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Gray Television - General Thread


The Frog

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1 hour ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

Does Nashville have a Spanish-language news operation? That could be a potential opportunity for WSMV to set up.

Looking online, the only major Spanish station in the market is Univision affiliate WLLC-LD, which doesn't have an in-house news operation.

 

Also, WSMV used to run Telemundo on its second digital subchannel, but dropped it in 2010.

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2 hours ago, TheSpeedKing said:

ATSC 3.0 and Univision/Telemundo are saying hi. In the ATSC 3.0 case, WJHG would become the host, keeping the 1.0 channels on both LPs.

Your statement is clear speculation because Gray didn't officially announce what they're going to use that LP for that purpose. 

 

On Page 13 of the Asset Purchase Agreement, the last sentence in that page stated this.

Quote

Buyer consents to the Station rebroadcasting programming from Buyer’s co-owned Station WJHG-TV, Panama City, Florida.

So its clear that it will repeat programming from WJHG. What we don't know is whether this LP will stay at the current tower facility or move it to WJHG's tower (which is shared with WECP-LD).

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You've missed this @CircleSeven, but I've talked a bit in the Discord about what Gray is doing.

 

Gray buys LPTVs for two reasons:

  • To provide UHF transmission in the core metro area for a VHF station that cannot move to the UHF band at full-power (what I call a "U-relay").
  • To provide additional translators, even for stations and regions where traditionally this has never been a consideration, at the outer edges of station coverage areas.

I don't know how many LPTVs Gray is buying for ATSC 3.0, a la their Tallahassee test bed. However, I do believe the strategy also has to do with looking down the road and the idea of a more cellular signal topology (multiple transmitters ensuring a high SNR within the defined coverage circle of the primary station). Along the way, they get UHF sticks that can serve a high percentage (if not all) of the viewers of the DMA and their flat-panel indoor antennas and, where necessary, can serve as ATSC 3.0 transmitters if so desired.

 

In Nashville, for instance, Gray has contracted to buy three different LPTVs: 15 Nashville, 29 Lebanon–Nashville, 29 Lewisburg. Lewisburg is a translator; it's toward the southern edge of the WSMV contour. 15 Nashville could easily be a U-relay. (RabbitEars lists the first two as U-relays already!)

 

This is actually some cutting-edge stuff and shows that Gray sees value in improving signal coverage. It may be one of the largest efforts to commission new TV translators in 20 or so years at least, and a lot longer than that when considering the location in the eastern US of many of the stations that benefit.

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On 1/14/2022 at 2:15 PM, GoldenShine9 said:

 

Does Nashville have a Spanish-language news operation? That could be a potential opportunity for WSMV to set up.

It's not like WSMV hasn't tried to go into the Spanish business before so this would be possible.... especially with NBC's fraternal Spanish-language twin. 

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Clearly, many of these stations are in places where Gray is stuck on VHF, and they have acted on making these UHF repeaters for the benefit of their fringe or underserved viewers who had extreme trouble picking up their signal before.

 

And seeing as how one of the stations is licensed in one market and the translator is located in another, it's entirely possible to see these stations pack up and move, and change their status accordingly with the FCC.  

 

With this Panama City pickup, it would serve the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area greatly as a repeater for WALA, since Okaloosa County is part of the Mobile-Pensacola-FWB market.  The dual Fox affiliates both on Channel 9 from both Mobile and Panama City makes this area grossly underserved.  Unless they want to move either "My 7" or the CW to this feed, they were fortunate enough to move off of VHF to a UHF signal post-transition.

Edited by tyrannical bastard
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Okay Gray is getting another LP. This time its near Huntsville.

 

They're getting Huntsville's WMJN-LD from Emmanuel Broadcasting for $330K.

 

As you can see WMJN & WAFF's contours, the LP serves the southwest part of the viewing area, including the immediate part of Huntsville. Not sure it this signal would be moved post-consummation.

 

But what's the point in having this LP when WAFF's main signal is already on the UHF dial (RF 15)? Unless that part of the viewing can't get WAFF's main signal.....

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40 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

But what's the point in having this LP when WAFF's main signal is already on the UHF dial (RF 15)? Unless that part of the viewing can't get WAFF's main signal.....

Channel 15 is shared with land mobile radios and hospital radiology equipment, and because of that they have the lowest full-power signal in the market.

Edited by mrschimpf
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4 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

Okay Gray is getting another LP. This time its near Huntsville.

 

They're getting Huntsville's WMJN-LD from Emmanuel Broadcasting for $330K.

 

As you can see WMJN & WAFF's contours, the LP serves the southwest part of the viewing area, including the immediate part of Huntsville. Not sure it this signal would be moved post-consummation.

 

But what's the point in having this LP when WAFF's main signal is already on the UHF dial (RF 15)? Unless that part of the viewing can't get WAFF's main signal.....

 

I think the signals in Huntsville are on Hytop, which is to the east of the city?

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1 hour ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

I think the signals in Huntsville are on Hytop, which is to the east of the city?

The main Huntsville transmitters are on Monte Sano... located on the east side of Huntsville.

Hytop is where the National Weather Service Radar is located.

It's in a region called Sand Mountain.

WAFF struggles in Sand Mountain, despite having a dedicated bureau to the area.

But, people living in northeast Alabama have trouble picking up 48.

They've worked in the past to boost their signal over there, but nothing seemed to help.

WAFF's main transmitter sits the lowest on Monte Santo, which doesn't help with the signal issue in the mountainous areas east of Huntsville. 

I almost guarantee you this is another attempt to fix the problem. 

Edited by who?cares
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On 4/19/2021 at 12:07 AM, CircleSeven said:

Gray is LP-picking again.

 

They're buying an unbuilt permit K31MK-D in Lawton, OK from New Media Partners LLC fo $40K.

 

Gray has also filed an app to light this LP up at a full 15kW.

Small follow-up. 

 

KSWO announced earlier this month that they have lit up a new transmitter in Lawton. So they've likely have lit up K31MK-D.

 

Also on the article, they've announced that they're going to have "stronger signals" in Altus & Wichita Falls. 

 

About that Wichita Falls signal, last year, Gray bought an unbuilt permit, K19KE-D in Jolly, TX from that Landover Media deal. The contour serves the immediate Wichita Falls area. No word on when they'll light that up.

 

The Altus one is not new (KKTM-LP), as the station has had that repeater for years. They're switching RF channels from 17 to 21. So once is said and done, KSWO will have three big translators in those key-populated areas in the market. 

 

Edited by CircleSeven
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3 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

Small follow-up. 

 

KSWO announced earlier this month that they have lit up a new transmitter in Lawton. So they've likely have lit up K31MK-D.

 

Also on the article, they've announced that they're going to have "stronger signals" in Altus & Wichita Falls. 

 

About that Wichita Falls signal, last year, Gray bought an unbuilt permit, K19KE-D in Jolly, TX from that Landover Media deal. The contour serves the immediate Wichita Falls area. No word on when they'll light that up.

 

The Altus one is not new (KKTM-LP), as the station has had that repeater for years. They're switching RF channels from 17 to 21. So once is said and done, KSWO will have three big translators in those key-populated areas in the market. 

 

 

Gray petitioned for tolling on K19KE-D and KKTM-L(D) in December due to tower crew availability. They'll be out at both sites in mid-February, and construction should take about two weeks.

 

I wish they'd be a bit more precise about their wording. Lawton viewers don't *need* to rescan if they have a setup that's good at receiving the Grandfield transmitter. But they *should* rescan if they have signal problems or a setup that's not good at VHF.

Edited by Samantha
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I've looked at the TV schedules for KTVK and KPHO for the next couple weeks, and it appears that they are slowly adding home-grown Gray programming ("Investigate TV" and "The Song") to the weekend lineups. No sign of the "Power Nation" automotive block yet. The Meredith mistakes of the past couple years ("People" and the like) have still yet to be downgraded or removed from the schedule.

 

"Full Court Press" is still airing on TEGNA's KPNX overnights on Sunday morning, due to a previous syndication contract.

Edited by TVIntheDesert
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20 hours ago, TVIntheDesert said:

I've looked at the TV schedules for KTVK and KPHO for the next couple weeks, and it appears that they are slowly adding home-grown Gray programming ("Investigate TV" and "The Song") to the weekend lineups. No sign of the "Power Nation" automotive block yet. The Meredith mistakes of the past couple years ("People" and the like) have still yet to be downgraded or removed from the schedule.

 

"Full Court Press" is still airing on TEGNA's KPNX overnights on Sunday morning, due to a previous syndication contract.

 

I'm guessing the previous syndication contracts last until next summer. They likely won't move to the new Gray stations until next fall.

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On 1/23/2022 at 7:46 PM, TVIntheDesert said:

I've looked at the TV schedules for KTVK and KPHO for the next couple weeks, and it appears that they are slowly adding home-grown Gray programming ("Investigate TV" and "The Song") to the weekend lineups. No sign of the "Power Nation" automotive block yet. The Meredith mistakes of the past couple years ("People" and the like) have still yet to be downgraded or removed from the schedule.

 

"Full Court Press" is still airing on TEGNA's KPNX overnights on Sunday morning, due to a previous syndication contract.

PowerNation usually doesn't air OTA outside the old Raycom base, so probably don't expect it to come there.

 

And it's unlikely PTTVS! will be gone before September at the earliest since they still have talent contracts to fulfill on the publishing and broadcasting sides and to give Gray time to figure out if it makes more sense to keep the show as contracted, expand it chain-wide, and stop carrying ET and Access, along with fitting the existing Meredith advertorial shows more into Gray's verticals like Moms Everyday or Ask the Expert. Also to be noted; it airs on several ad-supported streaming services as part of People's "People TV" channel, so DdM might be willing to keep it going to have content for that.

Edited by mrschimpf
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  • 2 weeks later...

Gray is about to grow in Atlanta.

 

Just two months after acquiring WGCL/WPCH from that transformative Meredith deal, Gray has struck a deal to acquire the Telemundo outlet WKTB-CD from Capital Media Group

 

The price was not disclosed in the article. But we will know once they file that paperwork.....


EDIT 4:27pm/ET: And Lo and behold, the paperwork is up. $30M is the purchase price.

 

Edited by CircleSeven
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1 hour ago, CircleSeven said:

Gray is about to grow in Atlanta.

 

Just two months after acquiring WGCL/WPCH from that transformative Meredith deal, Gray has struck a deal to acquire the Telemundo outlet WKTB-CD from Capital Media Group

 

The price was not disclosed in the article. But we will know once they file that paperwork.....

 

At first when I saw that name, I thought they were buying WRAL in Raleigh...

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6 minutes ago, sanewsguy said:

$30 mil for a low-power Telemundo affiliate? Seems kinda high, even in a top 10 market. 😳

They're in it for the affiliation not the channel position. Odds are Telemundo will wind up on one of WGCL's subchannels.

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Just now, qunewsguy said:

They're in it for the affiliation not the channel position. Odds are Telemundo will wind up on one of WGCL's subchannels.

If they were trying to do that, Gray would be doing a non-license assets “reaper strike” rather than going through the trouble of FCC approval. WGCL has a more than adequate signal, so translators are generally not needed.

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1 hour ago, TheSpeedKing said:

If they were trying to do that, Gray would be doing a non-license assets “reaper strike” rather than going through the trouble of FCC approval. WGCL has a more than adequate signal, so translators are generally not needed.

WKTB has had full-power standard definition simulcasts on WPXA, and now WSB because the range of the WKTB signal is anemic. But important here; they do have an existing news operation which has done well in the awards department, so Gray is smart to snap them up at that price and give them a true HD simulcast in the market, along with a local ad agency targeting minority audiences, so it's more a $15/$15 million deal for both items, not overpaying for a station on autopilot without local deviation (and which has had solid local ownership before this point willing to pay for subchannel simulcast deals to better the hand they've been dealt).

 

Of additional note...this WGCL news share deal made with Univsion's WUVG in 2017 will likely come to an end, suggesting that it's possible the WKTB buy-out came as a result of the new TelevisaUnivision deciding to put actual resources into the WUVG news department and kill the Meredith agreement.

Edited by mrschimpf
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30 minutes ago, mrschimpf said:

Of additional note...this WGCL news share deal made with Univsion's WUVG in 2017 will likely come to an end, suggesting that it's possible the WKTB buy-out came as a result of the new TelemundoUnivision deciding to put actual resources into the WUVG news department and kill the Meredith agreement.

 

You mean TelevisaUnivision

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2 hours ago, sanewsguy said:

$30 mil for a low-power Telemundo affiliate? Seems kinda high, even in a top 10 market. 😳

 

They're also buying an associated digital media business, and the owners are joining Gray to run strategy for the Telemundo stations. Still doesn't make sense.

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What about WPCH?

 

Sad to say that the station evolved from the groundbreaking WTBS into a local independent station running syndication repeats (mostly at Meredith's behest when they acquired the station from WarnerMedia).  

 

While it would nice to use that station as a launching pad for a new-generation SuperStation, it may serve the area better as a full-powered Telemundo station and use the acquired low-power station for their experimentation and content origination (to be expanded in the digital realm).

 

Plus, with their efforts in Cleveland, they can be replicated (and even refined) in Atlanta.

Edited by tyrannical bastard
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