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Harry J. Pappas, co-founder of Pappas Telecasting Companies (whose stations have since become part of Sinclair's broadcasting portfolio), died on April 24 in Reno, Nevada. He was 78. https://deadline.com/2024/05/harry-j-pappas-dead-pappas-telecasting-companies-founder-1235910952/

It's clear the industry has seen better days. And I do agree that these stations may end up in the private equity / crappy owner dumpster pile unless there is a suitable duopoly partner in a market that can take one or more stations on without major investment. There may be a white knight somewhere that takes on a station or two....perhaps a local investor or a college/university that wants to make something out of a Sinclair fixer-upper. We haven't gotten to the point where groups are so insolvent they have to shut down stations and fire sale them off. But it could be coming. At least Sinclair is being proactive (at least in a financial way). The only way the FCC is going to change things is if things get so terrible, it takes anyone with a check that clears to run a station if there's no one else who can afford to do so.

I believe so. It may rate higher than WTVJ but I’m not sure.

No. Daystar is not going to pull an KOCE and have too deal with the FCC criticizing them for.

Yeah no Scripps isn’t modernizing news. Scripps cut people that were making the most money in the newsroom that aren’t managers (the anchors). Then sat down with some people that still watch news and ask was the biggest complaint about news and it was that they never report about news in their small town. The neighbor reporter concept is a good idea for communities that get underreported, KABC has a few communities reporters in the LA neighborhoods that maybe get on the air 2-3 times week and post other stories online but KABC also has a team of general assignment reporters and beat reporters. At some Scripps stations every reporter is a neighborhood reporter and the top 2 or 3 stories could be, smithtowns grand opening of Olive Garden happen today and Greg Johnson of Lilly village is 8th grade state spelling bee champ. Scripps is getting rid of any veteran they can, these people were teachers to the new hires at most scripp stations, most are coming straight out of college. This does delay the shutting down of newsrooms though which is good.

Whoops! Someone in the comments said he's working for Kendrick RPReplay_Final1715344511.mov

Private equity isn't going to want to bother with television station ownership after the FCC let the Standard/Apollo buyout of Tegna die on the vine. (Standard General, particularly their MediaCo subsidiary, is a ghastly basketcase right now, so count them out, too.) It is not outside the realm of possibility that Daystar buys all the stations and flips them immediately to godcasters. Also... it's 2024. Interest rates are not near zero like they were a decade ago. It is not financially productive or possible for a singular buyer to emerge for these stations. The investment banker advising Sinclair right now assuredly told them this hard truth.

Yea, even though Scripps may not be the most excellent broadcaster, they modernized themselves heavily, but mostly, the issue is on the Ion Television stations. *Laughs in Kansas City*

Why? Because they actually modernized production for their newscasts and thus made themselves a target of a has-been blogger who wants things to remain stuck in 1989 even as viewing habits have collapsed across the board? In the real world, the only real weak spot is the Ion stations, and that's because of the soft national ad market.

Exactly. I doubt Sinclair will sell whichever stations they divest one by one to multiple owners. The level of regulatory filings and lawyers fees would be significant - especially for an on the cheap broadcaster whose sports subsidiary is bleeding cash. It will be as one group, probably effected as a spinoff or similar tactic to a private equity firm (most current broadcasters would either be over the limit or can't afford the price). As to which stations, we should probably hold back speculation because the truth is every single person on this forum that has a Sinclair station in their market or one they watch often, would want that station sold. At some point, Sinclair may provide clarity on the criteria for disposal (there were a few hints in the report - like stand alone stations where there is no duopoly or nearby Sinclair station - islands in Sinclair's footprint) but until then, it is all speculative.

You guys are setting up yourselves for disappointment if you think the networks, cox, graham, Scripps (yikes) or any other broadcast company is buying any Sinclair station. It’s been reported that Sinclair is looking to unload small market stations, most likely CW, mynet and independents. Sinclair will sell those underperforming stations to a private equity firm, then they will gut the stations or let the network and syndicated contracts expire and sell the spectrum to god casters. I think the thing to look for is what network contracts are due to expire. That could be a sign to what stations sinclair unloads.

I was hoping for Seattle’s KIRO 7 to be the youngest CBS O&O, but then again I hope Skydance Media would outbid Sony and Apollo in the bidding war for Paramount Global. If Sony and Apollo buy Paramount, then I hope Skydance would buy the CBS-branded assets and the Paramount-owned cable networks and streaming services.

The Sun-Times ran a story about this yesterday. If I’m understanding correctly, Standard will invest (in the RSN) and help with distribution while Stadium will provide the content (and handle other operational matters). That said, it ‘appears’ that Stadium will be converted into the aforementioned RSN that will air White Sox, Bulls & Blackhawk games. At least that’s how it sounds…

Scripps itself is in shambles and it only a matter of time when they're headed to the auction block for their stations. Hilton H Howell, Jr. from Gray TV has entered the room [cough cough]

So Sinclair could fall into bankruptcy? I’m praying Raleigh gets cut from Sinclair and someone breathes life into it. I’ve seen WLFL’s programming and I’ve been to Raleigh it is so bad they air PSAs from 2006. You remember those commercials where they said “Pass it on” they’re still airing them, though it’s nostalgic.

Yeah I remember when Unc said that he was insane for saying that he’ll buy the network, especially that he just about owns a station in the same market of all 8 ABC O&Os. Just imagine LA NY, Raleigh, San Francisco having to beat against your competitor and be under the same ownership.

... Here's my two cents on the matter 1) I know that Coastal Television is like the worst owner unless it's for, NewsNet programming outta Cadillac, Michigan (for example, KTWO, and the Alaska ABC (KATN, KJUD, KYUR, and KTBY) stations.) 2) I don't fully understand the hate against INSP. Like, okay, it was created from the remains of the PTL Network, and didn't have any Broadcasting station experience until 2022, but what did they somehow do to get hated upon? 3) Yea, some mega-chains are just too big or already in the markets (Example, Sinclair-Owned WJLA and Tegna-Owned WUSA in Washington DC whixh are the only affiliates because the other big four affiliates are owned by the network (NBC-owned WRC and Fox-owned WTTG)) 4) The only reason why Hearst even acquired WBBH and WZVN, (No, not WSVN, the one you legitimately revamped on Wikipedia) is because the Waterman family wanted to sell the stations before one of the family members turned 100. 5) Well, Graham, and Legitimately the networks isn't selling/buying any stations, and why would they do so? I mean, St. Louis once had 2, KTVI from 1997-2008 and KMOV from 1950s-1987 (during the CBS ownership, Channel 4 was called KMOX-TV) (Also, Paramount and CBS is not facing an Ted Turner moment again and are going to stop Byron from owning CBS, whatever the cost.) 6) Retransmission fees don't kinda have anything to make actual other than for revenue? Because cord-cutting, ATSC3.0, anything of those things, Hello??? 7) The FCC is probably focused on WPIX and stopping Robo-calls now than on UHF Discounts (which they did on Robo-calls, thank God they did.)

Y'all don't want INSP or Coastal. INSP has some big time cellar-dwellers like KPVI in Pocatello, "The Delta News" quadopoly in Mississippi, and the little train that never could: KIEM. Coxpollo had these for a minute but didn't spend any money them. For a good laugh, check KIEM product online ... still bad decade(s) after their first mention here.

I think a lot of people are going to be severly disappointed when a bottom-feeder no-budget company like INSP or Vision/Coastal winds up buying these stations instead of these pie-eyed fantasies. Instead of playing speculator, let's just look at these indisputable truths. And they aren't pretty: The television industry is not a buyer's market in any sense of the word and hasn't been since interest rates got raised substantially The few remaining megachains—Scripps, Tegna and Gray—are either too built up or are already in many of these existing markets. Hearst doesn't buy anything unless it's a gigantic waste of money like spending $200M+ for freaking WBBH in a older market in a permanently uncompetitive state politically. Great thinking there, y'all. Apollo Global Management isn't buying anything and may be forced to sell off Cox Media Group if their stupid fever dream of buying Paramount actually happened. Graham isn't buying anything because they just don't. The networks ain't buying anything, and one of them (CBS) is in limbo right now since Shari Redstone took it off the market. The FCC might just repeal the UHF Discount rule (again) just to further erase anything Pai did and not grandfather a thing The continued diminishing returns of retransmission revenue is only going to get worse. Those golden geese are no longer not laying eggs, they're entering hospice care and the likes of Nexstar don't have a plan B. So as you can clearly see... Sinclair is absolutely screwed.

I’d rather see KTUL go to Hearst to be honest I don’t see Scripps ever selling KJRH.

I've said it before and will undoubtedly say it again: ABC could have teamed up with a company interested in the other Allbritton station (Hearst, Graham, Tegna, etc.), help that company outbid Sinclair, and split WJLA off from the other stations afterwards.

It has no chance in the current Senate.

Don't worry, Perry -- Rand Paul is coming to your rescue! Shouldn't they be referring to him as Senator Paul? I hope the bill crashes and burns. All it would do is help Nexstar, SInclair, and Gray gobble up more broadcasters, leaving smaller broadcasters such as Hearst and Graham (and smaller) unable to acquire stations because they keep getting outbid.

Those look really good. I miss living in a Hearst market.

Nah, I think Cox Media is better owning/operating WPGH and WPNT, mostly because WPXI produces newscasts for WPGH.