GoldenShine_10

As I posted in Speculatron, that will be nearly impossible.

I forgot about Charlotte, and actually Nexstar conflicts there too. That said, Nexstar has an easier deal overall, as the conflicts are smaller and they have largely paid off their debt from other recent deals, while Gray still has a lot on the board. But who else would be bidding? Tegna is in flux. Scripps has major financial issues. Sinclair is still poison in the industry. Allen has lost a lot of his support. This may be too much for Hearst and especially Graham (both are private as well).

Gray would have to sell in Atlanta and I believe that's it. Nexstar would have to sell in Dayton, and again that's it. I don't think they have enough at this time. Nexstar would be better positioned, although Gray could be the divested Dayton station. That said, there would be about $1 billion saved in that the station that Gray would have to let go of would be WSB, and that's worth a lot of money.

I believe that station had by far the biggest backlash of any of them. It would probably garner Allen the most money as well if they decided to sell it.

They probably see it as going away, or perhaps it was #5 last year?

Perhaps if something dramatic happens? KFVS might try for it too, but it has poor coverage in the eastern part of the market. Still, for one of the few independents left in the business (I wonder if someone like Nexstar has tried to buy WPSD but either was rejected or seen as unable to complete a deal??), that would be a huge coup de grace.

I could see WPSD trying to more aggressively target that area through its newspaper (maybe a Carbondale bureau) and hire at least one of the laid off meteorologists.

Just wait until advertisers leave and they have hash mark ratings. KCRG is already the 100-ton gorilla in that market, and WSIL's market, I would think WPSD will become the strongest station (KFVS is too far removed from the population).

For some of their stations, they may just give up doing news altogether. If all of them stopped, one market (Lafayette, IN) would have no local news presence at all. Five others would be down to one news-producing station. This isn't so much due to greed though as it is a company bordering on bankruptcy. They have had to give IOU's to networks for affiliation payments.

Allen also has a history of late payments and IOU's to networks. Maybe time to go nuclear and strip them of their affiliations?

How far are we from massive cuts at TWC as well though?

The Tegna stations sure dodged a big bullet - he was interested in them, was willing to buy them, but the failed Standard General deal came into play.

Benedek was the last company to really go into a bankruptcy auction?

WCBI could scoop him up without even thinking about it...

Chapter 11 is likely lurking for them.

Another factor is that, by buying KOKI, it closes a door for any company if Griffin comes up for sale and they have the two strongest stations in Oklahoma.

That was quick! As far as Medford, they might want to consider a news partnership with KOBI?

I wrote my thoughts in the Speculatron. Basically, look to the surrounding markets for clues - the smaller ones with news would likely need to be helped by them. Those without news could just go to non-commercial outlets with the networks added to incumbent stations. WHBQ and KOKI are the only real prizes.

Posted my thoughts in Speculatron.

WBRC barely mentions Fox on air anymore either, which is puzzling since it's a very conservative market overall, but I guess they feel like they don't gain as much as they would potentially lose.

Very lazy I agree, although there is usually quite a bit of variance between near the lake (i.e., Marquette city) and the interior, the latter of which can be brutally cold in the winter.

As long as Morgan Murphy doesn't acquire WJFW, that station is sitting there isolated - otherwise, the western/central markets would be all completely aligned. In the case of WEAU, nothing is being cut since there has never been such a newscast. The fact Gray doesn't own a station in Milwaukee prevents anything "completely" statewide from forming.

I believe it was historically, although I think WIFR is the market leader now.

They have one of the best cases to do it, since they are one of only a small number of truly locally-owned independents left in the nation.

Morgan Murphy (WISC and WKBT) is based in Wisconsin, correct? They could be the biggest poachers and might have the best opportunity here.