CircleSeven

I knew Tegna was going to drop the "Local" branding. But do the logo needs to look like WVEC with that slant on the end?.....

"Clear The Shelters" is a yearly pet adoption drive where the NBC O&Os (& affiliates) team up with the local shelters to try the find these pets a home. They've been doing this initiative for years. This special only airs once a year. They normally air this special right around August.

They only use that bug for ABC News shows like 20/20.

So Gray is adding another weekly program to join Greta. Its investigative unit is launching a new weekly half-hour program this weekend, appropriately titled InvestigateTV.

One R&O. One NPRM. R&O: KTUL (10 > 14) NPRM: Channel 4 NCE allotment Fort Bragg, CA - One Ministries, Inc. filed this PRM for this new allotment.

A couple of M&A approvals today. The KTNL deal in Sitka, AK to Ketchikan Television. The KASA deal (along with the plethora of LPs & translators in NM) to NBC/Telemundo. .....and they got it. Deal completed today (9/15).

OMG! Giorgio Moroder's Chase as a news open. Wow!

Follow up. The FCC has greenlighted the Lotus acquisition today (9/10). This approval comes with a condition: So close this deal by three weeks from now (10/1). Or you won't be able to until after the FCC renews your license. I've never seen this kind of stipulation before.....

It is difficult to find a vacant channel that wouldn't cause intereference with stations on the same allotment in adjacent markets. Especially when you live in the Northeast quadrant of the country where the use of the TV spectrum is extremely high (even post-repack). Also, you have these Class A LPs that are protected from being displaced from their allotments (unlike the regular LPs and translators). Most of the channel changes have happened in roughly smaller markets in the South, Midwest & West where they're not using that much spectrum. I was shocked to see WRGB found a channel given that heavy spectrum use in that part of the country. Take for example, RF 20 in Cleveland (where LP station WLFM-LD occupies, the one Gray just bought). If they want a full power allotment on RF 20, the FCC wouldn't allow it because it would greatly interfere with that Sinclair station in Pittsburgh (WPGH 53, also on 20) and that PBS outlet in Detroit (WTVS 56, also on 20). Here's the contours of the three stations (the LP, and the two full powers) I'm talking about. I'm not saying don't give up hope. I'm also not saying to hold your breath either. This is why you see Gray gobbling up on these unbuilt LP-permits and some operating LPs. I'm hoping they'll light some of these up and not let it sit and let the permits expire. __________________________________________________ Anywho, we have a new M&A. Weigel is getting more LPs. They're buying four Class A LPs (three from SoCal and one in VA, west of DC) from Venture Technologies for $17M. KHTV-CD & KSFV-CD Los Angeles for $7M. KPOM-CD Ontario, CA for $7M. WAZT-CD Woodstock, VA $3M. KPOM shares spectrum with KSFV; while KHTV shares spectrum with already-owned KAZA-TV. And let me also mention that Weigel has completed the WZME sale from NRJ TV on 8/31. Also, another M&A from last month. Scripps bought a couple of LPs-permits from Mako Communications for $70K. K32OR-D Palm Springs, CA W33EP-D Key West, FL Also, Nexstar has gotten the FCC greenlight of the KGBT deal. So it'll be a legal duopoly with KVEO once its closes. And finally, KSNB received its construction permit for its RF 24 York allotment. The Federal Register posted the final rule eight days after the R&O was posted (8/31). And received the permit three days after that (9/2). That was fast. Should the installation of the KOLN tower be completed, this would be the first time all big-4 network stations (based out of Lincoln and on its primary .1 signals) would be easily reachable in the capital city. That includes KLKN (ABC) & KFXL (Fox).

WCIU & WMEU has released its fall schedule. I'll state a few notes: Since Tamron Hall moved to WLS, Steve Wilkos returns to its old 10am timeslot. Tamron's 8pm repeat is being replaced with syndie repeat of Jerry Springer (which was moved from 9pm) And since the CW airings of Jerry Springer have halted, the second airings of The People's Court return to its 1pm slot (the main eps air at 4pm). Repeats of Judge Judy will air at 5pm. (Looks like WBBM will keep the Judy repeats (I guess for now) at 4pm.) Since the network will program Saturday night, there'll be no more super long Animation Block. But they'll be a shorter block of Family Guy & Bob's Burgers at 11pm & Midnight, respectively. And Litton's One Magnificent Morning block will be split. The first two hours will air on WCIU (8-10am). And the third hour will air on WMEU (10-11am). For WLS, Tamron's repeat will air at 1:40am replacing the Kelly & Ryan repeat, which will move to 12:07am (replacing the Windy City Live repeat). The rest of the overnight lineup stays a status quo. And WGN, we knew Rachael Ray was moving to the afternoons, but didn't know the timeslot until now. It'll air at 1pm, after the midday news. That will begin on the 13th, as new 10am local program Daytime Chicago debuts.

I believe they're talking about KYES already in the top-4 at the time it acquired CBS from KTVA last year. And not that the time it bought the station in 2016. Also the station moved from VHF-low 5 to VHF-high 7 in 2018. It would be nice to provide some Comscore or Nielsen proof that KYES was in the top-4 at the time of the CBS acquisition. Let's not forget it acquired KYES under failed station waiver, with that condition from the other Democratic controlled FCC (under Wheeler), that it wasn't going to acquire another big-4 affiliation two years after consummation. That condition ended in 2018. They also said that acquiring CBS from KTVA was not a "swap" meaning KTVA didn't acquire the MyNet from KYES. If you all remember the infamous Hawaii switch of KFVE & KGMB in 2009, the stations swapped callsigns & programming. That was classified (in their eyes) as a "swap". They going to say anything to not pay this fine. But if they didn't do anything wrong, why did they later move the CBS over to the LP (K22HN) & have it on the subchannel on KTUU? They could have done this in the first place. It'll be interesting to see whether this $500K+ will stand. We'll see what happens......

That change happened this week. Feder first reported on the change last month. LMAD & Drew Barrymore switched slots, with Drew moving to 9am.

Dale Hansen signed off one final time on WFAA tonight. But the opening of tonight's 10pm got me. They reenacted the 'Taxi' promo he did when he left KDFW 4 for Channel 8 over 38 years ago. And they brought in longtime VO guy John B. Wells to drive the Taxi. Videos Courtesy of WFAA's YT page.

I'm glad the O&O's are pulling from the "oversized" standard the network is pushing.

New PRMs today. Gray has filed four new petitions to get them off of VHF. KMVT (11 > 16) KNOE (8 > 24) KSCW (12 > 28) WYMT (12 > 20)

Gray is LP-picking again. This time, its in Richmond. They're acquiring WRID-LD from Daystar (Word of God Fellowship) for $630K. I don't see this being more than a UHF repeater to WWBT & WUPV (since they're on RF 10 & 8, respectively).

There's an amendment regarding one of the petitions. Dominion Broadcasting's WLMB Toledo proposed to move from VHF 5 to UHF 35. It was advanced to NPRM on March 4. But it appears to be a complaint north of the border (don't know if CRTC or Global TV complained). The Canadians feared that WLMB's new signal could interfere with Sarnia-Oil Springs, ON Global affiliate CIII-29, which operates on the same allotment (RF 35). Here's the contours of both signals (WLMB new signal & the CIII-29's). So, WLMB has amended its petition to swap its antenna from an omni-directional to a directional one. But it appears that they want to stay on RF 35. Don't know if this would remedy the Canadian's interference concerns. The contours don't look much different.

Two R&Os. KCWX (5 > 8.) with six DTS signals. KSNB (4 > 24, Superior > York). This is really good news for the Nebraska station, as they're already in process of building the new KOLN tower at Beaver Crossing.

Most of the CBS affiliates in the Central time zone carry LMAD at 2pm (after The Talk). It'll be sad to lose that two hour game show block in Chicago. I guess was they move Drew to the morning so it wouldn't compete with Clarkson on Channel 5. And even with move, it ain't going to make any difference (the ratings are low anyway), as many watch the WGN Morning News & Live with Kelly & Ryan on that slot. A few years ago, Orlando affiliate WKMG moved LMAD from 10am to 3pm to lead in with their (at the time) new 4pm newscast. Could LMAD be a strong show at 2pm on Channel 2? We'll just see.

KFVS has a different graphic pack than WSAZ (I believe that's what you meant) and WXIX.

So Gray has filed an appeal, asking the agency to cancel the $500k+ fine.

ESPN has filled one of Maria's former slots. Holly Rowe has been appointed as new sideline reporter for Saturday Night Football.

New petition today. WNYT wants to vacate VHF 12 for UHF 21.

That ended when Dr. Phil moved from WMAQ to WBBM.

I strongly doubt you'll see WYTV or KTKA going to Nexstar proper, given both are within the top-4 in their respective markets. They could exercise the option and then reassign them to Mission, like they've done with the other former sidecars (Shield, Tamer, etc.) On the other hand, KNVA (like WBDT) is not in the top-4. And because of the Pai Dereg Rule eliminating the eight-voice test, Nexstar could easily acquire KNVA outright. Also to keep in mind the FCC still treats KBVO Llano as a "satellite" of KXAN (even though it airs different programming).