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The Tribune Saga, Part 3: New Sale Talks


mre29

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21 minutes ago, Myron Falwell said:

The stations in bold, along with WJW (and WSFL and KSTU), would have been sold to Fox anyway. Assuming that Fox would want to go with that deal again (and with the same stations), this rest of the divestiture list is not that long or complex.

TEGNA can’t have a triopoly in Denver (KUSA/KTVD), so KWGN may be simply thrown in with KDVR in the inevitable Fox transaction. Ditto with KZJO and KCPQ.

And considering the outright mess Sinclair fell into with the KPLR/KTVI duopoly, TEGNA is just better off unloading both stations cleanly, no muss, no fuss. They’d know that right off the bat.

Tegna selling KTVI would be much cleaner than the mess Sinclair created.  They would also sell the former KPLR facility that both stations operate from to the new owners (Fox?) and move KPLR into KSDK's facility.  The issue becomes will KSDK operate a news function for KPLR considering their failed attempt years ago for KDNL.  It would probably need to be 6 or 6:30 pm and 10 pm.

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11 minutes ago, T.L. Hughes said:

I forgot about KTVD; however, it's not out of the realm of possibility that they could flip that for KWGN (assuming Tribune doesn't choose to sell it to Fox along with KDVR, or even sell it piecemeal to either CBS or Scripps to create a new duopoly with either KCNC or KMGH).

TEGNA, not Tribune, would be making the divestments to Fox (or whomever). Tribune and their investment bankers want a singular initial transaction for the company, and that’s it on their end.

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12 minutes ago, NowBergen said:

Tegna selling KTVI would be much cleaner than the mess Sinclair created.  They would also sell the former KPLR facility that both stations operate from to the new owners (Fox?) and move KPLR into KSDK's facility.  The issue becomes will KSDK operate a news function for KPLR considering their failed attempt years ago for KDNL.  It would probably need to be 6 or 6:30 pm and 10 pm.

Since KSDK programs a half-hour 4:00 p.m. newscast, such a scenario would necessitate either ceding that newscast to KPLR's existing newscast in that slot or shifting the entire hour-long slot exclusively to KSDK and having KPLR fill it with syndicated shows. KPLR's noon newscast could stay, since KSDK dropped the newscast it aired in that slot a little over a year ago. The prime time newscast could either remain at 7:00 or, if Tegna were to cut a deal with The CW to move the network's prime time lineup back to its recommended time period, move the newscast back to 9:00 as a competitor to KTVI (as had been the case from when KTVI began offering news at 9:00 p.m. in 1997 until the LMA between KPLR and KTVI was formed in 2008).

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7 minutes ago, NowBergen said:

Tegna selling KTVI would be much cleaner than the mess Sinclair created.  They would also sell the former KPLR facility that both stations operate from to the new owners (Fox?) and move KPLR into KSDK's facility.  The issue becomes will KSDK operate a news function for KPLR considering their failed attempt years ago for KDNL.  It would probably need to be 6 or 6:30 pm and 10 pm.

Meredith wanted to pair KPLR with KMOV, but couldn’t because Sinclair wanted an impossible second duopoly in the market. This is different, as there will be one duopoly in the market no matter what (assuming TEGNA is the winner here).

If TEGNA feels it’s worth it to pair KPLR with KSDK, I don’t see why they couldn’t.

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1 hour ago, T.L. Hughes said:

Agreed. Even Nexstar - which started out covering mainly only the sub-60 markets for about its first 13 years of operation - had expanded to include small, mid-sized and a smattering of major markets before submitting bids for Tribune. For Northwest to try to expand into the top 50 (and, for that matter, top 10) markets in one fell swoop is a tough sell.

The New York Post said that it wouldn't be a partnership. Apollo would buy Northwest and Tribune at the same time and own both of them. That to me sounds like Apollo will have sole control. I could be reading it wrong.

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3 minutes ago, ColtFromGulfcoast said:

The New York Post said that it wouldn't be a partnership. Apollo would buy Northwest and Tribune at the same time and own both of them. That to me sounds like Apollo will have sole control. I could be reading it wrong.

So, why does Apollo even need Northwest, then?

 

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1 hour ago, ColtFromGulfcoast said:

The New York Post said that it wouldn't be a partnership. Apollo would buy Northwest and Tribune at the same time and own both of them. That to me sounds like Apollo will have sole control. I could be reading it wrong.

And what happens if this plan fails? Does Northwest put itself on the block or sell themselves out to Apollo regardless?

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1 hour ago, mre29 said:

So, why does Apollo even need Northwest, then?

 

Apparently for leverage pertaining to cable contracts.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2018/11/28/apollo-acquiring-local-stations-to-boost-bid-for-tribune-media/amp/

 

 

13 minutes ago, Myron Falwell said:

And what happens if this plan fails? Does Northwest put itself on the block or sell themselves out to Apollo regardless?

For some reason, I feel like they won't be done. They could use Northwest as bait for Cox.

 

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The initial announcement made it sound like Apollo and Northwest were teaming for the bid, but from the NY Post article Apollo is straight up purchasing Northwest.

I found this bit interesting:

Quote

 

Apollo was as recently as July in talks to buy Nexstar from its chairman and CEO, Perry Sook. Sook has had a long-running ambition to buy Tribune Media and become the nation’s biggest owner of TV stations.

But Sook, who founded Nexstar in 1996, changed his mind when regulators stopped Sinclair from completing its buyout of Tribune Media, putting Tribune Media back in play.

Sook then reversed himself and pursued Tribune Media.

 

 

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9 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

Agreed. Even Nexstar - which started out covering mainly only the sub-60 markets for about its first 13 years of operation - had expanded to include small, mid-sized and a smattering of major markets before submitting bids for Tribune. For Northwest to try to expand into the top 50 (and, for that matter, top 10) markets in one fell swoop is a tough sell.

Also, why in the world does Apollo think they need to partner with another company to get a deal done? They have an abundance of cash they could get a deal done WITHOUT a partner for crying out loud!

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1 hour ago, oknewsguy said:

Also, why in the world does Apollo think they need to partner with another company to get a deal done? They have an abundance of cash they could get a deal done WITHOUT a partner for crying out loud!

Maybe they want someone with broadcast experience?!?

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4 minutes ago, Greggo said:

Maybe they want someone with broadcast experience?!?

I'm not saying that neither Apollo or Northwest don't have any experience in broadcasting (they DO have broadcasting experience) but where they DON'T have broadcasting experience at is in markets like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Houston.

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On 11/29/2018 at 9:52 AM, NowBergen said:

Tegna selling KTVI would be much cleaner than the mess Sinclair created.  They would also sell the former KPLR facility that both stations operate from to the new owners (Fox?) and move KPLR into KSDK's facility.  The issue becomes will KSDK operate a news function for KPLR considering their failed attempt years ago for KDNL.  It would probably need to be 6 or 6:30 pm and 10 pm.

KTVI/KPLR's facility is rented. No sale of the facility. 

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1 hour ago, JCB4TV said:

 

Outsource newscasts to OKC.

Didn't you already say this before? I feel like I recall you mentioning that before. 

 

They're not going to outsource newscasts. Not trying to be rude but just saying. With Nexstar having built news operations from the ground up in other cities, any chance of that happening is less than slim to none. Also, what makes you think Oklahoma City will put any effort into KDAF when they're just beginning to put any effort  into newscasts on KAUT that aren't called Rise and Shine. 

18 minutes ago, LoadStar said:

We now have two separate threads talking about the same thing, it seems to me. Should one get locked, perhaps?

Why not merge them together?

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1 hour ago, LoadStar said:

We now have two separate threads talking about the same thing, it seems to me. Should one get locked, perhaps?

Probably this one. I mean, the new thread is technically Part 4. 😉

 

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