Jump to content

Fox and Sinclair finalizing purchase of six stations


ColDayNews

Recommended Posts

One of the few changes under FOX ownership was the dropping of the annual MDA telethon several years after the sale closed (FOX pulled it because they don't allow telethons) and it ended up on WBNX for the next few years....

Plus the late Casey Coleman was shoved off of sports at 6 and 10 shortly after Fox took control (although the GM who made the move was hired by New World management), brought back for a bit, then let go for good.

 

That being said, I can’t think of any public departures by long-tenured personnel at WJW which were acrimonious (long-term staffers like Bob Cerminara and Belinda Prinz retired, and Carl Monday and Tom Meyer simply left for different stations). If anything, the long-term talent continuity Virgil Dominic instilled at the station in the 1970s and 1980s continued, almost to the present day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 318
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Funny thing is, Fox actually bought WOAI (then KMOL) in 2001 with the Chris-Craft/United Television buyout, then traded it to Clear Channel for KFTC and the Fox affiliation in Minneapolis.

 

I wonder why they didn't keep it? I grew up watching KMOL, and I do remember that era of the station vaguely. I was four when they became WOAI for the second time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Plus the late Casey Coleman was shoved off of sports at 6 and 10 shortly after Fox took control (although the GM who made the move was hired by New World management), brought back for a bit, then let go for good.

 

That being said, I can’t think of any public departures by long-tenured personnel at WJW which were acrimonious (long-term staffers like Bob Cerminara and Belinda Prinz retired, and Carl Monday and Tom Meyer simply left for different stations). If anything, the long-term talent continuity Virgil Dominic instilled at the station in the 1970s and 1980s continued, almost to the present day.

 

Virgil himself was a casualty of Fox's ownership....I believe he was the last person who refused to have WJW referred to as "FOX 8"...and paid the price for it.

 

Don't forget about Mark Koontz. For years, he appeared to be Dick Goddard's heir apparent....however he disappeared from WJW in 1997. I don't remember exactly how...if it was for cause, stuff outside of work, or he simply gave up waiting for Dick Goddard to retire. He would eventually end up over in Youngstown at WFMJ several years later, working his way up to chief meteorologist. He suffered a stroke in 2006, and finally retired in 2013...3 YEARS before Dick Goddard retired from weather at WJW.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Virgil himself was a casualty of Fox's ownership....I believe he was the last person who refused to have WJW referred to as "FOX 8"...and paid the price for it.

 

Don't forget about Mark Koontz. For years, he appeared to be Dick Goddard's heir apparent....however he disappeared from WJW in 1997. I don't remember exactly how...if it was for cause, stuff outside of work, or he simply gave up waiting for Dick Goddard to retire. He would eventually end up over in Youngstown at WFMJ several years later, working his way up to chief meteorologist. He suffered a stroke in 2006, and finally retired in 2013...3 YEARS before Dick Goddard retired from weather at WJW.

 

I remember Virgil saying that WJW never going to be "Fox 8." He wanted to keep that NewsCenter 8/TV8 legacy he installed going as if they were still affiliated with CBS.

 

I think WJW initially struggled in the ratings around '94 and '95 post switch, especially with the news. Then Virgil was replaced by Bob Rowe, who installed Ei8ht is News as the new name of its newscasts (TV8 became Channel 8 on-air with "Fox is Ei8ht" on screen). That lasted until 1996. Anyone have more info on WJW around the mid-1990's?

 

Mark Koontz actually left WJW around 1999. He was replaced by AJ Colby, who later replaced by Scott Sabol in 2003. Colby eventually returned to WJW and now works with Sabol on the morning news.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Virgil himself was a casualty of Fox's ownership....I believe he was the last person who refused to have WJW referred to as "FOX 8"...and paid the price for it.

Virgil was let go in October 1995 and replaced with Bob Rowe from sister station KSAZ. I don't believe Fox made the official announcement that they were purchasing New World, but it didn't close until August 1996.

 

One of the first things Rowe did was scrap the "NewsCenter 8" branding for "ei8ht IS NEWS" and folded "NewsCenter 8 This Morning" and "Good Day Cleveland" into "ei8ht IS NEWS in the Morning..." which quickly became a powerhouse after WEWS was forced to move "The Morning Exchange" out of morning drive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They needed something to trade to Clear Channel for WFTC.

It got Fox an instant duopoly in an NFC market. Remember that KMSP was a de facto UPN O&O and WFTC was in the process of starting up a news department. Plus Clear Channel's home market is/was San Antonio, so they no doubt wanted to get the erstwhile WOAI-TV reunited with AM 1200.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most of you are forgetting that Sacramento is a top 20 market. Look at the DMA rankings. If this does pan out, Fox will have an O&O in every top 20 market except Boston. San Diego, on the other hand, is #29.

 

Don't forget Miami (at least until if a possible affiliation switch takes place between WSVN and WSFL)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if Fox will get WDAF anf WITI.

I believe WITI is on the list of stations Sinclair really wants to keep. They sold WCGV in the spectrum auction, specifically with the expectation of the merger going through and them getting WITI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe WITI is on the list of stations Sinclair really wants to keep. They sold WCGV in the spectrum auction, specifically with the expectation of the merger going through and them getting WITI.

Likely they are haggling big-time over WITI. Fox no doubt wants to regain that foothold in a part of the Packers market, while Sinclair sees all the operational synergies with WITI and WLUK.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Likely they are haggling big-time over WITI. Fox no doubt wants to regain that foothold in a part of the Packers market, while Sinclair sees all the operational synergies with WITI and WLUK.

I could see Fox getting Milwaukee while Sinclair gets Green Bay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is actually not bad, pretty cool imo at least for my market area. KTXL was a perfect choice because of the NFL Coverage. and it makes sense since the logo itself is the same design as theirs.

 

Logo design has nothing to do with why the network wants KTXL. They could have a logo designed by a 5-year-old and Fox will still want them. A good news product + quality syndication + high ratings + an NFL presence = $$$ for Fox = Fox is going to be interested.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Logo design has nothing to do with why the network wants KTXL. They could have a logo designed by a 5-year-old and Fox will still want them. A good news product + quality syndication + high ratings + an NFL presence = $$$ for Fox = Fox is going to be interested.

 

my bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not only that but having an affiliation adds value to the station. Why are so many of you so adamant on these affiliation changes? I'm sure Ed Anson is happy with 7 NEWS with FOX. If he could he would want WHDH to be affiliated with FOX too, and I hope he gets his wish. However, it doesn't means it's going to happen. Remember, when WISH-TV 8 in Indy lost it CBS affiliation. It devalue the price of the sale from Media General to Nexstar.

 

I would love for some stations to change affiliations, but at the end of the day it's economics and the parent company deal with the affiliation agreement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In a way, I'm actually surprised that Fox is getting KSTU back. Granted, Sinclair would end up with a virtual quadropoly in Utah, but Salt Lake City isn't in the top-25, nor is it an NFL market. At least KTXL makes sense since it's in a secondary NFL market (49ers), Sacramento is in the top-25, and Fox will have a state capital bureau for KTVU and KTTV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Logo design has nothing to do with why the network wants KTXL. They could have a logo designed by a 5-year-old and Fox will still want them. A good news product + quality syndication + high ratings + an NFL presence = $$$ for Fox = Fox is going to be interested.

All Fox affiliates technically have an NFL presence.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not only that but having an affiliation adds value to the station. Why are so many of you so adamant on these affiliation changes? I'm sure Ed Anson is happy with 7 NEWS with FOX. If he could he would want WHDH to be affiliated with FOX too, and I hope he gets his wish. However, it doesn't means it's going to happen. Remember, when WISH-TV 8 in Indy lost it CBS affiliation. It devalue the price of the sale from Media General to Nexstar.

 

I would love for some stations to change affiliations, but at the end of the day it's economics and the parent company deal with the affiliation agreement.

With regards to Miami, why would Fox want to own a station in the market not affiliated with its network. While I don’t believe that Fox will ultimately end up on WSFL, this why others are hung up on this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because it's in an NFC market.

 

And because someone decided they weren't gonna be bullied into giving up their flagship station that had been owned by them for half a century. I do think at the same time that Fox somehow extorted Capitol into giving it up because Fox could have bought WLFL/WRDC in Raleigh (which would have displaced WRAZ, one of their flagship interests) and moved their affiliation there. I think the Panthers get really high ratings on RAZ.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using TVNewsTalk you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.