At the FCC

[SS8609 59]

Scripps should simply make a move on KXGN and spin off the radio stations. If anything, I think that the Billings and Glendive markets, as well as Great Falls and Helena, should be merged since KXGN and KTVQ are essentially one and the same minus the separate KXGN operations that can easily be collapsed into the Billings mothership, and which wouldn’t be any different from Cowles acquiring KYUS from the Marks estate and merging it into KULR, for which KYUS is already a semi-satellite, since KYUS’s COL of Miles City sometimes gets associated with Glendive. As for Great Falls and Helena, since CBS, ABC and Fox already have full-power signals in the former and LPTV satellites in the latter, with the reverse being true for NBC especially since the old KTGF went bye-bye in 2009, it would also make sense to combine those two as well.

 

Nielsen can easily replace the voids where Glendive and Helena disappear by splitting Waco and Bryan-College Station into two markets, since Waco is a Baylor and Cowboys market and BCS revolves around Texas A&M and is closer to the Texans (BCS viewers also get most of the Houston stations on cable, whereas Waco has long gotten DFW stations from cable including WFAA and KERA), and also splitting off the Lewiston/Pullman and Moscow areas into one market with KLEW and KWSU.

 

This could, however, result in some interesting circumstances in the Palouse with Daystar’s KQUP potentially either attempting to move north to Spokane or sell off to a commercial operator such as Cowles or Morgan Murphy with intentions to expand one of the Spokane stations to a semi-satellite of either KHQ or KXLY (and both groups already control the NBC and ABC duopolies in central Washington). And in Waco, there would be no PBS station, which may prompt KERA or KLRN (or perhaps even Baylor which long abandoned KWBU) to look at buying or converting a station to a PBS satellite in central Texas.

 

And if Puerto Rico becomes a state, Nielsen can accommodate the vast San Juan market - likely to be in the top 25 or at least the top 30 - by collapsing Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, whose stations somewhat feed off one another corporate-wise, into one market. This could trigger some potential sales here though as well as terrain issues given that both Shenandoah Valley markets are split by the Blue Ridge mountains and Shenandoah National Park, though combining the two may give ABC/ESPN more market leverage for ACC football telecasts involving UVA, maybe not as much as Roanoke with Virginia Tech, but certainly just as much or more so than smaller SEC markets like Columbus, Ga. (Auburn) or Columbus, Miss. (Mississippi State).

 

Of course, this all remains speculation, but it could very well be a possibility down the line.

Edited September 17, 2023 by SS8609

[NewsMaster 226]

On 9/14/2023 at 2:29 PM, Samantha said:

Morgan Murphy makes its Marks in Michigan with a $13.375 million purchase of the Marks family's Michigan broadcasting operation. WBKB, WBKP, and WBUP are included along with radio stations in Houghton and Iron River.

 

The Marks family has been slowly divesting the properties the late Stephen owned, though this is the first TV M&A:

• An AM-FM pair in Park Falls, Wisconsin ($210K to Civic Media)
• WOWZ-FM Accomac, Virginia, to its LMA operator

What's left? The famous KXGN and KYUS in Montana plus the Montana–North Dakota radio cluster with stations in Glendive, Sidney, Forsyth, Miles City, and Williston, and Belfield (near Dickinson).

I'm a few days late to this but I'm not surprised at all; WBUP/WBKP fits relatively well with MMM's Wisconsin duo of WISC and WKBT. Can't wait to see MMM give these stations the overhauls they BADLY need.

 

Also I don't want to speculate too much here but I wonder if MMM goes after the Rockfleet stations next; WJFW kinda fills in a hole in north-central Wisconsin created by WISC to the south, WKBT to the west and now WBUP/WBKP to the north.

[SS8609 59]

On 9/18/2023 at 7:35 PM, NewsMaster said:

I'm a few days late to this but I'm not surprised at all; WBUP/WBKP fits relatively well with MMM's Wisconsin duo of WISC and WKBT. Can't wait to see MMM give these stations the overhauls they BADLY need.

 

Also I don't want to speculate too much here but I wonder if MMM goes after the Rockfleet stations next; WJFW kinda fills in a hole in north-central Wisconsin created by WISC to the south, WKBT to the west and now WBUP/WBKP to the north.

Except WISC, WKBT and WBKB are all CBS on the primary end and WJFW is NBC and licensed to a city in the northern reaches of the Wausau market. Though it is not impossible to envision such a scenario as WBOY in Clarksburg, W.V. was NBC in an otherwise all-CBS West Virginia Media Holdings prior to the Nexstar buyout (and ironically the only station to lead its market as well).

 

But there is also the question of what happens to Rockfleet's other two stations in Bangor, Maine (ABC affiliate WVII and Fox LPTV WFVX)? Does Morgan Murphy expand into New England? Or do they sell off to Hearst which already has WMTW in nearby Portland Poland Spring?

[T.L. Hughes 746]

44 minutes ago, SS8609 said:

Except WISC, WKBT and WBKB are all CBS on the primary end and WJFW is NBC and licensed to a city in the northern reaches of the Wausau market. Though it is not impossible to envision such a scenario as WBOY in Clarksburg, W.V. was NBC in an otherwise all-CBS West Virginia Media Holdings prior to the Nexstar buyout (and ironically the only station to lead its market as well).

As far as NBC goes, through its control of the Victoria, TX market, MMM currently has one station affiliated with the network, KMOL-LD, which is one of only two Big Four stations in its portfolio (along with Victoria’s CBS affiliate, KXTS-LD) that doesn’t air local news in any capacity. (In fact, even to this day, neither KMOL nor KXTS carries news simulcasts from parent station KAVU, unlike the local news setups in several other markets where one company operates two or all three Big Three stations like Lima and St. Joseph.)

Edited September 22, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[CircleSeven 1944]

New petition. This station took the spectrum auction money to move to VHF-low. It now wants to go back to the "U".

 

Religious broadcaster in South Carolina, WGGS-TV was on RF 16 when it sold its spectrum during that auction a few years back for $44.3M. The station elected to move to VHF-low RF 2. 

 

They've sinced filed to vacate VHF 2 for UHF 29.

____________________________

EDIT 9/28: Another petition from a Religious broadcaster. And its a familiar one.

 

Remember theDove Media? They were the owners that filed a complaint over Sinclair's KTVL move to RF 16 in Medford (which was later settled)?

 

Just recently, they filed a petition for a new full power allotment in nearby Jacksonville, Oregon on VHF 4. That petition was advanced today to NPRM.

____________________________

And let me slip this one in. A couple of weeks back (9/14), the FCC had dismissed WSWG's petition to change the city of license from Valdosta, GA to Moultrie, GA. FCC basically saying that Valdosta would lose their "first and only local TV service", even though the station said Valdosta wouldn't lose its signal.

 

Here's the letter.

Edited September 28, 2023 by CircleSeven

[IM42A 2]

On 7/26/2023 at 8:47 AM, LexTVandRadio said:

Didn't WOAY re-brand as TV50 for many years going with their digital channel, then the station went back to channel 4 even though they are on digital channel 30. 

They did indeed.  I never figured that one out, unless they were (a) seeking to forge a brand new identity (in which case new call letters would seem to have been called for) because WOAY was known to be a very low-quality station, albeit with historically much local content or (b) thought somehow that a high-UHF channel number would be "catchy", possibly seeking to glom onto WVGV/WVNS being on channel 59.  At any rate, they're now back on PSIP channel 4.

 

You also have the anomalous situation of WCHS and WOAY both being ABC affiliates within 50 miles of one another.  In the analog days, WOAY could easily be received in Charleston, and the local cable carried it.  Don't know how easy it is to receive in Charleston being digital and on UHF.  When WCHS was CBS, it served as the default affiliate for Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill (at least large parts of it), which made sense as WCHS was more or less equidistant from Huntington and Beckley.

[IM42A 2]

On 9/17/2023 at 2:25 AM, SS8609 said:

Scripps should simply make a move on KXGN and spin off the radio stations. If anything, I think that the Billings and Glendive markets, as well as Great Falls and Helena, should be merged since KXGN and KTVQ are essentially one and the same minus the separate KXGN operations that can easily be collapsed into the Billings mothership, and which wouldn’t be any different from Cowles acquiring KYUS from the Marks estate and merging it into KULR, for which KYUS is already a semi-satellite, since KYUS’s COL of Miles City sometimes gets associated with Glendive. As for Great Falls and Helena, since CBS, ABC and Fox already have full-power signals in the former and LPTV satellites in the latter, with the reverse being true for NBC especially since the old KTGF went bye-bye in 2009, it would also make sense to combine those two as well.

 

Nielsen can easily replace the voids where Glendive and Helena disappear by splitting Waco and Bryan-College Station into two markets, since Waco is a Baylor and Cowboys market and BCS revolves around Texas A&M and is closer to the Texans (BCS viewers also get most of the Houston stations on cable, whereas Waco has long gotten DFW stations from cable including WFAA and KERA), and also splitting off the Lewiston/Pullman and Moscow areas into one market with KLEW and KWSU.

 

This could, however, result in some interesting circumstances in the Palouse with Daystar’s KQUP potentially either attempting to move north to Spokane or sell off to a commercial operator such as Cowles or Morgan Murphy with intentions to expand one of the Spokane stations to a semi-satellite of either KHQ or KXLY (and both groups already control the NBC and ABC duopolies in central Washington). And in Waco, there would be no PBS station, which may prompt KERA or KLRN (or perhaps even Baylor which long abandoned KWBU) to look at buying or converting a station to a PBS satellite in central Texas.

 

And if Puerto Rico becomes a state, Nielsen can accommodate the vast San Juan market - likely to be in the top 25 or at least the top 30 - by collapsing Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, whose stations somewhat feed off one another corporate-wise, into one market. This could trigger some potential sales here though as well as terrain issues given that both Shenandoah Valley markets are split by the Blue Ridge mountains and Shenandoah National Park, though combining the two may give ABC/ESPN more market leverage for ACC football telecasts involving UVA, maybe not as much as Roanoke with Virginia Tech, but certainly just as much or more so than smaller SEC markets like Columbus, Ga. (Auburn) or Columbus, Miss. (Mississippi State).

 

Of course, this all remains speculation, but it could very well be a possibility down the line.

 

Charlottesville and Harrisonburg were indeed one market for a short time back in the 1980s IIRC.  It's hard to understand why they would continue to be two markets, when they could easily combine into a larger one.  Right now, WHSV has to cobble together four networks with a mix of subchannels and LPTVs, moreover, I'm pretty sure their NBC station simulcasts WVIR's newscasts.  There would be issues with the terrain --- Charlottesville stations couldn't easily be received in the West Virginia counties, WHSV has enough challenges with the mountains separating it from Pendleton, Grant, and Hardy counties, and as of 2018 (most recently publicly available Nielsen map), the latter two counties were assigned to the Washington DC market anyway.

 

Dumb question, is it necessary to have a set number of markets?  I'm confused by the suggestion that adding the San Juan market would have to be compensated for in some way.

[IM42A 2]

21 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

New petition. This station took the spectrum auction money to move to VHF-low. It now wants to go back to the "U".

 

Religious broadcaster in South Carolina, WGGS-TV was on RF 16 when it sold its spectrum during that auction a few years back for $44.3M. The station elected to move to VHF-low RF 2. 

 

They've sinced filed to vacate VHF 2 for UHF 29.

 

 

 

Unless someone up that way still has an old rooftop antenna that had low-VHF capability to pick up WYFF in analog days, receiving WGGS on OTA 2 would be very difficult.  Almost all newer "digital" antennas (an antenna is neither analog nor digital, that's mostly just marketing hype) only receive high-VHF and UHF.

 

You can still get antennas that have low-VHF elements, but it's a hat trick.  Televes has a special antenna that includes this.

[CircleSeven 1944]

One R&O. One NPRM.

 

R&O:

• WKNX (7 > 21)

NPRM:

• Weigel's Ch. 31 WI allotment (Wittenberg > Shawano)

[CircleSeven 1944]

On 2/26/2022 at 3:52 PM, CircleSeven said:

Looks like we have another hold up regarding one of the petitions.

 

This is pretty much similar to what is occuring in Medford where the LP doesn't want to move away from their allotment. King Kong Broadcasting, which owns KGNG-LD (which operates on RF 26) filed comments opposing of Scripps' channel move of KTNV from VHF 13 to UHF 26.

 

King Kong states that the KTNV's move "would eviscerate the outstanding broadcast offerings of" KGNG, since the station carries subchannels that are geared towards minority & underserved viewers. And yes, (just like what happened in Medford), King Kong has placed a "counter-proposal" to have a new full power signal on RF 26.

 

On the reply comments (p.5), Scripps made an offer to King Kong to donate its old VHF 13 equipment and let King Kong temporary operate KGNG's signal from KTNV's downtown studio (at the expense of Scripps), while they build a brand new permanent facility. King Kong turned down that offer and filed that opposition.

 

This placing a "counter-proposal" is nothing more than a "tactic" to delay KTNV's process to move to that allotment. Filing a new allotment petition (similar to what Gray did in Freeport last year) normally take years to do. And when it does get approved, they still have to wait until FCC start a new auction. That process could also be lenghty.

 

But in the end, like I stated in the Medford situation, King Kong don't have any standing. KGNG-LD is a regular low power station (not a Class A). And LP don't have protection in their allotments. And if KTNV wants to move to that allotment, it can. KGNG just doesn't want to move again, after leaving RF 47 during the spectrum repack.

 

It'll probably be lenghty, but I believe the FCC is going to greenlight KTNV's petition and throw that "counter-proposal" in the cellar.

 

Big follow up. 

 

Twenty-nine months since filing the petition, the FCC just greenlighted KTNV's move from VHF 13 to 26. 

 

And they've also subsequently denied King Kong's opposition & counter-proposal. This was why the process was held up all this time. Now King Kong (owner of KGNG-LD) have no other choice but to vacate off of 26.

____________________________

 

Four More R&Os from the new NCE allotments, plus an existing one switching.

• Ch. 2 - Colusa, CA (10/16)
• Ch. 3 - Tulare, CA (10/16)
• Ch. 4 - Alamagordo, NM (10/20)
• KDIN (11 > 34) (11/1)
• Ch. 4 - Jacksonville, OR (12/5)

 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by CircleSeven

[tyrannical bastard 3443]

Looking into the WLMA sale to Marquee.  They are airing WTLW's existing programming on their old frequency after the old owner (American Christian Television) sold them the channel 4 facility and hung onto a low-powered station for their WTLW channel.

 

They've entered into a time brokerage agreement that started on March 1st of this year and ends February 29th, 2024 that simulcasts WTLW on WLMA.  No word on if this is a year-to-year agreement, or a 1-year opportunity for Marquee to forge their own path for WLMA.

Edited October 26, 2023 by tyrannical bastard
discovered info

[CircleSeven 1944]

Two R&Os. One NPRM.

 

NPRM:

• KECI (20 > 21)

R&O:

• KIFI (8 > 18)
• KWNV (7 > 16)

[Adam MadMan 277]

The FCC is considering an incentive to boost local programming, specifically news.

[T.L. Hughes 746]

14 minutes ago, Adam MadMan said:

The FCC is considering an incentive to boost local programming, specifically news.

This kinda sounds reminiscent of the rules that the CRTC has long applied to Canadian broadcast stations.

[mrschimpf 2051]

A new (but really not surprising) acquisition; Jimmy Swaggart's church arm is buying WIWN/Milwaukee for $8.9 million. They had carried Sonlife on their main channel for a couple years and have maintained a subchannel slot in some form (currently DT8) on the station since, though most pay systems in the area carry Sonlife already.

Edited November 22, 2023 by mrschimpf

[CoopInTheHouse 63]

2 hours ago, mrschimpf said:

A new (but really not surprising) acquisition; Jimmy Swaggart's church arm is buying WIWN/Milwaukee for $8.9 million. They had carried Sonlife on their main channel for a couple years and have maintained a channel slot on the station since.

Current affiliation: Cozi TV

 

Lemme guess, Jimmy’s gonna Sonlife their sorry butts?

[CircleSeven 1944]

On 9/14/2023 at 4:29 PM, Samantha said:

Morgan Murphy makes its Marks in Michigan with a $13.375 million purchase of the Marks family's Michigan broadcasting operation. WBKB, WBKP, and WBUP are included along with radio stations in Houghton and Iron River.

The deal is now closed. Consummated on Friday (12/1).

[mre29 1340]

On 12/4/2023 at 4:47 PM, CircleSeven said:

The deal is now closed. Consummated on Friday (12/1).

 

Any word on the Montana stations?

 

[CircleSeven 1944]

3 hours ago, mre29 said:

Any word on the Montana stations?

There isn't an active transaction involving those stations. At least not yet....

 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by CircleSeven

[Adam MadMan 277]

The FCC may be about to cut the low power and multicast loopholes regarding Big Four ownership.

[jjj 2]

9 hours ago, Adam MadMan said:

The FCC may be about to cut the low power and multicast loopholes regarding Big Four ownership.

 

They will go after LPTV and subchannels yet say nothing about the "sidecar" loop hole.  

[Adam MadMan 277]

And here comes the crybabying defense squad.

 

Hilarious that they think that allowing local monopolies would make them "compete better", rather than, y'know, just making the situation worse. How's iHeartMedia doing right now?

[tyrannical bastard 3443]

There are actually cases where an existing competitor would serve the market BETTER by picking up another affiliation than letting it be run by another party.

Case in point, Mobile & Pensacola.

 

Since WPMI has been gutted by Sinclair, both WEAR and WPMI have suffered.  Mobile is having to pad out their newscasts with Pensacola stories, and on the weekends, WEAR produces and simulcasts their weekend shows.  Deflating the argument that Mobile and Pensacola are better served by separate stations, even WEAR is watering down their shows to air Mobile stories on a regular basis.

Now if WALA is granted the NBC affiliation as a subchannel, Mobile viewers would have a more-local option, plus the option of having a dedicated 6pm newscast since Jeopardy! is on at 6 on WALA's main feed.

Edited December 28, 2023 by tyrannical bastard

[T.L. Hughes 746]

TVNewsCheck's Harry Jessel has his own opinion on the updated rules.

[ABC 7 Denver 1552]

57 minutes ago, T.L. Hughes said:

TVNewsCheck's Harry Jessel has his own opinion on the updated rules.

 

I disagree with him.