Leaderboard

7News was on ABC18, but not on WSVN proper Andrew Ansin was on Biz Journal's podcast recently. He shares how the WSVN/ABC deal came about. ABC approached them in August 2024, Sunbeam agreed but asked to simulcast 7News. From WPLG we know around that time ABC went silent and stopped negotiating but extended the contract. Ansin seems to suggest WSVN wasn't doing well financially before the ABC tieup, "and this way by simulcasting [...] a television business that was not doing very well, all of a sudden became significantly more profitable." Nothing specific but if WSVN, the top earning station in Miami for at least 2 decades isn't doing well financially, that means the other stations could be in a much worse financial situation! Later on mentions that now WSVN/ABC18 at 10PM often capture 60% of the people who watch the late news in the market. He doesn't clarify English or English and Spanish, if both then the rest of the 40% is split between 5 stations Work has started on the new WSVN building. The precast walls will go up around early December 2025. He emphasied that the family is committed to WSVN, they see it as a service to the community, and suggests they will keep going even if it's little or not profitable at all. Ansin points to his mother who created the Miami City Ballet not to make money but to provide high art to the community. Sounds like they view WSVN in the same manner. He emphasises "the community" and non-profits. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-business-breakdown-with-b-273274022/episode/business-insights-from-the-america-forum-305962841/?position=687

Honestly, I'm surprised smaller broadcasters such as Graham, Hearst, Morgan Murphy, and others haven't spoken out in opposition to this deal.

The cap decision still has to come through Congress, not the FCC. It will be hard-pressed to get past a Democratic filibuster, and even some GOP members may be hesitant if Newsmax and OAN are against it. If Carr unilaterally does it, this ends up in court.

Channel 11 would be the big winner in the end...

And in some of these markets, where would NBC go if they pull the plug? ATL and PHX they can go to Gray, who has indy stations in the market, But Minneapolis they are stuck with KARE unless they go back to Hubbard and settle for KSTC (Assuming Hubbard keeps ABC on KSTP). Denver is another question mark if they leave Nexstar/Tegna... Hope Scripps lets you go on KCDO?

an fyi, WPLG didn't dump ABC. ABC went to WSVN in August 2024 and asked if they'd put them on 7.2 - per WSVN CEO. ABC stopped talking to WPLG allegedly, according to WPLG GM Bert Medina

KWGN, to it's credit, does run an independent morning show that broadcasts to the whole state. It's not a retran of KDVR's morning show whatsoever, though they do share talent. Also the only 7 pm broadcast in the state.

This means that the Nexstar deal will be done with a whole bunch of waivers, both plausible and non, daring opposed parties to try and stop it in the courts.

I'd hardly say KDVR/KWGN has been "torched" when some of their shows pull in more impressions on A25-54 than KCNC and KMGH do total. There's a long over-held notion (in my opinion before people get salty) that Denver is KUSA followed by everyone else, when it's really KUSA and KDVR followed by everyone else.

If Tegna insists on all of the stations being kept together regardless of conflicts and FCC rules (or Tegna insists that only the buyer's stations are sold), then yeah, there really isn't anyone.

And then who would buy Tegna? There's no realistic buyer most likely if the deal collapses.

It would be financial negligence and a shareholder lawsuit waiting to happen for a company that wants to stop existing decides to sell assets in pieces when a merger is possible and could achieve the same goal. A piecemeal sale of every business asset, when the value goes into the billions, has massive and expensive financial and tax consequences for the seller who is trying to get the most money and a clean break. A merger structured as a stock sale can be done with a minimal tax burden for the seller. Individual station sales as assets would mean the money the company received from assets being sold would be taxed as corporate income. This merger is also structured where Nexstar assumes TEGNA’s debt. Selling assets one piece at a time until they are all gone means debt service payments continue, eating up a big chunk of revenue from the individual asset sales. Once all the assets are sold, the remaining debts and other corporate liabilities are all that are left and good luck selling those! This is also why in past station group mergers station divestitures are structured as asset sales by the new company concurrent with closing of the merger, rather than a sale by the outgoing company. This all sucks. It’s bad for people and communities. It’s bad for people who will lose their jobs. But for people looking for golden parachutes, that doesn’t matter. They just want every penny possible and a clean break from financial responsibility of a dying company.

Well, yes and no. While technically Gray doesn't own a station in Chattanooga outright, they do have a stake in Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. - the owners of WRCB - that could be used as leverage if they so choose.

That said, regardless, it's quite possible WTSP could collapse in ratings if CBS pulls the affiliation, and they have that option there since they could do what they did in Atlanta. I can understand the Des Moines duopoly, since KCCI is the 100-ton gorilla in the market and crushes both WHO and WOI combined so market share wouldn't be a predicament there as long as Nexstar does not ever acquire KCCI.

At minimum, they could have at least volunteered to sell one of the larger stations in the conflicts like example WGNO, WTIC, KTHV etc. I'm just saying that just to put out there what some people may be thinking.

Those were my first thoughts reading through... Cleveland was a surprise, also didn't think that WTSP and WWL were still ranked as high as they are. KPNX in 5th place below both of the Gray duopoly's seemed odd, as well as KGW being in last place in Portland. I know it's proprietary, but those actual numbers would be interesting to see. They were really good with using the spread to their advantage where they could- Example: It is indeed true that WOI is a way distant third to KCCI and WHO- and there is a case, and precedent, from Sioux Falls when Gray got KDLT with the argument that when added to KSFY, they still would have lower combined ratings that KELO... Similar should apply there.

I saw this on Twitter (not calling it X simply to appease to Musk). This is what NBC would air on Sunday nights starting next year. Out of 52 Sundays next year, only TWO would be devoted to non-sports programming. The rest? Sunday Night Football (NFL), Sunday Night Basketball (NBA), Sunday Night Baseball (MLB), and during February, the Olympics as well.

Worth noting that whatever games that are on exclusively on Peacock is also on NBCSN as well.

Also, for the record, FOX, FS1, TBS, and Apple TV will continue to have their rights to MLB games, so it's not like we're decreasing networks' exposure to the MLB. Its actually expanding to more places.

Since last month, KFXF Fairbanks has been converted from Me-TV and MyNetworkTV to MyNetworkTV and Gray's newest regional sports network, the Last Frontier Sports and Entertainment Network, which is Fairbanks' home of the Seattle Kraken. https://www.webcenterfairbanks.com/2025/09/02/kfxf-channel-7-is-excited-announce-launch-last-frontier-sports-entertainment-network-fairbanks/

The Big 4 networks can't be bought on the cheap (Byron Allen lowballed ABC's valuation in a bid that was immediately laughed out of contention), so if they bring the dough...

WTHR has been one of NBC’s stronger stations since the 90s and NBC would love to own WTHR. Unfortunately with the way this current administration is with NBC/Comcast, that may not happen.

KFXK is a threat to KETK the same way I would be a threat to Mac Mcclung in the Slam Dunk contest.

Admittedly, in Columbus and Austin, they would only have to spin off if a court overturns the top-4 decision from a previous court, or a court finds they would have too much market share, since neither of the current stations are part of duopolies in those markets.

The loudest part of the deception is what they're not saying. They're not mentioning the SSAs, they don't have spinoff plan for certain stations like KVUE and WBNS, and they didn't mention Waco at all, which, although, I personally wouldn't have an issue with it, is loud in itself. They could have at least name checked Waco. Obviously, they're treating KWKT and KYLE as one and saying it's justifiable to merge with KCEN. At least PRETEND like you intend to follow the rules.

Although not directly related (as of now), Sinclair's current music/graphics are getting up there in age. Perhaps Sinclair decides to move forward with Scripps' new music/graphics and expand it to other legacy Sinclair stations if they actually manage to pull off a Scripps takeover. On a different note, last time I checked Sinclair is not in the best financial shape either - which makes this situation even more bizarre.

The obvious next move from Scripps is a poison pill, as the game is afoot.

On top of all of this, Scripps is still launching its new graphics for its stations and has other plans in the works for 2026 so there is no way that they will give up the company to Sinclair without a fight, even with their financial problems.

At one time Scripps was the largest. 30 years ago, their deal with ABC in the throes of the New World-Fox deal set off other sub-deals like Westinghouse and CBS (after WJZ getting spurned by ABC in favor of WMAR) and even the market swaps caused by that deal alone. It's tragic to see what has become of the company that Edward Willis Scripps founded almost 150 years ago. What was once a beacon of journalism has morphed into a bungled series of assets on life support after over-extending themselves over and over, while doubling down in the worst ways possible.

Very hard to tell at this early stage if this deal can even be done. There was a time until very recently that I would've considered a deal like this to not only be impossible but also a downgrade for Scripps' stations. Honestly, I'm at a point that this may be marginally a good thing for the majority of the remaining Scripps' stations. While "Scrippscasting" may have been an attempt at cutting costs, it has done far more harm with watering down newscast quality and making it nearly unwatchable. Whatever Scripps had as being a premium brand has all but been thrown down the toilet by corporate consultants. It's been very sad to watch but also undeniable. I am concerned for certain markets, especially in Nashville where Sinclair already has a significant presence. I'm sure Sinclair has its own intentions with cutting costs (i.e. merging adjacent market newscasts). But Gray and Allen are also guilty of the same thing to varying degrees. I'd rather watch a newscast produced live to air with decent attempts made at covering stories of local interest. If this deal were to materialize, I hope the first order of business by Sinclair is to rescind the Scrippscasting model and put live news back where it belongs. One thing I'll add is I do see this as a downgrade for WFTS in Tampa Bay. That has been the one station that hasn't been significantly harmed by Scripps overtime. I'm not so sure that Sinclair will continue to steward WFTS as Scripps has done there.

Meanwhile, Reuters is chiming in. Saying that this is a bully tactic. https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/sinclairs-brash-tv-ma-script-could-use-rewrite-2025-11-17/ I see 4 scenarios: 1) Scripps gets dragged in and accepts a Sinclair deal, despite being a horrific thought. 2) Scripps goes for Chapter 11 to try to stave them off. 3) Scripps talks to another company and attempts a merger that avoids Sinclair, although the choices are limited. 4) Scripps tries to wait it out, although the pressure may be too much.

One possible scenario is that Scripps seeks Chapter 11 protection if it wants to fend off Sinclair. https://rbr.com/confirmed-sinclair-targeting-scripps-with-big-share-snare/

It would be suicide to move what is WJAR to 6, or to change its call letters. WJAR historically is the dominant station in RI. Dead air often beat Ch. 12 and 6 combined. It is one of NBC's oldest affiliates going back to radio and started using the three toned chime that is synonymous with NBC today. It's a long heritage and habit in RI despite Sinclair's attempts to destroy the station. I assume Disney isn't too happy with this move, but they have no where to go. The Providence market is the future. All anglo commercial stations (not including ION), are now owned by Nexstar and Sinclair. Welcome to the future if both companies get their way with a compliant FCC. RI viewers are the losers.

I guess Michaela Pereira's own show isn't happening after all because she has joined Sinclair as executive producer for a new company-wide feature. https://tvnewscheck.com/journalism/article/sinclair-names-michaela-pereira-executive-producer-of-amazing-america/