Tribune Company exiting Chapter 11; TV Group Predictions

[newsdude 61]

 

I don't know if you're being hypothetical, but they're actually 3rd at 6, solid at 5 and quite competitive at 10. At any rate, they're far better off now than at any time in the last 15 years. Something's clearly working, even if they aren't setting the Chicago tv landscape ablaze...and alot of that success stems from decisions made in New York.

 

Hypothetical, but that's how it's worked in the past. During the mass layoffs of '08/'09, corporate expected the same level of cutbacks across the board at each station despite the fact a WCCO or a KDKA pulled in far better number numbers than a KCBS or WBBM.

[PIXfan 34]

Getting back on topic, I am actually still waiting to hear from TVNewsTalk users based in the St. Louis market about what they think of my choice for a potential buyer of KPLR. I wrote five paragraphs not only on who I think should buy the station (The Walt Disney Company, ABC's parent), but about the network's tumultuous relationship with its current affiliate KDNL, and how they actually tried to affiliate with KPLR in the past. Again, it should be interesting, just like the responses to this thread thus far.

[effseesee 101]

Getting back on topic, I am actually still waiting to hear from TVNewsTalk users based in the St. Louis market about what they think of my choice for a potential buyer of KPLR. I wrote five paragraphs not only on who I think should buy the station (The Walt Disney Company, ABC's parent), but about the network's tumultuous relationship with its current affiliate KDNL, and how they actually tried to affiliate with KPLR in the past. Again, it should be interesting, just like the responses to this thread thus far.

 

I say there's no chance Disney/ABC buys KPLR. Because KPLR and KTVI share the same facility, ABC would have to build a station from the ground up. I just don't see Disney/ABC sinking that kind of money on equipment and manpower just because they don't like the fact that their current affiliate doesn't do news.

 

Any Tribune station that is operated by Local TV or another entity through a LMA is going to pass to an entity that will either continue the existing LMA or enter into a new LMA with another broadcaster in the market.

[A3N 1002]

As much as some posters want a CBS/ABC/FOX to buy their local Tribune station and make them O&O's, chances are slim that it will happen. If any of Tribune's big three (WPIX, KTLA, WGN) do become available, then yes, you will see these big companies try to make a run for them but otherwise, aside from a few stations, I doubt that CBS/ABC/FOX are interested. ABC seems content with the stations that it does have if they were truly interested in acquiring more, they would have been more agressive (assuming they were even in the hunt) in getting the former McGraw Hill stations. CBS seems to be sitting back a bit waiting for something entincing to come up. FOX- They sold off several stations in mid to lower markets a few years back, I doubt that they would go after stations in even smaller markets. However, there are a few stations that FOX might be interested in such as KCPQ, WXIN, or KTXL, but at this point who knows. We can only sit back and wait to see what happens.