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I have and there is no scale disadvantage for Hearst and no the McBride's cannot bully Hearst out of the market, if anything it's more likely we both bully each other out of the forum before the McBride's bully Hearst out of Fort Myers. Hearst wasn't dumb when they purchased WBBH and the LMA for WZVN they knew what they we're doing I've already said that they knew what they we're doing I don't know how many times, in fact we'd be having the same debate over this had Nexstar and Gray bought WBBH/WZVN. The Waterman's knew that Edith had a goal of getting out of the broadcasting business before her 100th birthday, she did exactly that, there really was no stupidity on either side.

It's really important to remember that Hearst paid $220M for WBBH and only WBBH. WZVN remains owned by Montclair, and while that LMA likely added to the value of the station, they still do not own it.

There is no scale disadvantage for Hearst, they are fine where they're at, they don't buy stations unless it's for the right station and for the right price. It's not ludicrious that Hearst spent $200M plus to get WBBH/WZVN

Just flipped the TV on to check and WCCB has been removed from YTTV. Youtube (Hulu too) only adds channels if there's enough demand from customers, or if the channel will generate signups and retain customers. WMYT officially a CW on 55.1 in 720p. I rescanned channels and there doesn't appear to be a channel for MyNetwork so maybe it's gone in the Charlotte area. WCCB renamed itself, new branding is gold-on-black, and they didn't go with news round the clock - 5am-9am, 9-11pm and some other local programming. The Edge is also coming back at 10:30pm with Ashley Anderson, Morgan and Fred https://www.wccbcharlotte.com/2025/09/01/your-guide-to-watching-wccb-charlotte-and-our-new-lineup/

That's only like 0.0098% of Hearst family wealth. It ain't shit to them.

I think it's a crazy take, there's no way the McBride's is going to bully Hearst out of the Fort Myers market despite the internal issues that typically comes up in the Fort Myers market. If they have to settle for playing 2nd fiddle to the McBride's so be it, they're used to being in that role in other markets they're in anyway.

I actually think they're #1 in most cities now. From the three you mention, WLWT has done better over the years thanks to WCPO and WKRC's misfortunes, WAPT has become solid even if its not #1, and I think KHBS is the market leader there, if not close to it. WBBH is the market leader, which probably made it attractive for Hearst to get. Here in Florida, WESH is a VERY STRONG second in Orlando, and WPBF is now the market leader in WPB. I know y'all want them to sell to the McBrides, but then... that's how competition fades. I'll give Hearst a chance. They're one of the better national media companies out there IMHO.

The FCC is "modernizing" its rules due to changes in the economy and viewer trends. The old saying still rings true "adapt or die." The industry is recognizing this. I would hardly call the incumbent FCC leadership political hacks because of this. Change was going to come regardless of who happens to sit at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. You can call it political but the same could be said for any administration. Back to Scripps, although they did give WFTX a new set fairly recently, the station is severely neglected. To see them divested is not a surprise to me. We will see what happens regarding its news department. Perhaps Sun Broadcasting has other plans that is best discussed on a speculation forum. Although it could go that way, I don't think it's 100% certainty that this is the end of its own news dept. I'll say that much.

I know I don't see much of these stories anymore. However, I still think it's cool to post because it gives us something to talk about. The dominance of WJXT Jacksonville continues. Now, they're #1 at Noon as well (they weren't before), in addition to their other newscasts. WJXT was 3% short of equaling WFOX, WJAX, WTLV, and WJXX... COMBINED. Nielsen M-F, August 2025, A25-54: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wjxt-tv-channel-4-news_the-local-station-is-the-1-choice-in-jacksonville-activity-7369075923477905408-AvP6?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAABqGw-0BrOQ_9csrv95OAtvM37gqLkE_dSc&utm_campaign=copy_link

So much for Nexstar/Perry Sook wanting to be in every market. It hasn't bitten them yet. I mean, we've only had the announcement that Sun Broadcasting is buying WFTX. Whereas reasonable people such as yourself are upset that Hearst hasn't put up the white flag of surrender, sold all their stations to Nexstar/Sinclair/Gray/Tegna or private equity, rolled over, and joined the choir invisible. There's a simple reason so many of us love Hearst: As broadcasting companies throw in the towel and sell their stations to competitors or private equity, all indications are that Hearst is one of the very few really companies left. Could they someday disappoint us or even break our hearts by selling out to another company? Of course. But until it does, we'll keep cheering them on.

Schedules indicate that WJZY's .8 Rewind TV (aka subchannel Siberia) is carrying it in primetime, but that could just be to run out the contractual string the next two weeks for all we know.

Can't wait to see the headlines about how the Evening News is once again losing viewers with the new (old) format lol

If I am Hearst, there is no reason to change anything right now. Let the chaos with the competition happen and capitalize on opportunities that come from it and creatively come up for solutions to challenges it creates. And I say this as someone who drank the Kool-Aid at WINK for several years. Hearst's piece of the revenue pie isn't shrinking. Just two other slices are getting combined. I haven't seen numbers in a long time, in fact, I blocked Darrel Adams on Twitter within days of signing up in 2009 because I didn't want his rating brags to mess with me. But as far as I know, the NBC side has consistently received better ratings than WINK for the last few years. My SWOT analysis for Hearst in Fort Myers Strengths Pre 1996 grandfathered LMA/Time Brokerage deal that makes WBBH/WZVN a unified, efficient operation and 30+ years of operating that way Hearst resources that reduce operating costs and benefit the product: centralized traffic, billing, accounting, graphics hub, DC bureau, national investigative team, etc ABC and NBC are (for now) far more stable and in less turmoil than CBS Fort Myers has a reputation as a market with higher than average HUT levels. And WBBH tends to over perform on NBC flagship events like the Olympics Speculation: Better leverage in negotiating retransmission as a multi-market company for WBBH so a revenue advantage there Subjective: Stronger digital presence and adapted to the 21st century far earlier and faster than WINK Subjective: By far a superior creative services team and long-term marketing strategy Subjective: They always operated more confidently. WINK's newsroom culture during my time there can best be summed up as "competition monitor bedwetters" Subjective: They didn't get go off the air for days during Hurricane Ian Weaknesses In-market scale disadvantage English language only operation, losing out on a respectable percent of the market and Spanish language TV viewership has lost much less of its audience than English TV. TV and digital only sales packages Limited in-market partnership opportunities with other media outlets (radio, print, new digital) WZVN's history of underperforming in the market Opportunities Sampling from Fox 4 News viewers when that brand disappears (somewhat limited by having .1s unavailable for 7-9am and 10pm) Even though they just rebranded, they now have the perception of being the stable, consistent operation in the market Businesses who do not like WINK/WXCW and have sworn off advertising with them who bought ads on WFTX may move money they spent there to WBBH/WZVN Big changes elsewhere presents the opportunity to pursue subtle changes to be more efficient under their unified brand (test the waters of simulcasting) Partners across the state on big news event (WESH, WPBF) Threats TV's great decline, especially as baby boomers age and die , while Southwest Florida grows and sees more younger people move there in demographics who don't watch much linear TV Corporate budget life problems: If Hearst makes cuts, those cuts will likely be consistent across the company Keeping a news intensive operation fully staffed as fewer people pursue TV as as career or burn out faster Diluted product with dueling AM, 6pm, 11pm newscasts Hurricanes, alligators, elderly drivers, and "a Florida Man" - the most dangerous parts of Florida

I'm gonna say this with all due respect. The idea of suggesting that Hearst would shut down an ABC and NBC station is, for lack of a better term, insanity. Yes, what WINK, Sun, whatever you wanna call them, is doing is insane and there is no reason for someone to have that much blatant control over a market. However, Hearst knew or should have known going in how powerful WINK was and how weak WFTX might be. Also, suggesting they sell WBBH to the McBrides is just as insane. Hearst is 2nd and 3rd place in several cities. Should we expect a sale of WLWT, WAPT and KHBS next?

Too bad about those masters! But here are a couple places TV Production Music Museum, a number of composers have submitted material, and people here have supported the effort via being members https://tvpmm.com/ (contact / music donation upload) https://tvpmm.com/contact/contact.html San Francisco State TV news archives archivist https://library.sfsu.edu/people/alex-cherian

I was seriously joking when I was talking about a WFTX sale with the Beasley cluster purchase... This is probably much worse than I could ever imagine. I do think if Hearst tosses money at the market and good advertising emphasizing community service and weather (and absolutely going hard-in on holding local government officials accountable because FMB/Sun certainly won't), they should do fine, but having a broadcaster so ridiculously controlling a single market will backfire years down the line if there's a natural disaster or a mini Sumner Redstone situation among the Schwartzels and McBrides.

But... but... the neighborhood reporters....

If Gray wanted anything, it would be WINK.

Not anytime soon. They just acquired them. Plus, Hearst RARELY sells. The last time was selling Island Television (KITV/KHVO/KMAU) in 2015 to SJL/Lilly. If anyone will stick it out in the longrun, its Hearst. I'm surprised Gray didn't take a swipe into WFTX considering their recent swap with Scripps.

With the Hall of Fame Game taking place one week from today, let’s fire up this thread. The Lions have named Jason Benetti and TJ Lang as their preseason broadcast team.

Yeah they would have because they'd have to go up against the McBride's and you'd be saying the same thing you're saying about Hearst being "bullied" out of Fort Myers so you're wrong on that assumption

Yep. The population influx is evident the rising real estate prices. Despite all it's flaws, it's Florida. Offer people a year round beach, consistent sunshine, large houses and a tropical aesthetic -- as opposed to the industrial Midwest ----- and they will come.

Are you not looking at Fort Myers??? They have a major scale disadvantage going against five television stations and eleven radio stations!!! Does anyone in this platform have any inkling as to how horribly lopsided the playing field has been thrown in the McBrides favor? Forget about ratings and all that garbage. I'm only talking about revenue and the McBrides can bully Hearst out of the market completely with scale. Of course, after Nexstar swallows up Tegna and Gray gobbles down Scripps, Hearst and Graham will be painfully small and easy takeover bait. It is. I said it the day it was made and I'll say it to my grave, Hearst screwed up buying into a older market like this with no hope for any political ad revenue. And plunking down that amount for one station and one LMA? Waterman is forever laughing all the way to the bank at how stupid Hearst was.

Three channels from HBO and three from Cinemax are being renamed. TL;DR: HBO2 -> HBO Hits HBO Signature -> HBO Drama HBO Zone -> HBO Movies MoreMAX -> Cinemax Hits ActionMAX -> Cinemax Action 5starMAX -> Cinemax Classics https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-renames-linear-channels-1236361141/

It seems Paramount is buying the "Free Press" and installing Bari Weiss to head up CBS News and change its focus to meet her vision and direction. RIP CBS News. Ironic you brought it up.

Happy anniversary, KCRA. 70 years as of yesterday. This was posted on their Facebook and I love it when stations do this.

With the very reasonable speculation that Fox 4's news department will be shut down, surprisingly they're still positing reporter openings...

There's probably enough separation in the licensing and ownership to satisfy the FCC. Anything beyond that is fair game for the Mcbride's to take over the non-license assets and run it like one of their own. But then again, the DOJ could chime in if it becomes an issue of market share.

The WMYT My12 website is still alive as well. They are now Charlotte’s CW https://www.qcnews.com/my12/

Fox4 has always been a horrible news operation, with horrible talent. Scripps has improved it however in recent years. But no one will miss it. End of story. WBBH is one of the strongest local news stations in the country. Great investment by hearst and they dont need to do a thing. WINK absorbing an also-ran Fox station, is a non story frankly.

You'd be surprised at how superwealthy people don't want to waste money unless there is an ROI.

It might surprise you but this level of hyperconsolidation is rendering companies like Hearst as takeover bait. They were once big but after Nexstar-Tegna is ramrodded through will become painfully small.

Who's yall? Don't put me in with them. Be that as it may, if the logic of Hearst selling all non number one stations is allowed to be entertained then stations like KOCO would be on the block. Also, aren't they second in Pittsburgh and Baltimore as well, or did KDKA and WJZ fall from grace? Last I heard, those were the top dogs.

In all fairness, Fox 4 News is a nonstarter in the market. Scripps decimated the station. While only two tv owners in the market is concerning from an oligopoly POV, from the viewers perspective, take this for what it's worth... IMO despite Gulf Coast News being market leader, WINK is the better news product.

The FCC was not run at the time by weaponizing political hacks like Carr and Trusty. Those past failed transactions mean nothing in this Brave New World dicated solely on political patronage.

Besides, no matter how much asslicking (excuse my language), someone does with the FCC or DOJ, that means nothing. Or did we forget what happened with Sinclair. And did we also forget that debacle with Soo Kim, Leon Black and Tegna and Cox.

You want them to stick around and be unable to compete against such a crushing monolith? Well okay then. It was a mistake for Hearst to have ever bought into that small market to begin with and it is even worse of an idea now. In the economy of scale game, Hearst is now going to be losing in Fort Myers, and losing dearly.

The FOX4 news dept is definitely going away. That is a crazy combo to think of. So now there will be basically no competition in SWFL, that's great (Not)-- gee kinda sounds like the current ownership situation in Grand Junction, CO with 3 companies owning everything (Nexstar, Gray & Mission Broadcasting).

After a longtime of being at Univision Deportes (17 years), Lindsay Casinelli has since left and joined Telemundo Deportes. Right on cue as well for upcoming coverage of the Olympics. https://ahoramismo.com/entretenimiento/lindsay-casinelli-reacciona-debut-telemundo/

It seems that the CBS Evening News is slowly returning to its previous format... The headlines are back at the beginning of the newscast. output.mp4

Jim Schwartzel is a stooge for the McBrides who, thanks to them now having total control of the media, will ensure he gets softball coverage as he gets anointed as a congresscritter. Not that the election will ever be in doubt because Fort Myers is an uncompetitive super-safe Republican seat in deep maga territory as Donalds gets anointed as governor. That is the other dirty little reason why Carr and Trusty will greenlight this deal in six months. And why Hearst is better off cutting bait, selling WBBH-WZVN or shutting them down outright, and walking away with the ginormous L.

In a stunning change, Scott Hanson says that NFL RedZone will have commercials this season.

Too bad the McBrides' sold the Browns decades ago to Art Modell. I don't know what was worse, that, or their so-called "monopoly" in SWFL.

Lol. Lmao. Lmfao. Not when the McBrides can price fix to their hearts' content with 11 radio stations and five television stations. Hearst has only one television station and a long-term LMA that they grossly overpaid for and they are not going to be able to compete. I said this the second the deal was struck and I'll say it now, $220M for WBBH-WZVN was an absolutely terrible and grossly irresponsible deal that never should have been made by Hearst in the first place. Why would they when it's an older market that is in a permanently red state? Plus that area got devastated by Ian (wouldn't surprise me if the insurance payout the McBrides got is fueling their purchases as much as having a good ol' right-wing buddy in charge of the FCC).

As if the market wasn't decimated enough with Hearst having WBBH and WZVN under one roof... If there was a market Nexstar could trade into, this could be a possibility "IF" there's any regulatory issues that beleaguer these deals....

It's a cute pie-in-the-sky pollyanna wishcasting piece. Which is all that can be said.

I miss Superstation WGN. We had that one for about a year after we moved to NH from the Chicago area, only for it to be replaced with VH-1.

I miss it.

which markets will be getting the most non national games while what markets won't be getting any?