NWA_TV_guy 146 Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 (edited) FMBC is moving WINK-TV/FM and its other broadcast properties to a new location in Fort Myers. https://winknews.com/2023/08/03/wink-tv-buys-new-headquarters-for-18-5-million-in-gateway/?fbclid=IwAR3Yyw6O2ZTVoHxkWrLeA89O1SMpK5Be8Ej_NekLrvaQg5PNhTHpSJndUFI_aem_AaMEvmtuQXLZePPjjqtvctHajRDZI7uLCJtrqfGxDuaq1AlZXiLX22uIxa63Kek3tRk&mibextid=Zxz2cZ Edited August 4 by NWA_TV_guy 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abric 153 Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 I figured this would be happening given what happened with Hurricane Ian last year that flooded their studios and knocked them off the air. Pulling a KHOU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recovering Producer 63 Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 An overdue upgrade for WINK and absolutely necessary for any possible sale in the future. No company in their right mind (or their insurance company) would take on that building after Ian. Oddly enough, they were committed to a future in that building until a few weeks before Ian. If you look at Fort Myers building permits - they shelved a plan just a few weeks before the storm to add a studio to the northwest side of the building—the part of the building closest to the creek and water. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 644 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 This is great news! I was wondering when this was going to happen. I figured they would be looking, given what KHOU went through... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1480 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 (edited) 22 hours ago, Recovering Producer said: An overdue upgrade for WINK and absolutely necessary for any possible sale in the future. No company in their right mind (or their insurance company) would take on that building after Ian. Oddly enough, they were committed to a future in that building until a few weeks before Ian. If you look at Fort Myers building permits - they shelved a plan just a few weeks before the storm to add a studio to the northwest side of the building—the part of the building closest to the creek and water. They probably also realized that it would be a critical piece of a potential sale. In addition, the insurance costs in Florida as a whole are skyrocketing now and that would be outrageously high where they were previously. Edited August 4 by GoldenShine9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1494 Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 On 8/4/2023 at 3:17 PM, GoldenShine9 said: They probably also realized that it would be a critical piece of a potential sale. In addition, the insurance costs in Florida as a whole are skyrocketing now and that would be outrageously high where they were previously. Sale to Scripps, you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycnewsjunkie 1257 Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 15 hours ago, ABC 7 Denver said: Sale to Scripps, you mean. They already own WFTX. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie56 2973 Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 If anything, they’d be bound for Gray. WINK-WXCW is already being run like a Gray shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recovering Producer 63 Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 3 hours ago, Georgie56 said: If anything, they’d be bound for Gray. WINK-WXCW is already being run like a Gray shop. If a Fort Myers Broadcasting WINK/Sun WXCW sale happens, under current ownership rules, unless they find a main owner and sidecar willing to take on radio properties, someone would need to find two different companies to divest the radio properties owned by FMBC and Sun. (By my count FMBC has three full-power FM stations, Sun has 4 FM stations - no current legal way for one company to own 7 FM stations in a market) Those companies would need to have a similar relationship or unwind their connected operation on the radio side. Not impossible. But a piece of the puzzle that could complicate negotiations of any potential deal because of tax advantages for the sellers to sell whole rather than piece by piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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