GoldenShine9

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?

I believe WGME is like that - they tend to go against their bosses sometimes. I'm surprised Sinclair hasn't tried to intervene there, but I guess Portland, ME isn't seen as a "micromanaging" market.

WPEC also lost Kerrin Jeromin and Steve Glazier (husband and wife meteorologists), Steve is going to WeatherNation in Denver and Kerrin is looking right now? They'll be down to 2 there I believe. They are a distant third now in the market I believe?

I believe WDSU has openings as well, but they seem to hold their veterans a lot better, or reach out from elsewhere.

That may be a "looser" Sinclair station in your market with a news director not afraid to take them on? Also, just wondering if SBG has deals with other owners for their own shows (like Full Measure) to air them in markets that lack a Sinclair station? Or do other owners hate them so much? Even in deep red areas, there are many markets (and even some entire states) with no Sinclair presence.

I don't think so.

If they are taking over early, what happens to stations that MG is divesting?

There may have been threats from CBS of pulling their affiliation? Even though they shouldn't be trying to bully one of their top affiliates especially when there isn't a good alternative for CBS to place their affiliation (would they really jump to WGNO and give ABC a life preserver in NOLA by moving from a dog station to the market leader? Can't see WDSU or WVUE switching).

If they want to add news, maybe a Pensacola-focused newscast at a different time, to give WEAR some competition?

Only WCVB still has the old format.

Of course WABI creams them in the ratings as well...WABI is probably the most dominant (in its market) station in New England in a competitive market.

KMBC and WVTM have also adopted it.

WPTZ, WDSU and WLWT have switched.

I just wonder how long KIDY and KXVA will be Fox affiliates. One part of me thinks they will swap affiliations with one of the Nexstar duopoly stations in each market...

It's a tough market to work in if you are not at WMAZ, since that station blows all the others out of the water.

Isn't WGNO's News With A Twist a comedy newscast?

Speaking of stations short in the weather department, I know Chris Still has been called in to work for WSAV temporarily, as they are down to 2 mets (with 2 openings). He lost his position with WAGT when it was absorbed by Gray into WRDW, but I think remains employed by Media General.

Especially since a good number of MG and Nexstar stations are in 3rd or 4th place in their markets. It isn't as easy as with, say, Raycom or Gray, who have a lot of market-dominant stations.