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Nexstar to acquire Tribune


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On 6/30/2019 at 4:03 PM, alrdenver82 said:

 

The other thing is KMGH is currently in a broadcast agreement with KCDO (K3) for airing news rebroadcasts and would not be able to do anything with KWGN anyway without upsetting that, so I don't see a 7-2 duopoly happening anytime soon.

 

The way I see things, KWGN is in a vulnerable position.  If Fox buys KDVR back and KWGN remains part of the package, it could mean that we may have to start saying Fox 2.  In other words, KDVR and KWGN switch channels considering Fox will probably favor the lower channel as they have for years, or KDVR moves to channel 2 with the CW getting carried by a subchannel, KWGN ceases to exist, channel 31 sells off it's frequencies, and the news department sees a merger and people get laid off.  It's already happened in other cities so it's not a far off possibility.

 

At that point the question is what happens to KFCT, and the chances are it could be sold off also, either to a broadcaster that has only subchannel networks or leaves the air entirely.

I Don't believe there will be an affiliation switch between KDVR & KWGN.   I agree that KWGN is in a vulnerable position but whoever gets the station will be better than tribune. Tribune has had ample opportunity to make KWGN a news powerhouse in Denver over the years and they haven't. 

The news department has already seen a merger that happened back in 2009 when KWGN was moved into the "News & Technology Center" and was being managed by Local TV, LLC.

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16 hours ago, DENDude said:

I Don't believe there will be an affiliation switch between KDVR & KWGN.   I agree that KWGN is in a vulnerable position but whoever gets the station will be better than tribune. Tribune has had ample opportunity to make KWGN a news powerhouse in Denver over the years and they haven't. 

The news department has already seen a merger that happened back in 2009 when KWGN was moved into the "News & Technology Center" and was being managed by Local TV, LLC.

 

The problem is KWGN was treated as a short string because they served a less populated market versus hometown station WGN and New York station WPIX, and KTLA in Los Angeles who they took over ownership in 1986, and those three stations would get to have morning newscasts and bigger news departments but they didn't bother in Denver because they felt everyone here was staunchly in favor of KUSA or KCNC and those stations like KWGN had cable clearance through much of Colorado.

 

It wasn't until KDVR entered the field in 2000 that Tribune started to take Denver seriously but in the eight years that KWGN and KDVR competed a lot of people here rolled their eyes and thought they didn't need to watch either of them.

 

Then when KUSA took over KTVD in 2006, they in turn brought in a 9pm newscast and morning newscast under their 9news branding which was immediately preferred and it was enough to discourage Fox from continuing ownership of KDVR, this resulting in the Local TV LLC sale that lead to the KDVR and KWGN joining together and Tribune shifted their energy to KDVR who had the stronger network and football games.

 

Given how KWGN has pretty much been in servitude to KDVR over the last decade, to see them break off from KDVR and become better than ever comes off rather unrealistic to me. It just seems more likely that the news department will remain together under KDVR and KWGN at this point has an uncertain future if they have one.

 

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I find it amusing that Tribune continues to send us notifications to join various HR/cyber security initiatives, even though the company won't exist in a few days.

 

I'll be interested to see what the company does with KDAF. The station might as well be an abandoned building right now. It simulcasts 97.9 the Beat in the morning. A lot of investment needs to be made.

2 hours ago, Spintech33 said:

FTV is reporting that NEXSTAR x TRIBUNE DEAL IS VERY CLOSE TO BEING A DONE DEAL

 

SOURCE: FTV:  https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2019/7/18/the-nexstartribune-deal-is-thisclose

 

It could spell bad news or very close to bad news for WPIX in New York City.  IMO I think the news division may get dismantled.

 

 

 

No one is losing news. It is your cheapest product to produce.

 

But layoffs are always a concern with a corporate ownership change.

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Indeed, a lot of investments need to be made for KDAF. They'll need a new facility/building, and more importantly get back in the news business with a very strong news department to compete

with KDFW in the mornings and at 9 O'Clock (additional newscasts mat come).  

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44 minutes ago, TexasTVNews said:

Indeed, a lot of investments need to be made for KDAF. They'll need a new facility/building, and more importantly get back in the news business with a very strong news department to compete

with KDFW in the mornings and at 9 O'Clock (additional newscasts mat come).  

Not to get off topic, but are any operations handled at their studios along the 183 in NW Dallas? No photos (driving), but when I went by last week, there were a lot of cars in front of the station.

 

To go along with that, I spotted a vintage WGNO sat truck parked in the back, with a few other live trucks, all still marked in their old ABC 26 branding. Graveyard?

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7 hours ago, Spintech33 said:

FTV is reporting that NEXSTAR x TRIBUNE DEAL IS VERY CLOSE TO BEING A DONE DEAL

 

SOURCE: FTV:  https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2019/7/18/the-nexstartribune-deal-is-thisclose

 

It could spell bad news or very close to bad news for WPIX in New York City.  IMO I think the news division may get dismantled.

 

 

 

What in the world makes you think this?

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7 hours ago, Spintech33 said:

It could spell bad news or very close to bad news for WPIX in New York City.  IMO I think the news division may get dismantled.

Scripps isn't paying money to go into New York just to run "2 1/2 Men" and "Friends" reruns ad nauseum and make it into WWOR2.

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2 minutes ago, channel2 said:

I have little doubt that Nexstar's going to grab back WPIX ASAP. $75 million for that station seems too good to be true for Scripps.

 

Hopefully not.  Plus there is a very specific buy back window and it’s contingent on the FCC loosening ownership caps which there is no guarantee. 

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Isn't Nexstar being coerced into coughing up a bunch of stations Fox wants to own? They want KDVR and WJW back...

 

Nexstar could give them more in order to make more cap space...in addition to KCPQ, I'm still surprised that KTXL and KSWB aren't in play again.

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2 hours ago, mrschimpf said:

Scripps isn't paying money to go into New York just to run "2 1/2 Men" and "Friends" reruns ad nauseum and make it into WWOR2.

Scripps can definitely make WPIX out of something. Remember, WPIX used to battle (and win) against WNYW for 10pm supremacy, so if Scripps sticks to what's right, then WPIX has a shot at reliving the pre-PIX11 days.

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1 hour ago, channel2 said:

Isn't Nexstar being coerced into coughing up a bunch of stations Fox wants to own? They want KDVR and WJW back...

 

Nexstar could give them more in order to make more cap space...in addition to KCPQ, I'm still surprised that KTXL and KSWB aren't in play again.

 

No real need to get rid of them, and they have relatively little value for Fox.

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Fox tried to buy them from Sinclair last year, and, at least, doubling down in California seems like a pretty attractive proposition.

 

I'm assuming the goal here is to create cap space and appease Fox. Because, quite honestly, giving up WPIX permanently is insane of Nexstar. WPIX, KTLA, and WGN are the reason there was all this to-do over Tribune in the first place.

 

And, since I forgot to reply to this line of conversation earlier, KWGN was probably at its absolute best in the years immediately before the merger with KDVR. It was most definitely a runt in Tribune's litter before then.

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2 hours ago, channel2 said:

Nexstar could give them more in order to make more cap space...in addition to KCPQ, I'm still surprised that KTXL and KSWB aren't in play again.

 

...or (cough) WSFL? Sorry to upset most of you.

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10 hours ago, n925tv said:

To go along with that, I spotted a vintage WGNO sat truck parked in the back, with a few other live trucks, all still marked in their old ABC 26 branding. Graveyard?

 

Eye Opener/Morning Dose was transmitted via satellite to the other Tribune stations that aired the program. I suspect that sat truck provided the means of transmission; Google Street View imagery shows the truck in place, with its dish fully deployed, starting in late 2011 and going through 2017. When Google captured imagery in December 2018, the dish was finally stowed. The timeline aligns with production of Eye Opener/Morning Dose in Dallas. More recently, the truck was used for transmitting the local parades that KDAF has aired this year.

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10 hours ago, TexasTVNews said:

Speaking of WGNO, what the progress on bringing back its traditional newscasts? I can't stand News With a Twist.

It'll be interesting to see whether Nexstar could and might have plans to blow up the News With A Twist format/concept, and go the route of ABC 26 News or WGNO (26) News.  Or of they wanted to experiment with Local 26 News.

5 hours ago, channel2 said:

Fox tried to buy them from Sinclair last year, and, at least, doubling down in California seems like a pretty attractive proposition.

 

I'm assuming the goal here is to create cap space and appease Fox. Because, quite honestly, giving up WPIX permanently is insane of Nexstar. WPIX, KTLA, and WGN are the reason there was all this to-do over Tribune in the first place.

 

And, since I forgot to reply to this line of conversation earlier, KWGN was probably at its absolute best in the years immediately before the merger with KDVR. It was most definitely a runt in Tribune's litter before then.

If Nexstar wants to keep WPIX, KTLA, and WGN together.  Selling KCPQ-KZJO, WJW, and KDVR-KWGN to Fox would be a smart move for Nexstar.  Maybe Fox being able to pick WDAF or WITI, if they desire adding 4 markets instead of 3.

4 hours ago, nbc4ne said:

 

...or (cough) WSFL? Sorry to upset most of you.

Scripps is getting WSFL.

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6 hours ago, channel2 said:

Fox tried to buy them from Sinclair last year, and, at least, doubling down in California seems like a pretty attractive proposition.

 

I'm assuming the goal here is to create cap space and appease Fox. Because, quite honestly, giving up WPIX permanently is insane of Nexstar. WPIX, KTLA, and WGN are the reason there was all this to-do over Tribune in the first place.

 

And, since I forgot to reply to this line of conversation earlier, KWGN was probably at its absolute best in the years immediately before the merger with KDVR. It was most definitely a runt in Tribune's litter before then.

 

Nexstar I'm sure would love to gain money back however possible in this purchase and I'm sure is looking at every lucrative option, and Fox has every reason to be concerned about the end performance of affiliates coming under Nexstar's wing considering where they invest their resources.  The cost of keeping these stations maintained well and the ability to pay the appropriate salary for each station's news talent is such a big factor here.

 

I have to say when it comes to news, KWGN I would agree was at it's best in the early to mid 2000s when they launched the morning show and had Ernie Bjorkman working for them again, and I would have to say at the time I was especially more in favor of a local morning show over the national news, but the improvements came too late and not enough for people who had been forever sold on the bigger affiliates.

 

Plus, since KWGN had once been known as the local commercial alternative to the network stations, it was probably too hard for many in Colorado to take it in that they were not an independent anymore and in a lot of ways I think people here including myself liked KWGN better back when they were NOT serious about news. People liked what 2 had to offer for entertainment like movies, sports, children's shows, classic TV, and other kinds of shows that interested people, if they wanted news they would turn to 4 or 9.  Perhaps in a way, the station management probably felt that people here liked channel 2 the way they were and nothing major would come along for news programming until the management turned over the late 90s, and around then Tribune was already paying attention to what Fox was up to with KDVR.

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8 hours ago, blizzard59 said:

 

Eye Opener/Morning Dose was transmitted via satellite to the other Tribune stations that aired the program. I suspect that sat truck provided the means of transmission; Google Street View imagery shows the truck in place, with its dish fully deployed, starting in late 2011 and going through 2017. When Google captured imagery in December 2018, the dish was finally stowed. The timeline aligns with production of Eye Opener/Morning Dose in Dallas. More recently, the truck was used for transmitting the local parades that KDAF has aired this year.

 

That's correct. Eye Opener/Morning Dose used the WGNO truck, At least they did for the last few years, anyway. 

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22 hours ago, channel2 said:

I have little doubt that Nexstar's going to grab back WPIX ASAP. $75 million for that station seems too good to be true for Scripps.

I don't think Nexstar will buy back WPIX for a little while, they have to wait until early to mid 2020 early 2021 before they can attempt to buy back PIX.   By then who knows what the TV landscape will look like.

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On 7/6/2019 at 5:40 AM, alrdenver82 said:

 

The problem is KWGN was treated as a short string because they served a less populated market versus hometown station WGN and New York station WPIX, and KTLA in Los Angeles who they took over ownership in 1986, and those three stations would get to have morning newscasts and bigger news departments but they didn't bother in Denver because they felt everyone here was staunchly in favor of KUSA or KCNC and those stations like KWGN had cable clearance through much of Colorado.

 

It wasn't until KDVR entered the field in 2000 that Tribune started to take Denver seriously but in the eight years that KWGN and KDVR competed a lot of people here rolled their eyes and thought they didn't need to watch either of them.

 

Then when KUSA took over KTVD in 2006, they in turn brought in a 9pm newscast and morning newscast under their 9news branding which was immediately preferred and it was enough to discourage Fox from continuing ownership of KDVR, this resulting in the Local TV LLC sale that lead to the KDVR and KWGN joining together and Tribune shifted their energy to KDVR who had the stronger network and football games.

 

Given how KWGN has pretty much been in servitude to KDVR over the last decade, to see them break off from KDVR and become better than ever comes off rather unrealistic to me. It just seems more likely that the news department will remain together under KDVR and KWGN at this point has an uncertain future if they have one.

 

 

A lot of this is inaccurate. I think the biggest reason for why KWGN never developed into a powerhouse is that it never had a major network or marquee sports programming for most of its history. WGN had the Cubs. KTLA had the Angels plus a lot of other things. WPIX had the Yankees. The Rockies had their first season in 1993, and nobody really cared all that much about them as a team until long after the broadcast rights moved elsewhere. If you don't have a big four network affiliation or major league sports broadcasts, you're not going to get big money from ad sales to reinvest in a substantial news department. This is the best explanation for why KWGN never became a must-watch station like the other legacy Tribune stations or other, similar independents that had news in the 80s.

 

Also, it is wrong to assume that Fox sold off KDVR because it couldn't compete with KTVD's 9pm news. Fox sold off all of those O&Os in 2007 to help pay for Newscorp's purchase of the Dow Jones Company and the Wall Street Journal. That is well-documented. Fox TV Stations was under a lot of pressure in the late 2000s to cut costs, so it wasn't a priority to own stations that weren't NFC football markets.

 

Going back now to the current speculation about Fox buying some of the Tribune stations, it's all about KCPQ as I see it. Fox wants to own its own station in Seattle, but there just hasn't been a good way of getting there until now. If buying KCPQ is contingent on also buying KDVR, WJW, and KTXL, then I'm sure Fox would do it. But I don't think Fox cares either way about whether or not it owns KDVR again.

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