At the FCC

[Glimmer 238]

Could there be another big M&A coming around the corner?

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2013/12/10/wkbw-tv-subject-of-sale-speculation.html

 

Scripps buying WBKW would probably bring an immediate improvement to product, and I'm sure having a duopoly in Detroit with WMYD is attractive to them.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

 

New M&A Tonight!!!!

 

And we go back to Alaska. After sucessfully acquiring the CBS station in Anchorage and the NBC station in Juneau & Sitka, after nearly a yearlong battle, GCI plans to acquire the Ketchikan TV-owned CBS Southeast stations (KUBD, KTNL & KXLJ) for $1M.

 

Let's see if Vision Alaska will make some noise again on this deal. Could Fairbanks be their next target?

 

I'm just waiting for GCI to dump the KTUU simulcast on the NBC stations in Juneau and Sitka and replace them with KTVA simulcasts, especially given the frosty relationship between KTUU and GCI at the moment.

 

 

 

Could there be another big M&A coming around the corner?

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2013/12/10/wkbw-tv-subject-of-sale-speculation.html

 

Scripps buying WBKW would probably bring an immediate improvement to product, and I'm sure having a duopoly in Detroit with WMYD is attractive to them.

 

Whatever happened to Nexstar being one of the potential buyers? I thought we had a thread about that earlier?

 

Scripps would be a shock considering that Granite seems to consist of smaller-market stations than their current portfolio.

 

I also see that Sinclair is a potential buyer as well. Either way, either one couldn't do a worse job at running WKBW than Granite has.

[CircleSeven 1944]

I'm just waiting for GCI to dump the KTUU simulcast on the NBC stations in Juneau and Sitka and replace them with KTVA simulcasts, especially given the frosty relationship between KTUU and GCI at the moment.

Should this new deal go through, I would not be shocked if the KTVA's newscast would be simulcast on CBS Southeast cluster, and not KATH. That's only if they don't follow the same mantra and invest into having its own news op in Juneau, to compete with KJUD.

 

Whatever happened to Nexstar being one of the potential buyers? I thought we had a thread about that earlier?

 

Scripps would be a shock considering that Granite seems to consist of smaller-market stations than their current portfolio.

 

I also see that Sinclair is a potential buyer as well. Either way, either one couldn't do a worse job at running WKBW than Granite has.

FTVLive have stated Scripps, Sinclair and Nexstar are rumored as possible contenders for just WKBW.

 

I love the stories headline: "It Could Be The Best Christmas in a Longtime for Buffalo Station". I guess for obvious reasons.

 

But like I stated earlier today, if Scripps is going to buy, they'll probably get WKBW & WMYD, and leave the rest for the other groups. But I do think it's Nexstar's time to shine on WKBW. They already have a strong footprint with 6 out of the 8 Upstate markets. Only Buffalo & Albany are markets that Nexstar is not in.

[effseesee 101]

New M&A Tonight!!!!

 

 

Let's see if Vision Alaska will make some noise again on this deal. Could Fairbanks be their next target?

Going to be tough. KFXF (Fox), K13XD (CBS) and KTVF (NBC) are all operating under the same roof.

[compubit 670]

Should this new deal go through, I would not be shocked if the KTVA's newscast would be simulcast on CBS Southeast cluster, and not KATH. That's only if they don't follow the same mantra and invest into having its own news op in Juneau, to compete with KJUD.

 

Does KJUD/8 even have any local news content? I thought that KJUD/8 and KATN/2 were essentially news satellites of KIMO/KYUR/13.

 

J

[CircleSeven 1944]

Does KJUD/8 even have any local news content? I thought that KJUD/8 and KATN/2 were essentially news satellites of KIMO/KYUR/13.

 

J

Yeah you're right, KJUD's news is piped in from Anchorage. So GCI won't have a problem piping in KTVA's news to the CBS Southeast cluster.

 

Going to be tough. KFXF (Fox), K13XD (CBS) and KTVF (NBC) are all operating under the same roof.

It'll probably be a tough sale. But if they've seen what's been popping in the Contiental U.S., I would not be shock if they would follow the mantra of of those other big groups and form a shell, to snag KTVF (or Chena might want to stay around). But yes, it would be a tough sell.

[sanewsguy 509]

 

I'm just waiting for GCI to dump the KTUU simulcast on the NBC stations in Juneau and Sitka and replace them with KTVA simulcasts, especially given the frosty relationship between KTUU and GCI at the moment.

 

I'm surprised that has not been done already because master control for those stations is done out of KTVA now.

 

 

FTVLive have stated Scripps, Sinclair and Nexstar are rumored as possible contenders for just WKBW.

 

I love the stories headline: "It Could Be The Best Christmas in a Longtime for Buffalo Station". I guess for obvious reasons.

 

If you're familiar with FTVLive, he has a lot of hate towards their previous GM Bill Ransom, so I understand the meaning of the headline.

 

 

Going to be tough. KFXF (Fox), K13XD (CBS) and KTVF (NBC) are all operating under the same roof.

 

Not really since KTVF is owned by a third party. I could see GCI making a play for them and dramtically improving the quality of the product coming from those stations.

[CircleSeven 1944]

Well, Here's yet another article about these "shared" arrangements. This time, its from The Daily Sentinel newspaper in Grand Junction. Of course this comes after Gray used their Excalibur card to acquire KJCT, becoming the sister station to competing station, KKCO.

[sanewsguy 509]

 

Well, Here's yet another article about these "shared" arrangements. This time, its from The Daily Sentinel newspaper in Grand Junction. Of course this comes after Gray used their Excalibur card to acquire KJCT, becoming the sister station to competing station, KKCO.

 

At least Gray is far more honest about Excalibur than Sinclair is about their shells.

[effseesee 101]

 

FCC greenlights KYMA's sale today. Will the KSWT app follow?

 

An Informal Objection has been filed against the sale of KSWT. Thomas Abraham, through his company Abraham Telecasting, wants it on the record that he submitted an offer on October 28 to buy KSWT for $1.125 million. Abraham purchased KVVV-LD, out of bankruptcy from Pappas, earlier this year and is currently multicasting religoius programming.

 

Seems he's a little late to the party since he made his offer 3 months after Pappas and Blackhawk entered in a binding agreement to sell.

[Samantha 2876]

 

An Informal Objection has been filed against the sale of KSWT. Thomas Abraham, through his company Abraham Telecasting, wants it on the record that he submitted an offer on October 28 to buy KSWT for $1.125 million. Abraham purchased KVVV-LD, out of bankruptcy from Pappas, earlier this year and is currently multicasting religoius programming.

 

Seems he's a little late to the party since he made his offer 3 months after Pappas and Blackhawk entered in a binding agreement to sell.

 

That is just sad. Recently Pappas's liquidation trustee changed again (instead of Shubert, it's now David Stapleton; this change happened right after the letter).

 

I don't think this guy will get it—though the fact that there seems to be a second interested owner could affect one of the claims of the failing station waiver.

[CircleSeven 1944]

FCC has greenlighted the Cowles Cali stations to NPG, which includes KION & KKFX. And yes Raymie, I'm a half hour late after TVNewsCheck posted this news.

[CircleSeven 1944]

An Informal Objection has been filed against the sale of KSWT. Thomas Abraham, through his company Abraham Telecasting, wants it on the record that he submitted an offer on October 28 to buy KSWT for $1.125 million. Abraham purchased KVVV-LD, out of bankruptcy from Pappas, earlier this year and is currently multicasting religoius programming.

 

Seems he's a little late to the party since he made his offer 3 months after Pappas and Blackhawk entered in a binding agreement to sell.

That is just sad. Recently Pappas's liquidation trustee changed again (instead of Shubert, it's now David Stapleton; this change happened right after the letter).

 

I don't think this guy will get it—though the fact that there seems to be a second interested owner could affect one of the claims of the failing station waiver.

I think Mr. Abraham is a Johnny-come-lately that want to play counteroffer, three months after the paperwork was filed. Now he want's that payment one the record? He's SOL, and I hope this deal gets approved on Brady's side.

 

I mean why didn't he counteroffer back when Brady made that $900K deal. That would've probably made more sense. Then I believed Brady would've paid more than the $1.125M this guy wants to buy it for. The worst thing that could happen at this point is if the FCC would accept this person's offer, even though he's too little, too late, and I doubt that they would even do that.

 

But I still think it's Brady's time to shine. They'll greenlight it on his favor.

[Samantha 2876]

 

I think Mr. Abraham is a Johnny-come-lately that want to play counteroffer, three months after the paperwork was filed. Now he want's that payment one the record? He's SOL, and I hope this deal gets approved on Brady's side.

 

I mean why didn't he counteroffer back when Brady made that $900K deal. That would've probably made more sense. Then I believed Brady would've paid more than the $1.125M this guy wants to buy it for. The worst thing that could happen at this point is if the FCC would accept this person's offer, even though he's too little, too late, and I doubt that they would even do that.

 

But I still think it's Brady's time to shine. They'll greenlight it on his favor.

 

Exactly. Not only is he too late, he has no experience operating a network-affiliated television station.

[CircleSeven 1944]

 

FCC has greenlighted the Cowles Cali stations to NPG, which includes KION & KKFX.

 

KEYT stated on Friday that the deal was done. Although I haven't seen any consummation notices posted as of yet, I assume that will be forthcoming. As you see the KEYT's site now features three station's logos, including KCOY & KKFX, even though KCOY's separate site is still up in running. (12/18, kcoy.com is redirected to KEYT's site).

 

And although I still think Cowles would vacate KCOY and NPG use the VistaWest card, it's hard making that assumption while regulators are gradually trying to crackdown on companies playing shell games.

[CircleSeven 1944]

NEW M&A This Afternoon!!!!!

 

TVNewsCheck stated minutes ago that Gray is buying KEVN Rapid City, SD from Mission TV, LLC for $7.75M.

 

SNL Kagan has annnouced that in 2013, deals ended November 30, they counted $10.9B in M&As this year alone, with over 270 full-power stations and 265 low-power stations. I don't think i remember a year that so many television stations have changed hands, probably not even that many since the mid-1990s. 2013 will be the year of the M&A wave.

[Samantha 2876]

 

NEW M&A This Afternoon!!!!!

 

TVNewsCheck stated minutes ago that Gray is buying KEVN Rapid City, SD from Mission TV, LLC for $7.75M

 

No surprise. Mission TV had been in some debt and had recently gone through bankruptcy reorganization (in 2007 or so). It was also a local ownership group.

 

The press release includes this gem of a sentence: "Mission TV, LLC is not affiliated with Mission Broadcasting, Inc."

[CircleSeven 1944]

Gray is on the ball y'all!!!

 

Approximately six weeks after the paperwork have been posted, yesterday, the FCC has greenlighted the AOL apps of Frontier Yellowstone stations to Gray. I wouldn't be shocked if they close this sucker by the end of this week. Damn that's quick.

[CircleSeven 1944]

Damn. With so much news today. Gannett closing Belo, the spin-offs going to Meredith, and now this....

 

Hey Raymie, this one's for you. Are you ready?

 

KSWT app to Brian Brady's Blackhawk Broadcasting, has been greenlighted. They'd approved the waiver today, and dismissed that informal objection Mr. Abraham was filing. I told you it was too late. :lol:

 

Brady will have a big-3 duopoly with already approved KYMA, once it get consummated.

[Samantha 2876]

File this under the "we didn't even notice" column:

 

For whatever reason, KGWN, the CBS affiliate in Cheyenne, Wyoming, decided it wanted to compete for the hearts and screens of northern Colorado (Denver market) on a subchannel with its own newscast. Well, Northern Colorado 5 is no more; apparently it couldn't keep up with the Denver stations.

 

–––

 

Also, on the KSWT news: Finally.

 

I'm not a supporter of the KPHO/KTVK combo (though it's legal and certainly to happen barring some miracle, I'm sad to see this happening), but this one I can get behind because the market so plainly sucks from an economic perspective (have you seen the unemployment rates? Preliminary October 2013: 31.9% in Yuma, 25.2% in El Centro) and the combination generates the necessary economy of scale to produce quality product in the market.

[CircleSeven 1944]

Alrighty y'all. First full business day of 2014 and we have a slew of paperwork.

 

First, we have two consummations. Both happened on New Year's Eve.

 

NBC has completed its acquisition of Rio Grande Valley's Telemundo affiliate KTLM.

 

Also, Gray has completed the sale of the Frontier's Yellowstone stations.

 

Also, it appears that Power Television International wants to give up 51% control of Corporate Media Consultants Group to Max Media, which already had the remaining 49% (I think this TOC would lead up to a future sale of Puerto Rican station WMEI (and its satellites)).

 

And finally the paperwork of KMOV, KTVK & KASW is up. $230.56M for KTVK/KASW, and $176.94M for KMOV, both totalling $407.4M. SagamoreHill will pay $12M to assign KASW.

 

EDIT 11:09am/EST TVNewsCheck state that Frontier will acquire Sainte Partners' last station, Eureka's CBS station, KVIQ for $1.25M.

[CircleSeven 1944]

 

 

KSWT app to Brian Brady's Blackhawk Broadcasting, has been greenlighted. They'd approved the waiver today, and dismissed that informal objection Mr. Abraham was filing. I told you it was too late. :lol:

 

Brady will have a big-3 duopoly with already approved KYMA, once it get consummated.

 

Follow-Up Time. This is from the article from the Yuma Sun.

 

KSWT's station manager Julio Bermudez stated last Friday to the paper, that he "guesstimates" that the sale could close by the end of this month. As for post-transaction and the "likely consolidation" (which they didn't mention in the article, but we know what's going to pop), he stated that they haven't even started on the details, but he estimates by late summer before, as he pointed out, "all the pieces would be put into place".

 

I wished they'd hurry up and get most of that stuff now, so they don't have to worry about the fall. But you know fall is a great time to show your new digs. So there's nothing to complain much about.

[CircleSeven 1944]

The Las Vegas Review-Journal stated Sunday that Intermountain West Communications-owner Jim Rogers is battling a second round of cancer. He didn't state on a specific kind of cancer he's battling. But he vowed to his employees at KSNV 3, that “whatever happens, the station will not be put up for sale.”

 

In several months, IWCC has sold stations in Yuma, Idaho, Wyoming, & Reno.

 

I'm hoping he'll recover from this latest health battle.

___________________________________

 

Also, we have the first FCC approval of a TV station sale of 2014.

 

WMGM's sale from Access.1 to "Spectrum Speculator" LocusPoint Networks was greenlighted today, exactly two months after the paperwork was filed. This is not good news for opponents who were against a speculator to own this station.

 

___________________________________

 

EDIT 1/8/14 12:37am/EST:

 

The KMIR/KPSE sale from Journal to another "Spectrum Speculator" OTA Broadcasting has beem consummated. It happened on New Year's Day. This was Journal's very first divestiture of a TV property in its history.

[Samantha 2876]

 

The Las Vegas Review-Journal stated Sunday that Intermountain West Communications-owner Jim Rogers is battling a second round of cancer. He didn't state on a specific kind of cancer he's battling. But he vowed to his employees at KSNV 3, that “whatever happens, the station will not be put up for sale.”

 

In several months, IWCC has sold stations in Yuma, Idaho, Wyoming, & Reno.

 

I'm hoping he'll recover from this latest health battle.

 

The article also explains why Beartooth NBC (Helena, Montana) hasn't been sold yet, and this makes sense:

 

He recently sold a station in Casper, Wyo., and is in the process of selling stations in Reno and Pocatello, Idaho. He still owns a station in Helena, Mont., where he has a summer home.

The article also says that first in succession in the event of Rogers's death is his wife Beverly, then Nevada's state colleges. Would the University of Nevada system actually want to operate a television station? I'm not sure of the size/quality of UNLV's journalism program, either, and I wouldn't expect them to pull a KOMU in a market that large.

[A3N 996]

 

The article also explains why Beartooth NBC (Helena, Montana) hasn't been sold yet, and this makes sense:

 

 

The article also says that first in succession in the event of Rogers's death is his wife Beverly, then Nevada's state colleges. Would the University of Nevada system actually want to operate a television station? I'm not sure of the size/quality of UNLV's journalism program, either, and I wouldn't expect them to pull a KOMU in a market that large.

 

I think that he will eventually sell KSNV but only to a good owner who will agree to not reduce personnel- at least right away. The way the succession is set up makes it seem like it's an unstable place. Should Jim pass away, will his wife be interesting in running the business, or for that matter will Nevada's state colleges be interested in having the stations? Too many un-answered questions.