becomes a legal duopoly.

[JCB4TV 330]

Based on the repeal of the 8 voices test, the only "conflict" that is no longer one is in Portland, OR with KRCW (KUNP is not a conflict as it is a low-power station in Portland; its full-power signal is far removed from Portland and does not overlap with either KATU or KRCW).

 

In Richmond and Des Moines, a shelling or an exception may be reasonable, as you are dealing with a distant 4th place station with no news operation. Also, they might want to wait until after February sweeps in Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, as if either WWMT or WXMI is a 5th place station (not entirely out of the question), it becomes a legal duopoly.

With these recent actions at the FCC, I can see Sinclair taking over WHO, Des Moines, without any further action being taken on part of KDSM. WHO already produces the newscasts seen on KDSM anyway. Meanwhile in Richmond, I can also see Sinclair taking over WTVR with no further action being taken on WRLH. Only production of newscasts would be affected as WTVR takes over WRLH's newscasts from WWBT, who moves over to their sister WUPV, and WJLA taking over WDCW's newscasts in DC.

 

As for Grand Rapids, I wonder how the stations ranked there, WOOD, WWMT, the ABC stations, then WXMI?

[GoldenShine9 1509]

With these recent actions at the FCC, I can see Sinclair taking over WHO, Des Moines, without any further action being taken on part of KDSM. WHO already produces the newscasts seen on KDSM anyway. Meanwhile in Richmond, I can also see Sinclair taking over WTVR with no further action being taken on WRLH. Only production of newscasts would be affected as WTVR takes over WRLH's newscasts from WWBT, who moves over to their sister WUPV, and WJLA taking over WDCW's newscasts in DC.

 

As for Grand Rapids, I wonder how the stations ranked there, WOOD, WWMT, the ABC stations, then WXMI?

 

I believe the order in that market, normally, is WOOD, WWMT, WZZM, WXMI and WOTV.

 

It's an odd market with two major sections, with about 60% of the population in the northern part and 40% in the southern part. WWMT and WOTV are southern focused, the rest northern focused (WZZM most so, it doesn't even reach the I-94 corridor, while also penetrating a piece of the Northern MI market).

[TechieMcTechface 2]

I’m really out of the know here. I tried to find news on Google search about when the deal is going through, but I can’t really find a clear answer. If there even is one. The station I watch. KSWB will likely become a Fox O&O after the deal which I’m really happy about. I’m no fan of Sinclair either, but I’m sick of Tribune. Maybe it’s just my station alone, but apparently a guy punching a cop is a bigger news story than an actual murder, and airport security breach to them. Then they were showing a story about birth control vending machines, and as the stock footage showed a close up video of a magnum condom box in a vending machine. Sunbeam has better news prioritization than them, and they’re actually fun to watch. When KSWB does it it’s cringy, and more political. I’m not saying they’re politically biased, but they like to focus on these political non-issues way too much. Long story short when this DOJ decision happens in the next few days does that mean the deal is close to being final?

 

Be careful what you wish for. FTS is very layoff happy. When they acquired San Francisco, right off the bat they slashed 150 non union personnel and then basically defecated on the existing contracts that the union groups had. I remember IBEW45 was fuming when that took place back in 2014.