Jump to content

The Tribune Saga, Part 3: New Sale Talks


mre29

Recommended Posts

Could Tribune just sell off 6 to 10 stations to Fox and then the rest to another company or would that too be considered going "piecemeal"?

 

TRIBUNE *applause emoji* IS *applause emoji* NOT *applause emoji* GOING *applause emoji* PIECEMEAL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 369
  • Created
  • Last Reply
TRIBUNE *applause emoji* IS *applause emoji* NOT *applause emoji* GOING *applause emoji* PIECEMEAL.

 

I love it when you guys all say...

 

 

"Never....Never...Never..."

 

How about 2 pieces?

 

L.A., NYC and Chicago to one buyer...

 

...and all the rest to somebody else.

 

Don't think the stock holders will have any problem with that scenario.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love it when you guys all say...

 

 

"Never....Never...Never..."

 

How about 2 pieces?

 

L.A., NYC and Chicago to one buyer...

 

...and all the rest to somebody else.

 

Don't think the stock holders will have any problem with that scenario.

Most of the "never" statements, including mine, are kinda borne out of... well, frustration. We won't know anything until the sealed bids for the company are actually due sometime next month.

 

If one remembers the Fox/Blackstone bid last year, it's kinda clear that Fox wanted the Fox affiliates, and was going to hand off the rest to Blackstone. What's to say it couldn't happen with a joint bid where one side wants "the big three" and the other side gets the rest?

 

Other than that, I can't keep analyzing an unknown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I worked for the Hicks at Capstar Radio. You obviously don't know them. They plan on buying more than just Tribune before they sell or merge or take it public. The cap will NOT remain 39%. I expect it will be the same is radio is, unlimited. It doesn't matter who is in the WH or controls Congress. Remember who signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that basically ruined local terrestrial radio.

Of course this was done none other than the Democrats (even though this was 2 years before I was born)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
He did buy the Weather Channel this year, so it's not completely unheard of.

Still... Allen only began expanding his Entertainment Studios unit outside of television syndication in the last year or so (though he had rolled out plans to expand that company into the film distribution business as early as 2011, it just took a few years before the company's first distributed film came out), plus TWC cost only $300 million to purchase -- Tribune is worth approximately $3 billion, hence why his bid is being backed by two investment firms.

 

This would be a major step in that expansion... and, the plus of him buying Tribune would be that - presuming he is successful - is that he would have the largest television station portfolio owned by an African-American in the U.S. (likely superceding Granite Broadcasting at its peak). Unfortunately, there are very few people of color that own television stations, much less major network affiliates (Bayou City Broadcasting and Howard Stirk Holdings are the only black-owned media companies I can name offhand that own major network affiliates currently). So, it could set the stage for an expansion of media ownership among people of color, hopefully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Huh.

 

I have said all along that Byron Allen should step up and at least buy KTLA...

KTLA and WGN are both historical broadcasters that have a history that needs to be preserved.

 

Byron Allen and his group would be (iMHO) perfect for KTLA,WGN and that dumpy station in NYC.

https://forums.tvnewstalk.net/index.php?threads/sinclair-tribune-close-to-merger-deal.15944/page-79#post-192070

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The NY Post posted last night that Byron Allen might be interested in Tribune.

 

I’m kinda mixed over this.

 

On one hand, it’s not as bad as Sinclair.

 

On the other hand, a ‘comedian’ turned media mogul (debateable) ... whose ‘movie company’ made that left hating ‘Chappaquiddick’ movie that went on hating on the late Ted Kennedy. Dont’ even get me started on his ‘Weather Channel’ acquisition.

 

So yeah. The state of media today. I highly suggest Hearst buy out Tribune. Promptly.

 

End rant.

 

— Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the other hand, a ‘comedian’ turned media mogul (debateable) ... whose ‘movie company’ made that left hating ‘Chappaquiddick’ movie that went on hating on the late Ted Kennedy. Dont’ even get me started on his ‘Weather Channel’ acquisition.

 

It's not Allen's fault that Good ol' Ted killed a woman and got away with it. Truth is that incident doesn't paint Ted in a good light and deservedly so. Rebuttal rant over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He did buy the Weather Channel this year, so it's not completely unheard of.

True, but remember that he bought a network that private equity tore apart for maximum profit.

 

I could see it working if he revamps The Weather Channel as a hyperlocal digital subchannel network with the shared resources of the "Big Three" of WGN, WPIX and KTLA... even with or without the former digital properties that's all in IBM's hands. Basically NBC WeatherPlus 2.0.

 

As for the current Weather Channel, well, Byron will have it and WGN America to play with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not Allen's fault that Good ol' Ted killed a woman and got away with it. Truth is that incident doesn't paint Ted in a good light and deservedly so. Rebuttal rant over.

It's less an argument about that and more an argument over the quality of movies being greenlit for distribution. "Entertainment Studios" is a distributor, not a studio. You'd think Byron would be a bit more discerning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True, but remember that he bought a network that private equity tore apart for maximum profit.

 

I could see it working if he revamps The Weather Channel as a hyperlocal digital subchannel network with the shared resources of the "Big Three" of WGN, WPIX and KTLA... even with or without the former digital properties that's all in IBM's hands. Basically NBC WeatherPlus 2.0.

 

As for the current Weather Channel, well, Byron will have it and WGN America to play with.

 

Wasn't all of the original programs on WGN America cancelled in anticipation of the Sinclair takeover that is no longer happening?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wasn't all of the original programs on WGN America cancelled in anticipation of the Sinclair takeover that is no longer happening?

They were. WGN America is now totally indifferent from USA, ION, Paramount or any other basic cable channel that has massive marathon blocks of Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods or NCIS.

 

But because Sinclair’s hopes for a Fox News rip-off won’t happen on that channel space now, it’s now a zombie network.

 

Might as well use it for the barter inventory of Entertainment Studios output, if nothing else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be neat if it went back to beaming Chicago news and sports to a national audience, but that is actually interesting (and might draw an audience) so it won't happen.

Unless Syndex (which is the only reason why WGN was forced to split the "superstation" feed) somehow gets repealed, that will never happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Weeters unpinned and locked this topic

Archived

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

Guest
This topic is now 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.