tyrannical bastard

Back to Nexstar..... Basically, this is Perry Sook's show. He made 29.2 MILLION DOLLARS in 2023. https://www1.salary.com/Perry-A-Sook-Salary-Bonus-Stock-Options-for-NEXSTAR-MEDIA-GROUP.html All while his stations are stuck in a 2000s mindset of "pay TV first" and the employees are making scrappy wages and being nickled and dimed on top of that. Even if Nexstar goes under, he'll be fine. By comparison, Chris Ripley of Sinclair made a fraction of that....a paltry 9.6 million in 2022.

WVTM was an easy fixer upper that Media General squandered. As soon as Media General saw the opportunity to get WIAT back (which had been fixed by others), they jumped at the chance to sell off WVTM. Hearst immediately turned the station around. Not entirely sure about WJCL but I'm pretty sure there was an upside after Hearst took over. The only downside is They couldn't take on WTGS which became another half-station Sinclair runs in the market with news piped in from elsewhere. Bottom line, if Hearst can easily make a station work, then they'll buy when the opportunity arises.

If NBC does return this timeslot to their affiliates, news is going to be the most likely outcome. As NBC learned during the Jay Leno disaster of 2009, any M-F program in that timeslot is going to bomb and bring down the ratings of anything that follows it. Now if it's a hamstrung affiliate run by Sinclair or Scripps, or any other group that can't program local news, they would hopefully see the wisdom of cutting back their filler garbage programing (a la National Desk) to program something competitive at 9/10 pm. NBC affiliates usually command high ratings, and if the Fox affiliate is weaker, this is a chance to compete against them using a proven product. And just because a primetime newscast has been around a while, it can be unseated. Cleveland got theirs in 1988 with WUAB. WJW joined FOX 6 years later and the rest is history. If anything, WUAB's news department basically became WOIO's when they got CBS and WUAB became the alternative once WOIO filled out their schedule with local news. Now where this may also be a problem is your NBC/FOX duopolies. WRAZ used to be pretty separate to WRAL, but that has changed over the last decade or so. GIven that market, it may be smart to separate them again. Other markets (like Hampton Roads and WAVY/WVBT)? Expect a straight simulcast. But FOX may balk at this and take their stations elsewhere once the affiliation is up.

WDAF would have been kept by Sinclair, but other Tribune stations were slated to be sold to Fox including KCPQ, WJW, KSTU, KTXL, KSWB, and WSFL. https://sbgi.net/sinclair-provides-additional-information-about-agreements-to-sell-tv-stations-related-to-closing-tribune-media-acquisition/ It would have been interesting had WSFL actually wrestled away FOX from WSVN. But now, it's a soon-to-be independent owned by Scripps.

WGN literally killed the whole deal because of how they tried to pass it off. Even if they sold it to the station's janitor, it was the selling amount that set off the alarm bells with the FCC. Also, FOX was threatening to pull their affiliations in the markets they once had O&Os. A side effect of this deal would have been many of the former O&Os going back to Fox in order to pacify FOX so that Sinclair didn't dwarf them. Fox was well aware of Sinclair's news aspirations. Nexstar snuck theirs in after they got Tribune and WGN America, and now they're a minimal threat.

For a market of Raleigh's size, it is criminally underserved thanks to Sinclair squandering their duopoly. On the other hand, WRAL and WRAZ has a commanding lead over the other stations and have been that way since the beginning of time. ABC owning WTVD keeps the market pretty stagnant since we all know about ABC ever buying stations. Any other owner would have likely pursued one of Sinclair's stations. Nexstar could expand, but it's in the same boat NBC was in back in 2006, no path to expand. Had they stayed in the market, they could have started a Telemundo station like their other markets. They just felt it was impossible back then so they divested those stations to Media General. In Charlotte's case, they have an abundance of outlets thanks to Bahakel (WCCB) and Cox having WAXN. WJZY gave Nexstar a path to build on what Fox created in 2013. This way, there are 5 broadcast voices compared to 3 in Raleigh/Durham. Even if Bahakel cashes out one day to Tegna or Gray, that's still one more.

We can only hope that IF Sinclair decides to sell, they won't bungle the sale by trying to hold out for too much money. They probably should have cashed out years back, or better yet, never bought some of their stations to begin with! Chances are, these sales may only happen by force if the creditors take hold of Sinclair in a bankruptcy filing if they get too far gone, then the stations will literally be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Jym Ganahl is once again retiring from TV in Columbus...this time for good? https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2024/05/16/longtime-abc6-meteorologist-jym-ganahl-announces-retirement/73712832007/?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot He had worked at WCMH from 1979 to 2016, before joining WSYX several months later since he missed being on TV....or did Media General lowball him right before Nexstar took over?

There's always Antenna TV and Rewind TV to take a game or two....

This was back when Sinclair retrenched between 2005-2009 after their failed "News Central" program, getting called out for their attempting to air "Stolen Honor" in the wake of the 2004 election, and when the band-aids were beginning to fall of their ANCIENT equipment at the time. I was shocked when they started going HD in 2008 since their existing news operations were running with sets they acquired from other owners, pushing 15 years old at least! Cunningham almost bankrupted them in 2009, then somehow, they were able to borrow a lot of money to expand to what they are today. The first catalyst was the Four Points stations they picked up from CBS & Nexstar, then the purchase of Freedom. The rest is history as Sinclair bought out stations from Newport, Fisher, Allbritton, Barrington and others to try and position themselves as a major player. Now they're certainly paying the price for this, and any attempts to do bad things all over again in their second coming....

Perhaps this "cash grab" Sinclair is trying to accomplish is Chris Ripley's last chance before the board sends him packing. His reign has been a disaster. Starting in 2017 when they were chasing Tribune and bungled that deal to foolishly pass off WGN's new owners as an "unrelated entity", even the Trump-friendly FCC chair sent the deal for review. Tribune backed out, sued Sinclair, and ended up merging with Nexstar to make them the super-broadcaster Sinclair could have been while the UHF discount window was open. Then, they thought they won the lottery when they first got the Cubs away from WGN, and later picked up the former FOX RSNs, only to see those devolve into bankruptcy and drive the company even further into peril, as they were saddled with baggage from paying off lawsuits and consent decrees from their corporate incompetence. Then came the layoffs and shutdowns of news operations across the country. And to think they're only now considering selling off their stations to make a buck? They should have never bought half of them to begin with. You thought the RSN's were worthless. After the stripping and cost-cutting Sinclair's done to them, there's no sane buyer that would take some of these on....

Longtime WJW Meteorologist Andre Bernier (and semi-heir to Dick Goddard's throne) is hanging it up on May 22nd. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2024/04/28/fox-8-andre-bernier-retirement/73492814007/ He, along with Bruce Kalinowski (Bruce Edwards) were the first two meteorologists on the launch of the Weather Channel in 1982. He joined WJW in 1988 when they launched their morning newscasts. Andre even posted the very first one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z66zwFVsGs He later moved to evenings as Dick Goddard began reducing his on-air time. Since Goddard's retirement, he has also cut back on his on-air time, reducing it to only the 5pm news in recent years. He also worked his wife Sally, who is also a meteorologist. She retired in 2009.

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.

WGN is probably their only station that not only streams live, but has their own streaming app on Roku. What else would you expect from the godfather of shaking down the pay TV companies for cash?

Oh Perry.... https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/sook-sees-growth-in-his-nexstar-crystal-ball/ Streaming might not be a bad idea since YOU'RE MAXED OUT as a broadcaster!!!!!

Large markets with under-developed or decimated stations are probably going to get jettisoned. There may be hope for Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis and other large markets that have a Sinclair cellar-dweller (or two, or 3, 4....) in them.

If the system carries NewsNation, all Nexstar would have to do is ask them to carry either the CW feed or one of their adjacent CW O&Os. That may be a harder ordeal than trying to please the FCC

Honestly, I hope Mission gets stuck with this station. As much of a hot mess Kevin Adell is, I think Nexstar got in way too deep after getting full control of the CW. Unless Nexstar sells off 7-8 percent of population reach, they're stuck with a station that can't even air the entire CW output. That's probably a good reason Sinclair hasn't bought a network (like MyNetwork). Surprised it hasn't hit Ion/Scripps as well since they're way over the line in reach. Getting the CW in Detroit is going to be even harder than CBS had to scramble in 1994. At least they stayed on Channel 62! So far, CW has bounced from WKBD....to WADL....to WMYD...and who knows after that? (WDIV as a subchannel is probably the likeliest....)

Mike Seidel is one of the casualties. https://weatherboy.com/mike-siedel-axed-others-pushed-out-at-weather-channel-as-downsizing-hits-network/ With cuts like these and Allen Media trying to infiltrate their own low-rent programming, it's best to let the major companies pass on Byron Allen's involvement. We don't need another Sinclair or Nexstar to run a cheap operation with a lot of reach. These employees are getting screwed with their severance and what quality they put out now could be further in question.

In that case, also being in the #1 market on a station that warrants roughly 6 percent of national cap space (with NO UHF discount) puts a major target on Nexstar's back. The reach of a New York City station alone can roughly equal that of a small company (like Graham) with only a few stations or ones that serve smaller markets.

In the eyes of the FCC, Mission only controls the programming and license of WPIX. Nexstar may have the "non-license assets" which likely includes anything involved in the production of newscasts, including equipment and personnel. As long as said newscasts (or any other programming provided by Nexstar) don't take up more than 15 percent of the station's airtime, then it can't be counted as ownership of WPIX. Since the people and equipment involved were most likely tied to Nexstar, than there's your liable party.

Basically, this is WTVY, the 800 ton gorilla in the Dothan market. WDHN has come a long way, but its still in WTVY's rear view mirror. The name itself started about 2009-10 when WTVY was also Panama City's default CBS affiliate and WSFA/WJHG filled out Dothan's offerings. It was originally hosted by former anchor Angie Casey, although the title leads to more of something that could have been hosted by the late Ann Varnum, a long-time "hostess" of the market who once had her own show with interviews and features. She may have been involved in it's early years.

Good for WTVY. As long as the "colony collapse" makes it to WJHG, WTVM, and any other of the "honeycomb" stations still out there...

We can only hope Nexstar is not that stupid. But then again, they still have NewsNation as a home for any disgraced journalist. Is that actually doing better / making more money than WGN America?

Purple would look good on WVUE and even WAFB. It would almost be the total subsuming of WWL over the last 20 years post Katrina. Stations like WWL made purple look good on TV.