GoldenShine9

It's now a distant fourth in ratings in DC as well I believe. Have any of them found work at WRC, WTTG or WUSA?

My prediction is that the legacy Nexstar stations will switch to the LIN Digital design and graphics, but the ex-MG stations will adopt Nexstar domain names. We'll see how that plays out.

I wonder if some of them will end up at WLBT or WAPT? The latter could use a shot in the arm as it has always been a distant third place station. Hearst has risen stations from the dead before though...like WLKY and WPBF...

Have any ex-MG stations had their domains changed yet? I also wonder what the graphics and website design will be going forward, since Nexstar has inherited LIN Digital. Will they change their other stations to the MG template, or will it go the other way?

Since Raycom loves to fill holes and have multi-network operations, I think if they talked to ABC they could do that on 7.2 easily and make a lot more money than they work with Bounce or Grit. Tegna might complain, but KBMT is not licensed to serve Lake Charles.

Does KPLC have a space on its transmitter for an ABC affiliate on DT2?

Conflicts they would have: Meredith - Kansas City, Hartford/New Haven, Portland Sinclair - Des Moines, Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo, St. Louis, Greensboro/Triad, Oklahoma City, Portland, Harrisburg et. al., Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Salt Lake City, Richmond, Seattle, Milwaukee Meredith could actually acquire a lot of the assets straight up (under the cap that exists now), if they want to pass on the big superstations and the duopoly bait. Really, I think the small CW stations outside of the top 3 markets should just be sold now as duopoly bait.

Considering the competition, that shouldn't change anytime soon.

If entire companies leave markets, there may be more areas where duopolies would be banned under current rules (fewer than 8 owners)...

Gray has almost no way to complete a statewide network in Maine though, unless they swap assets or some blockbuster deal forces a divestment there (like Tegna and Hearst merging) given that Portland is pretty much locked up. If they want to expand their reach in the peripheral Northeast, WCAX might be another target for them.

WCJB and WCTV may have internal rivalries as sister stations given that they represent UF and FSU's hometowns, respectively...that should be interesting during football season!

It seemed inevitable and well predicted here. I believe WAGM has the Gray on-air graphics package as well. Wasn't WTAP (an ex-Benedek station) rumored to be heading into the fold with WSAZ when Gray acquired the latter about 10 years ago though?

I'm wondering if some of the new DC bureaus like with Gray and Nexstar will get seats? That will bring the message into Trump-friendly territory a lot more...

Yeah right, they have never been outside a distant fourth place in ratings...

Are they getting new logos and graphics soon as well?

Gray has been quick at changing their websites, I would expect KWQC and WBAY to get the Gray template pretty quickly. Since LIN Digital has been inherited by Nexstar, I wouldn't be surprised if their older stations get those new graphics and sites (but I am pretty sure everyone gets the crappy domains).

I'm wondering the same thing...there is one market that Nexstar departed (St. Joseph, MO) and two that they have "swapped" stations in (Lafayette, LA and Fort Wayne).

They now have 171 stations. But with little room to grow...meaning they can't go after groups that may decide to sell like Meredith.

It makes me wonder re: websites: * In Lafayette, LA and Fort Wayne, Nexstar essentially traded stations. What will happen with the "current" domain on the sold assets, will Nexstar just use it for KLFY and WANE? * In St. Joseph, MO, Nexstar left the market. Will Heartland Media decide to dump the Nexstar domain to something more traditional like www.kqtv.com ? It also means Nexstar cannot acquire any more stations in the current regime - they will need to hope and lobby for the FCC to increase the cap. Who becomes the big buyer now?

Makes me wonder what they are thinking at WAPT. That has long been the laggard in the market (and is probably Hearst's weakest station) but maybe they see an opening?

As far as I know, for the MG-turned-Nexstar news producing stations (i.e. excluding those being shuffled off to someone else), here is how they rank in the markets, and who (in alphabetical order) are the competitors: KELO+ - Dominant 1st (competitors: Gray, Red River) KHON+ - 2nd (competitors: Raycom, SJL) KLFY - 2nd (competitors: Bayou City, Cordillera) KOIN - 2nd (competitors: Meredith, Sinclair, Tegna) KRON - Distant 5th (or worse) (competitors: networks) KRQE - 3rd? (competitors: Hearst, Hubbard) (not too familiar with the market) KSNT - Distant 2nd (competitor: Gray) KSNW+ - 2nd? (competitors: Gray, Lockwood, Sinclair) (not sure if KWCH+ is ahead of KSNW+) KXAN - 1st (competitors: Fox, Sinclair, Tegna) KXRM - 4th (competitors: Cordillera, Gray, NPG) WANE - Dominant 1st (competitors: Heartland, Quincy) WATE - 3rd? (competitors: Gray, Tegna) (not too familiar with the market overall) WAVY - Dominant 1st (competitors: Tegna, Tribune) WBTW - Dominant 1st (competitors: Raycom, Sinclair) WCBD - Distant 2nd (competitors: Raycom, Sinclair) WCMH - 3rd (competitors: Dispatch, Sinclair) WDTN - Distant 2nd (competitors: Cox, Sinclair) WFLA - 1st (competitors: Fox, Scripps, Tegna) WHTM - 2nd (competitors: Hearst, Sinclair, Tribune) WIAT - 4th (competitors: Hearst, Raycom, Sinclair) WISH - 4th (competitors: Dispatch, Scripps, Tribune) WIVB - 3rd (competitors: Scripps, Tegna) WJBF - 2nd (competitors: Gray, Raycom) WJHL - 2nd (competitor: Bonten) WJTV - 2nd (competitors: Hearst, Raycom) (satellite WHLT in a separate market but with no local news) WKBN - Distant 2nd (competitor: local owner) WKRG - Close 1st (competitors: Meredith, Sinclair) WKRN - 3rd (competitors: Meredith, Scripps, Sinclair) WLNS - 2nd (competitor: Gray) WNCN - Distant 3rd (competitors: ABC/Disney, Capitol) WNCT - Close 3rd (competitors: Bonten, Gray) WOOD - 1st? (competitors: Sinclair, Tegna, Tribune) (not too familiar with the market overall; WOTV outside top 4) WPRI - 2nd (competitors: Citadel, Sinclair) WRBL - Distant 2nd (competitors: Raycom, SagamoreHill) WRIC - 3rd (competitors: Raycom, Tribune) WSAV - Distant 2nd (competitors: Hearst, Raycom, Sinclair) WSPA - 2nd (competitors: Hearst, Meredith, Sinclair) WTEN - 1st (competitors: Hubbard, Sinclair) WTNH - 2nd (competitors: Meredith, NBCU, Tribune) WWLP - 1st (competitor: Meredith) It will be interesting to see how these change afterward...by the way, of the stations that Nexstar is not acquiring, two are market leaders (KWQC and WBAY) and one has no real competition (WLFI).

Not that much would change in those markets, since Raycom already has those markets cornered with WLBT and WDAM. (There's also WAPT in Jackson but that is probably Hearst's weakest station.)

Who would benefit, WTKR or WVEC?

One thing I do think that will also happen: Nexstar stations will adopt the LIN/MG graphics package, since they are inheriting the in-house graphics, like MG did when LIN was acquired.

If the cap is raised, who do they go after next?