Morris Multimedia

[LexTVandRadio 412]

I couldn't locate a Morris topic anywhere, but looks like Morris has launched a new site for some of the stations. 

 

WTVQ, WDEF. 

https://www.wtvq.com/

https://wdef.com/

 

WWAY at this time has the old look. 

[LexTVandRadio 412]

Wonder what is the change is?

 

 

[LexTVandRadio 412]

1 hour ago, LexTVandRadio said:

Wonder what is the change is?

 

 

Looks like former WKYT-TV Chief meteorologist is coming from WHAS to WTVQ.

 

[TheOne2Watch 0]

Interesting news from the Tupelo-Columbus market in Mississippi. 

 

It seems the shared service agreement between WLOV (Coastal) and WTVA (Allen)  has ended and is moving to WCBI (Morris). 

 

To go along with it... is a shuffle of affiliations and networks between the two stations... 

 

https://www.wcbi.com/wcbi-tv-cbs-wlov-tv-fox-announce-changes/

 

The wild thing is this is all going down Friday, Feb 2nd and it was all announced today on February 1st! 

 

WCBI 4.1 will stay CBS. Fox moves to 4.2. MyTV moves to 4.3. While the CW takes over the old Fox spot on 27.1... 

 

https://www.wcbi.com/wcbi-channels/?alert=2199141&alert_type=banner

 

Of note... WTVA has made no mention of the changes, and as of tonight the banner header has WTVA and WLOV still on the website. 

[LexTVandRadio 412]

Of course, they spelled the "dot" on the graphic. 

 

Calling it FOX 4 makes it seem like their main channel will be 4 and CBS is on 4.2, or 4 dot 2. 

[T.L. Hughes 746]

FTR, WLOV had been managed alongside WTVA since 1992, when the SSA was first established by the Spain family to take over operating the weakest of WTVA's two Big Three competitors. (WLOV was Tupelo's ABC affiliate at the time, and would switch to Fox three years later, leaving the market without a local ABC station until the now-defunct WKDH signed on in 2001.)

 

The problem here is, considering the FCC recently approved an update to its broadcast ownership rules that closed the loophole allowing station operators to put a Big Four network on a multicast channel (including through the acquisition of another station's primary affiliation), Morris might be looking at a fine soon thanks to its decision to move Fox to WCBI-DT2 after the fact.

Edited February 2 by T.L. Hughes

[GoldenShine9 1509]

9 minutes ago, T.L. Hughes said:

FTR, WLOV had been managed alongside WTVA since 1992, when the SSA was first established by the Spain family to take over operating the weakest of WTVA's two Big Three competitors. (WLOV was Tupelo's ABC affiliate at the time, and would switch to Fox three years later, leaving the market without a local ABC station until the now-defunct WKDH signed on in 2001.)

 

The problem here is, considering the FCC recently approved an update to its broadcast ownership rules that closed the loophole allowing station operators to put a Big Four network on a multicast channel (including through the acquisition of another station's primary affiliation), Morris might be looking at a fine soon thanks to its decision to move Fox to WCBI-DT2 after the fact.

 

The problem is that the market cannot support three, let alone four, independent outlets. The only alternative would be piping in adjacent markets (Memphis in the north, Jackson or Meridian in the south).

[T.L. Hughes 746]

1 hour ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

The problem is that the market cannot support three, let alone four, independent outlets. The only alternative would be piping in adjacent markets (Memphis in the north, Jackson or Meridian in the south).

Kind of a good point, actually. While Morris' shifting of Fox programming to WCBI-DT2 technically violates the new Top-4 regulations (this move likely would have required a waiver to allow it under the new rules, and there hasn't been enough time since the ownership rules were passed to get approved for one before WLOV came under Morris' control), keeping the status quo under Allen was risky too.

 

Until Morris took over the SSA, Allen (like Heartland and the Spains before it, dating to WKDH's shutdown after its LMA with WTVA was terminated in 2012) had control of three Big Four affiliations between two stations: Fox on WLOV, and NBC (main channel) and ABC (on DT2) on WTVA.

Edited February 3 by T.L. Hughes

[GoldenShine9 1509]

1 hour ago, T.L. Hughes said:

Kind of a good point, actually. While Morris' shifting of Fox programming to WCBI-DT2 technically violates the new Top-4 regulations (this move likely would have required a waiver to allow it under the new rules, and there hasn't been enough time since the ownership rules were passed to get approved for one before WLOV came under Morris' control), keeping the status quo under Allen was risky too.

 

Until Morris took over the SSA, Allen (like Heartland and the Spains before it, dating to WKDH's shutdown after its LMA with WTVA was terminated in 2012) had control of three Big Four affiliations between two stations: Fox on WLOV, and NBC (main channel) and ABC (on DT2) on WTVA.

 

Using a one-size-fits-all metric doesn't work here. In Top 50 markets, the proposal is certainly worthwhile. However, once you get below 100 and especially below 150, you have a hard time maintaining more than 2 independent operations and that would lead to missing affiliations. In the smallest markets, a monopoly seems to be acceptable and hasn't hurt either its product or the consumer. Look at KGNS in Laredo for example - it has no competition, yet they have greatly upgraded their product under Gray.

[CircleSeven 1944]

2 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

The problem here is, considering the FCC recently approved an update to its broadcast ownership rules that closed the loophole allowing station operators to put a Big Four network on a multicast channel (including through the acquisition of another station's primary affiliation), Morris might be looking at a fine soon thanks to its decision to move Fox to WCBI-DT2 after the fact.

The updated ownership rules are not in effect yet. The new rules will be in effect 30 days after the order is posted in the Federal Register.