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I'm not sure if this was asked yet, but what becomes of Limerick Studios after Raycom's merger with Gray is finished?

I’m not sure. I hope they keep the Limerick design or upgrade it. The Gray graphics aren’t bad, but they do look cheap. I cringe when I picture graphics designed by Gray on KFVS and WAFB.

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Hawaii News NOW would more likely remain but with one of the stations getting out, Toledo News NOW remaining as WTOL/WUPW will still be combined but under new owners and the WCTV/WSWG partnership will be broken with WSWG being on its own since Gray is reuniting itself with WALB and dumping WSWG. Unless WSWG adds its own local news with its new owner, it will be a CBS affiliate with no news like Sinclair's WTWC Tally.

 

2 questions.

 

1. Why would KGMB or KHNL be sold? Gray owns no other stations in the market, so why would a station be spun? If Gray get's legally absorbed into into Raycom, doesn't the legal standing (I assume the duopoly of KGMB and KHNL was developed under a failing station waiver) still abide?

 

2. Couldn't WSWG's new owner, like Nexstar, just develop an SSA to keep WALB and WSWG under the same roof with WCTV and continue the larger CBS EWN brand across multiple markets? Why develop new news and sales infrastructure costs when you don't have to?

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2 questions.

 

1. Why would KGMB or KHNL be sold? Gray owns no other stations in the market, so why would a station be spun? If Gray get's legally absorbed into into Raycom, doesn't the legal standing (I assume the duopoly of KGMB and KHNL was developed under a failing station waiver) still abide?

 

2. Couldn't WSWG's new owner, like Nexstar, just develop an SSA to keep WALB and WSWG under the same roof with WCTV and continue the larger CBS EWN brand across multiple? Why develop new news and sales infrastructure costs when you don't have to?

 

I think Albany, Ga. is too small to allow duopolies.

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2 questions.

 

1. Why would KGMB or KHNL be sold? Gray owns no other stations in the market, so why would a station be spun? If Gray get's legally absorbed into into Raycom, doesn't the legal standing (I assume the duopoly of KGMB and KHNL was developed under a failing station waiver) still abide?

 

2. Couldn't WSWG's new owner, like Nexstar, just develop an SSA to keep WALB and WSWG under the same roof with WCTV and continue the larger CBS EWN brand across multiple markets? Why develop new news and sales infrastructure costs when you don't have to?

 

1. KGMB and KHNL may both be in the top four, requiring a divestiture. KGMB swapped licenses with KFVE (which wasn't in the top four) in 2009 to form the duopoly with KHNL. Gray shareholders will control 89 percent of the merged company, causing the merger (for the purposes of the Raycom stations) to be classified as a "substantial" (50 percent or greater) of control under FCC rules, requiring a reevaluation of compliance with ownership rules.

 

2. That may raise an issue with the DOJ, since it would result in an increase in Gray's market share and they have control over three out of the four major network affiliations in Albany.

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I’m not sure. I hope they keep the Limerick design or upgrade it. The Gray graphics aren’t bad, but they do look cheap. I cringe when I picture graphics designed by Gray on KFVS and WAFB.

I say this because Limerick Studios is Raycom's graphics subsidiary. Doing away with that would be a mistake on Gray's part (although they could do what Nexstar did with Linear Drift after acquiring Media General).

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I say this because Limerick Studios is Raycom's graphics subsidiary. Doing away with that would be a mistake on Gray's part (although they could do what Nexstar did with Linear Drift after acquiring Media General).

 

Limerick is NOT a subsidiary of Raycom. It's an outside studio, which like Troika's relationship with Tegna, met a production bid for the branding design for Raycom.

 

Linear Drift is one person, Rey Rodriguez (formerly of GO). He's contracting as LD, but is a singular human.

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1. KGMB and KHNL may both be in the top four, requiring a divestiture. KGMB swapped licenses with KFVE (which wasn't in the top four) in 2009 to form the duopoly with KHNL. Gray shareholders will control 89 percent of the merged company, causing the merger (for the purposes of the Raycom stations) to be classified as a "substantial" (50 percent or greater) of control under FCC rules, requiring a reevaluation of compliance with ownership rules.

 

2. That may raise an issue with the DOJ, since it would result in an increase in Gray's market share and they have control over three out of the four major network affiliations in Albany.

 

Plus, Gray would have five out of seven affiliations in the Albany, Ga. (FOX and PBS not included) if they kept WSWG which is just ridiculous, thus why they're selling WSWG and taking back WALB.

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Limerick is NOT a subsidiary of Raycom. It's an outside studio, which like Troika's relationship with Tegna, met a production bid for the branding design for Raycom.

 

Linear Drift is one person, Rey Rodriguez (formerly of GO). He's contracting as LD, but is a singular human.

I see.

 

Well, here's hoping Gray steps their game up on the graphics side post-merger and not treat the larger market stations like their smaller market counterparts.

 

EDIT: Heck, I'd be okay if they implemented a similar look to this at their newly acquired stations. (Yes, I know KWCH is a former Schurz station, but still ...)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=4cbLBBreEXo;t=5

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Plus, Gray would have five out of seven affiliations in the Albany, Ga. (FOX and PBS not included) if they kept WSWG which is just ridiculous, thus why they're selling WSWG and taking back WALB.

 

Plus, these remaining affiliations are largely controlled out of market. Sinclair defers a lot to Macon to run WFXL and GPT is a statewide network....

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I see.

 

Well, here's hoping Gray steps their game up on the graphics side post-merger and not treat the larger market stations like their smaller market counterparts.

 

EDIT: Heck, I'd be okay if they implemented a similar look to this at their newly acquired stations. (Yes, I know KWCH is a former Schurz station, but still ...)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=4cbLBBreEXo;t=5

 

But I prefer those graphics over Sinclair's ones because Sinclair's look cheap as (bleep).

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I see.

 

Well, here's hoping Gray steps their game up on the graphics side post-merger and not treat the larger market stations like their smaller market counterparts.

 

EDIT: Heck, I'd be okay if they implemented a similar look to this at their newly acquired stations. (Yes, I know KWCH is a former Schurz station, but still ...)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=4cbLBBreEXo;t=5

 

They need to get rid of that logo (a relic from the Media General days) though. Perhaps return to the "Look of a Leader" logo?

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Regarding WSWG, are there any low-power stations in Valdosta that Gray can acquire or stick it on? That way, WSWG can be sold to a tiny operator, while CBS remains on their new LD (and they can add WALB on that DT2 if they wanted to). The only other pathway I can see working is WSWG sold to the owner of WTXL, and an affiliation switch would be necessary.

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Regarding WSWG, are there any low-power stations in Valdosta that Gray can acquire or stick it on? That way, WSWG can be sold to a tiny operator, while CBS remains on their new LD (and they can add WALB on that DT2 if they wanted to). The only other pathway I can see working is WSWG sold to the owner of WTXL, and an affiliation switch would be necessary.

 

There are a few LPTVs in Valdosta, but it might be better for Gray to acquire an LPTV in Albany (of which there are several), because Valdosta is technically in the Tallahassee market (even though WSWG serves as the CBS affiliate for Albany), and it already gets a strong signal from WCTV.

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If finding a buyer is difficult, they may even be able to pull the "failed station" card.

 

If the FCC was in competent hands, they would understand how crippled this market is and waiver in a way to keep network service here. Before WALB picked up ABC and after a prior incarnation of WSWG failed, IIRC, ABC was piped in VIA SATELLITE from WSB.

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They need to get rid of that logo (a relic from the Media General days) though. Perhaps return to the "Look of a Leader" logo?

Yeah, at least KALB managed to completely ditch that look for good a few years back.

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I'd be curious to see how the contours of WCTV, WALB and WSWG overlap, and if there would be any holes left after accounting for WCTV and WALB. The big problem is shoe-horning three signals onto WALB, which is why a low-power signal or two may be required anyway.

 

I'm guessing next week we will get the paperwork to clear up more of our questions.

 

The only way I can see WSWG remaining a network station is if it becomes a satellite of WTXL instead. There is just no demand for another news operation in SW Georgia, especially with WALB so dominant.

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I'd be curious to see how the contours of WCTV, WALB and WSWG overlap, and if there would be any holes left after accounting for WCTV and WALB. The big problem is shoe-horning three signals onto WALB, which is why a low-power signal or two may be required anyway.

 

I'm guessing next week we will get the paperwork to clear up more of our questions.

 

The only way I can see WSWG remaining a network station is if it becomes a satellite of WTXL instead. There is just no demand for another news operation in SW Georgia, especially with WALB so dominant.

I'm not sure why sticking WSWG to a LPTV would make sense now. Gray's justification to do it in situations such as the Schurz acquisitions with KEVN, KSPR and WAGT was a "kill two birds with one stone" move related to the spectrum auction, they could sell a station's spectrum and reap the revenue coming from the sale of the spectrum whilst alleviating an ownership conflict. That auction is basically over, and the FCC now allows waivers to allow station owners to own two stations in smaller markets that have too few stations to legally maintain a duopoly. It would make more sense to seek a waiver to own it alongside WTXL or sell it along with WCTV, allowing to continue operating as a semi-satellite.

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I'd be curious to see how the contours of WCTV, WALB and WSWG overlap, and if there would be any holes left after accounting for WCTV and WALB. The big problem is shoe-horning three signals onto WALB, which is why a low-power signal or two may be required anyway.

 

I'm guessing next week we will get the paperwork to clear up more of our questions.

 

The only way I can see WSWG remaining a network station is if it becomes a satellite of WTXL instead. There is just no demand for another news operation in SW Georgia, especially with WALB so dominant.

 

I'm not sure why sticking WSWG to a LPTV would make sense now. Gray's justification to do it in situations such as the Schurz acquisitions with KEVN, KSPR and WAGT was a "kill two birds with one stone" move related to the spectrum auction, they could sell a station's spectrum and reap the revenue coming from the sale of the spectrum whilst alleviating an ownership conflict. That auction is basically over, and the FCC now allows waivers to allow station owners to own two stations in smaller markets that have too few stations to legally maintain a duopoly. It would make more sense to seek a waiver to own it alongside WTXL or sell it along with WCTV, allowing to continue operating as a semi-satellite.

 

It's pretty doubtful that WALB will shoehorn a third Big-3 onto it's signal but I tell you this, if Sinclair steps in WTXL is a strong possibility to take CBS for .2. If that happens, it's almost a sure bet WSWG will be acquired by Howard Stirk Holdings and will be run like WGWG (formerly WCIV) in Charleston.

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It's pretty doubtful that WALB will shoehorn a third Big-3 onto it's signal but I tell you this, if Sinclair steps in WTXL is a strong possibility to take CBS for .2. If that happens, it's almost a sure bet WSWG will be acquired by Howard Stirk Holdings and will be run like WGWG (formerly WCIV) in Charleston.

The example you mentioned also utilized the "kill two birds with one stone" structure with the spectrum auction; I'm not sure Sinclair will shoehorn affiliations from any station it chooses to sell to Howard Stirk post-auction.

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There are a few LPTVs in Valdosta, but it might be better for Gray to acquire an LPTV in Albany (of which there are several), because Valdosta is technically in the Tallahassee market (even though WSWG serves as the CBS affiliate for Albany), and it already gets a strong signal from WCTV.

According to RabbitEars, DTV America Corporation owns WQDU-LD 23 & W38EM-D, while they have WVCZ-LD in Valdosta. Meanwhile. Sinclair owns WBFL-CD & WBVJ-CD in Valdosta.

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The example you mentioned also utilized the "kill two birds with one stone" structure with the spectrum auction; I'm not sure Sinclair will shoehorn affiliations from any station it chooses to sell to Howard Stirk post-auction.

 

You're misunderstanding what I'm saying. Sinclair does not acquire WSWG, it just get the CBS affiliation from WSWG, contingent on Howard Stirk stepping in and buying WSWG. This way, Sinclair gets the CBS affiliation for a subchannel of WFXL and Howard Stirk gets another station. Sinclair would get nothing in the purchase of WSWG other than the CBS affiliation.

 

What this means:

- WALB has NBC on .1 and ABC on .2 like it already does.

- WFXL has FOX on .1 and gets CBS on .2 which will cover the market on Big-4s

- In order to take CBS from WSWG, it needs someone to buy the station with the intention of dropping CBS, in steps Howard Stirk.

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