GoldenShine9

Maybe Nexstar might turn around and sell some of their most out of place stations with no duopoly potential or nearby assets? Yes they will likely continue to acquire a lot, but I do remember them saying they would sell too.

It seems, other than the networks, Scripps and Hearst are the only major companies with no shells...a matter of time before they start one?

Wow that is quite a surprise! Those stations dominate the market, correct?

Did they reach an alliance with Post-Newsweek or something (even though they operate in completely different types of markets)?

I agree the site would be so much better for the Belo stations, those are so difficult to use.

IIRC, it is KSBW that dominates the ratings there?

It's just a matter of getting FCC approval, which IMO should be very easy. There are no overlaps in those markets. I don't see any case for objection there, unlike many of the other deals.

Interesting possibility that exists there! But who knows, maybe a local company might want WLNE instead - and it might be within their price range? Most likely the bigger names, other than Sinclair, would pass given the fact it is a low-rated station. Only three possibilities I see: duopoly bait (but WPRI and WNAC are already sister stations with a shell operation so Media General would be frontrunner there), Sinclair or local company. If it hadn't been swapped by Pulitzer in the 1980s, Hearst would own it now - although I don't know how much they would want it being a distant third place station (and Sinclair would have had WYFF and WXII as well, in both cases would be triopolies, which would make WSPA and WFMY really excited since they would probably be dominant stations instead of in close competition).

Good points about Binghamton and market size. It is DMA #159, so a monopoly might be OK there. Anything over 150 is definitely not acceptable IMO, below 175 is fine if they all fall within FCC guidelines (since they likely cannot sustain competition very easily) - it is 151-175 that is debatable.

Providence is too small for a legal duopoly? Otherwise perhaps WLNE ranks so low it could be purchased by Media General or LIN as a duopoly sidecar? If that is not the case, I agree Sinclair would be about the only one interested in a distant third-place station in a medium market. Citadel seemed to have nothing but distant third-place stations anyway; KTIV in Siouxland, KCCI in Des Moines and KWQC in the Quad Cities are the dominant stations. Interesting in the Quad Cities is that ALL the major stations are (or likely are) getting new owners soon - KWQC to Media General from Young; WQAD to Tribune from Local TV; WHBF to Nexstar from Citadel and KLJB is likely for sale right now from Grant (I think Sinclair wanted it but their failure to grab WQAD probably has them thinking twice). With no conflicts in Iowa, the Citadel to Nexstar deals should be a formality and probably don't even need docketing.

Who would buy WBNG to block the monopoly then? Other than Sinclair, I don't see anyone potentially interested unless a local company buys it all.

KLKN and WLNE are not going anywhere? or a potential side deal there?

Are its sister stations in Flint, Toledo and Erie considering using that music as well?

I don't think it makes too much of a difference when KOTV dominates ratings in Tulsa.

For a very small market, WLOX is about as top-notch as it gets, and is in many ways as high quality as large market stations. I agree that WXXV's news operation is doomed for failure (as would anyone else trying to enter the market). A market of Biloxi's size can really only support one news operation if it is high quality like WLOX is. Few stations in sub-150 markets win Peabody awards like they did after Katrina.

Could non-US stations be used to count towards the eight voices rule? Since there are several stations on the Canadian side that penetrate into the Detroit market...

Probably just a local movement, nothing extraordinary. DBS may be retiring?

Not all weather people are true meteorologists, some are just anchors or reporters reading out weather.

At least Alexandria and (if it was rated) the USVI are sub-150 markets so such could be justified. Buffalo is the #52 market so that is purely a case of gutting a station for no reason.

Nexstar and Sinclair (and any other existing owners) are not likely going to divest unless forced to by the FCC.

I agree re: Fort Wayne, they got away with it in Evansville and Granite already has the situation so it is basically status quo. WMYD and KOFY I definitely see sold off (probably as duopoly bait for the existing owners in their markets - perhaps Fox Broadcasting for WMYD into a duopoly with WJBK and Cox Media for KOFY into a duopoly with KTVU?) since top-15 markets are not in Nexstar's DNA. Binghamton is pretty much status quo as well due to the fact there are essentially two operations given the market size. Duluth would probably be KBJR and KRII to Nexstar proper and KDLH to Mission - no effective change. It is Peoria and Syracuse where the troubles lie... It might be that the WSYT deal to Cunningham was rejected but it appears somewhat unclear...if so, then something there would need to be sold off to another operation. But who? If forced to sell something in Syracuse, Hubbard comes on my mind first due to adjacent assets, while in Peoria, the first on my mind is Quincy, also due to adjacent assets in similar small-medium markets. Some of those Sinclair/Nexstar LMAs may end up being bait for the other side in trades...

Peoria is definitely a messy one, as is Syracuse. Maybe the Sinclair/Barrington deal was on hold awaiting this for a potential 4-way, 2-owner deal? How I can see Syracuse: WSTM - Sinclair proper WTVH - break LMA, to Mission with LMA Nexstar (sister to WSYR) - or keep LMA, sell/trade to Deerfield (Nexstar could have to take over a Sinclair asset fully somewhere else) WSYR - Nexstar proper - status quo WSTQ (LP) - Sinclair proper, as a low-power it can be with anyone WNYS - RKS Media, LMA Sinclair - status quo WSYT - Cunningham, LMA Sinclair Luckily, WNYS being LMA'd from an extra party and WSTQ being low-power makes it a little clearer so it can be done without creating another new shell, although Nexstar might rather just ship WTVH to the WSYR offices instead. That would require breaking an LMA though. Not sure what other owners could be interested in Syracuse; Raycom and Gray are too far from their base (they have pretty much nothing in the Northeast), and the other big names are likely not interested in a mid-small market (#84) in a political wasteland. Hubbard might be the most likely, as they have assets in Rochester and Albany. Even then, they would have to restart everything for WTVH. Peoria is even more complicated. One possibility (the only one I can think of with no divesting and competition in the market): WHOI - Sinclair proper, break LMA and start new operation WEEK - to Mission, LMA Nexstar with WMBD WMBD - Nexstar proper - status quo WYZZ - Cunningham, LMA Sinclair with WHOI WAOE - Four Seasons, LMA Nexstar Without breaking the LMA, there would likely need to be a new owner entering the market and something would have to come up for sale, or Nexstar would have a monopoly on news operations. It's just so complicated...

No surprise at all really, Granite was definitely a seller all along. Nexstar was never even in contention for the big guns recently - Local TV, Allbritton, Belo, Young, etc. - as they were FAR outside their price range. I wonder if the top-market netlets would be kept by them or sold (perhaps to networks looking for O&O duopolies) for more cash for further acquisitions, since Nexstar doesn't seem interested in top-25 markets.

That sure changes things in the speculation...maybe a sign that NPG is headed for the market, while Gray may be a buyer after all (they were heavily rumored to be for sale)? Although one station could be a blip, it could start a trend... A shell for one station rarely happens unless it is clear that they are trying to start something...

A sign that the whole company could eventually be for sale? They are dominant stations in their market with weak competition...