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Cox sells majority TV interest to Apollo


The Frog

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Meredith and Hearst haven’t been merger partakers (outside of Meredith’s doomed-from-the-start buyout attempt of MediaGeneral), but have only engaged in occasional divestiture purchases from other mergers. That’s a big difference, and in all the years I’ve been on TVNT, those two have been suggested as suitors for this or that... and it almost always never comes to pass.

 

I can’t see either company wanting to buy Cox when there’s the possibility they want out of the television landscape as well. If Cox wants out, what’s stopping those two from thinking likewise?

Yes it's true that both Meredith and Scripps can do what Cox did but, someone will have to stay in the broadcasting industry long term and who would be the next target for a merger

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I don’t know if Nexstar will want to buy the Tulsa stations because they had the opportunity when we bought all the Clear Channel/ Newport stations like KLRT and they sold Tulsa’s to Cox because they didn’t want them.

 

They passed on WXXA initially but eventually got that in the Media General merger. Honestly, it's puzzling why Nexstar didn't just buy Newport altogether as some of the stations that went to Cox and Sinclair in some cases are better fits than the ones Nexstar did acquire.

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Meredith and Hearst haven’t been merger partakers (outside of Meredith’s doomed-from-the-start buyout attempt of MediaGeneral), but have only engaged in occasional divestiture purchases from other mergers. That’s a big difference, and in all the years I’ve been on TVNT, those two have been suggested as suitors for this or that... and it almost always never comes to pass.

 

I can’t see either company wanting to buy Cox when there’s the possibility they want out of the television landscape as well. If Cox wants out, what’s stopping those two from thinking likewise?

 

A very fair point about Meredith's and Hearst's lack of recent activity, although perhaps there just hasn't been anything on the market which they were interested in at the terms offered?

 

Let's say you're right that Hearst and Meredith are having similar thoughts to Cox about their future. Maybe one of them will see this as an opportunity to explore a merger with Cox themselves, if they also believe that upsizing up with a quality group will solve their future concerns. We simply do not know what discussions are happening in the boardrooms.

 

I'm sure that people here want companies like Cox, Hearst, and Meredith to be successful and grow because they are concerned about the future of the broadcasting industry. Like all companies, those three are obviously mostly interested in making money, but they at least seem to give a damn about putting out a good product, and at least give the impression that they understand the responsibility of operating in the "public interest, convenience, and necessity" while doing so. The same cannot always be said about Sinclair and Nexstar, so the thought of them swallowing up one of the "good companies" is disconcerting.

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I myself am hoping that the CBS Corporation would buy out Seattle's KIRO 7 and pair it with KSTW CW 11. My apologies for the repetition.

 

If you know you're repeating yourself, why even bother posting about it again? :rolleyes:

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FWIW, Meredith and Hearst haven't grown their Big Four affiliate portfolio since acquiring some LIN-Media General divestitures in 2014. Hearst acquired a CW station this year.

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FWIW, Meredith and Hearst haven't grown their Big Four affiliate portfolio since acquiring some LIN-Media General divestitures in 2014. Hearst acquired a CW station this year.

While a partnership (or a merger) seems likely, I don't think that "Meredith-Cox Television" or "Hearst-Cox Television" would sound right but of course, Hearst was known as Hearst-Argyle Television before they dropped Argyle from the name in 2009 so anything is possible

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FWIW, Meredith and Hearst haven't grown their Big Four affiliate portfolio since acquiring some LIN-Media General divestitures in 2014. Hearst acquired a CW station this year.

THIS. This is why the chances of either of those two buying Cox are next to none, regardless of how many times one tries to wish for it over and over again, fulfilling the definition of insanity.

 

Sinclair has a much better chance of buying the Cox stations than those two, and I don’t consider them a definite buyer.

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Sinclair has a much better chance of buying the Cox stations than those two, and I don’t consider them a definite buyer.

 

Which is why I dread what will happen to WSB and all the other Coxes if Sinclair does get them-- I have always liked WSB, WFTV and WSOC (even though I have not lived in Atlanta, Orlando, or Charlotte), and I'd hate to see them go down the drain with those required Trump-praising segments (a.k.a. "must-runs")!

 

ETA: And worse, if Sinclair gets the Coxes, there will be two Sinclairs in Seattle, and not just one!

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Which is why I dread what will happen to WSB and all the other Coxes if Sinclair does get them-- I have always liked WSB, WFTV and WSOC (even though I have not lived in Atlanta, Orlando, or Charlotte), and I'd hate to see them go down the drain with those required Trump-praising segments (a.k.a. "must-runs")!

 

ETA: And worse, if Sinclair gets the Coxes, there will be two Sinclairs in Seattle, and not just one!

Well you don't have to worry about it because Sinclair is on probation at the FCC

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With all due respect, the notion of Sinclair being under “probation” is utter conjecture and cannot be proven or disproven. Yes, they did the impossible and failed to buy Tribune in the most stupefying of ways. But they have more than likely been told to stay quiet and not do anything dumb, in hopes they get a simple fine and a slap on the wrist.

 

There is nothing to prevent them from buying Cox, especially with Tribune now being a dead deal. And seriously, you shouldn’t be fooling yourself into this false sense of security.

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There is nothing to prevent them from buying Cox, especially with Tribune now being a dead deal. And seriously, you shouldn’t be fooling yourself into this false sense of security.

 

So you think that Sinclair would actually want to double-dip in Seattle?

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So you think that Sinclair would actually want to double-dip in Seattle?

 

Not if they want a repeat of the Tribune acquisition. As much as Sinclair doesn't want to and would want to act like a petualant child, if they don't want additional heat, they will announce the divestiture of KIRO and any additional conflicts IMMEDIATELY.

 

However, Sinclair has never been one to do that and in fact, had to be forced to sell stations from the Barrington and Allbritton acquisitions. And we all know the most recent story concerning a certain Illinois company. They may need to forgo an acquisition of Cox.

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With all due respect, the notion of Sinclair being under “probation” is utter conjecture and cannot be proven or disproven. Yes, they did the impossible and failed to buy Tribune in the most stupefying of ways. But they have more than likely been told to stay quiet and not do anything dumb, in hopes they get a simple fine and a slap on the wrist.

 

There is nothing to prevent them from buying Cox, especially with Tribune now being a dead deal. And seriously, you shouldn’t be fooling yourself into this false sense of security.

When you look at it, because of the stupidity that Sinclair did with the Tribune deal, in order for them to win approval for any deal they now have to not only have a clean deal but if they are forced to spin-off certain stations they must be truthful to the FCC period, I imagine the FCC has basically told Sinclair to "cool it on your M&A craze for awhile" so you won't see Sinclair in contention for anything probably for the next 2 or 3 media companies that'll eventually hang the "For Sale" signs

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When you look at it, because of the stupidity that Sinclair did with the Tribune deal, in order for them to win approval for any deal they now have to not only have a clean deal but if they are forced to spin-off certain stations they must be truthful to the FCC period, I imagine the FCC has basically told Sinclair to "cool it on your M&A craze for awhile" so you won't see Sinclair in contention for anything probably for the next 2 or 3 media companies that'll eventually hang the "For Sale" signs

 

M&A craze?

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I want Tribune/Sinclair to fall apart and Cox and Tribune to merge. Probably won’t happen, but I don’t think it’s out of the question.

 

I would love to see that. Cox/Tribune would be better than Sinclair/Tribune for sure.

 

Only conflicts would be:

Seattle (KIRO and KCPQ/KZJO with the latter sold to FOX)

Memphis (WREG and WHBQ with the latter sold back to FOX)

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M&A craze?

That's basically what Sinclair was told by the FCC after they sent their merger with Tribune to an ALJ and came out with the misrepresentation stuff

 

I would love to see that. Cox/Tribune would be better than Sinclair/Tribune for sure.

 

Only conflicts would be:

Seattle (KIRO and KCPQ/KZJO with the latter sold to FOX)

Memphis (WREG and WHBQ with the latter sold back to FOX)

Fox wants KCPQ more than they do WHBQ, I'd send WHBQ to Meredith

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Can't Tribune unload stations like WPHL, KDAF, KIAH, WDCW, and WSFL to make the cap space work? Because they are, without the discount, over the cap, and ditching four marginal stations in top ten markets to get back into Atlanta has gotta be worth it.

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I would love to see that. Cox/Tribune would be better than Sinclair/Tribune for sure.

 

Only conflicts would be:

Seattle (KIRO and KCPQ/KZJO with the latter sold to FOX)

Memphis (WREG and WHBQ with the latter sold back to FOX)

 

I still think Cox would honor the sale of the seven stations that Sinclair sold to Fox. They'd have to renegotiate but I still feel like it would happen. Just my 2 cents.

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That's basically what Sinclair was told by the FCC after they sent their merger with Tribune to an ALJ and came out with the misrepresentation stuff

 

 

Fox wants KCPQ more than they do WHBQ, I'd send WHBQ to Meredith

 

Actually, that ain't bad. If Meredith wants WHBQ, they can get it.

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