CircleSeven 1944 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Nexstar is making news today. First, TVNewsCheck wrote that WFFT Channel 55 in Fort Wayne, IN will once again affiliate Fox, after a settlement from that anti-trust lawsuit filed by Nexstar, which occured in 2011, after Fox dropped its affiliation from WFFT on July 31, 2011. WFFT was one of the original charter affiliates in 1986. The affiliation will be reinstated on WFFT on March 1. Also TVNewsCheck states that Nexstar is in the process of buying KSEE 24 in from Granite Broadcasting for $26.5 million. Nexstar will be operating KSEE 24 under a time brokerage agreement, until the FCC approves it (I assume they'll probably use the Mission name for KSEE since they recently bought KGPE 47 from Newport Television). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
effseesee 101 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 As I said in the previous thread, it didn't make any sense for Nexstar to enter the Fresno market unless they got control of a second station. Better polish those resumes in Fresno. I think this one will be a true duopoly. There are enough stations in the Fresno market that they won't need to use Mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted February 6, 2013 Author Share Posted February 6, 2013 What's the audience share over there? Are KGPE & KSEE are within the top 4? If so, they would have to swipe in that Mission Card. If one of them is not, then this will be a legit duopoly. Fisher could be selling its stations. Could Nexstar "eye" KBAK in Bakersfield so it can join its recent acquision KGET? The one station that should not lose any sleep of all of this is Top-Rated KFSN. More viewers would probably watch Channel 30 if this merge go in effect. Maybe some of the laid-off folks would go to 30! Also this will be the first divestiture for Granite in a very long time. Granite is also owned by Silver Point Capital, the same one that control the outgoing station group, Communications Corporation of America. They'd tried to sell KOFY (then KBWB) & WMYD (then WDWB) almost eight years ago and that fell through. Could Granite be the next one to divest too?? Just a crucial thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
effseesee 101 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Don't have recent numbers, but KFSN's ratings were higher than the other 3 English language stations combined. KGPE was regularly the 5th place station behind KFSN, KSEE, KMPH and Univision's KFTV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Don't have recent numbers, but KFSN's ratings were higher than the other 3 English language stations combined. KGPE was regularly the 5th place station behind KFSN, KSEE, KMPH and Univision's KFTV. I read somewhere that the Univision station get far more viewers then the English-language stations in that market alone. So if that does hold, Nexstar don't need to use Mission then. This would be the first time since Jacksonville in 2000, where one owner will have a duopoly, involving two of the big three network affiliates (this obviously don't count their shells & the LMAs). Here's the article from The Fresno Bee. The article states that there won't be any programming or news coverage changes. But we know what will happen when the FCC greenlights it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.L. Hughes 751 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 About Fox returning to WFFT, what resulted in the station getting its Fox affiliation back was Nexstar suing Granite for monopolizing ad sales through having five network affiliations (NBC, Fox and MyNetworkTV on WISE-TV, and ABC and The CW on WPTA) and maintaining an SSA with WPTA through Malara Broadcasting. Yet, the irony is that Nexstar doing the same thing now in Little Rock now that it has operational control of KLRT and KASN (nominally "owned" by Mission), in addition to owning KARK and KARZ outright -- all four stations have a network affiliation. Had the suit went on, Granite could have used that to state their case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 About Fox returning to WFFT' date=' what resulted in the station getting its Fox affiliation back was Nexstar suing Granite for monopolizing ad sales through having five network affiliations (NBC, Fox and MyNetworkTV on WISE-TV, and ABC and The CW on WPTA) and maintaining an SSA with WPTA through Malara Broadcasting. [b']Yet, the irony is that Nexstar doing the same thing now in Little Rock now that it has operational control of KLRT and KASN (nominally "owned" by Mission), in addition to owning KARK and KARZ outright -- all four stations have a network affiliation.[/b] Had the suit went on, Granite could have used that to state their case. I said the same damn thing last November. I find this hard to believe since they're going to have a real quadopoly of channels 4' date=' 16, 38 & 42 in the capitol 'metroplex', its this same company that cried foul last year filing an anti-trust lawsuit in Fort Wayne against Granite after WFFT lost FOX and gave it to WISE on its sub and along with WISE's tag-team partner Malara's WPTA 21 Alive has 5 network affiliates. (4 really since MyNet is syndie service) (At this time the FCC hasn't gave its ruling on the matter yet). But its okay to control [b']FOUR[/b] full power stations in market bigger than Fort Wayne. And acquiring most of its Newport Properties left and right. I'm shocked Gannett & Allbritton isn't throwing an anti-turst lawsuit on Nexstar on this matter. Or have the DOJ sent out a decree consent (remember Sinclair tried to get WTVR and make a shell for WRLH called "Carma"?). Of course the morrow of this story is "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones!!!". Nexstar can't be filing lawsuits and they just in the wrong as well. Now Nexstar is just one step closer for being the second station group company after Gannett in the Jacksonville Market (First Coast Territory) to have a Big-3 Network Duopoly in Fresno. I'm shocked ABC & Univision isn't saying anything about this, not that KFSN or KFTV should lose any sleep because this could drive 24 & 47 viewers away to watch 30! Titan (I hate that Pappas had to go bankrupt, they use to throw it down in Fresno, and Titan owns Fox 26 KMPH & KFRE CW 59) should boost their news product on KMPH, because it will almost be for certain that it will be three news clubs in Fresno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhratbrat 423 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I said the same damn thing last November. Of course the morrow of this story is "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones!!!". Nexstar can't be filing lawsuits and they just in the wrong as well. Now Nexstar is just one step closer for being the second station group company after Gannett in the First Coast to have a Big-3 Network Duopoly in Fresno. I'm shocked ABC, & Univision isn't saying anything about this, not that KFSN or KFTV should lose any sleep because this could drive 24 & 47 viewers away to watch 30! Titan (I hate that Pappas had to go bankrupt, they use to throw it down in Fresno, and Titan owns Fox 26 KMPH & KFRE CW 59) should boost their news product on KMPH, because it will almost be for certain that it will be three news clubs in Fresno. This benefits FOX in Fresno. It also shows that CBS47 is going to just seemingly tap out. Question is, are they going to take the route of KSEE or go with 47 when they end up merging everything together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam 0 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 In the coming Weeks Granite Broadcasting and Motive television anticipates commercialising the Tablet TV product for the ATSC standard in the United States and launching it in a first Granite Television market early in 2013, making it possible for users of iPads, Android tablets, and other portable devices to watch and record television programs directly from broadcast TV in any location. Tablet TV plans to roll out to all major markets and cities in the US, shortly thereafter. Granite are thought to be using the proceeds from the KSEE sale for commercialisation and marketing of Tablet TV. The move to digital has had a dramatic impact on how we consume music, publishing and newspapers. But we are still early in the process of a transition to digital anytime-anywhere availability across all media sectors. The introduction of Tablet TV is an indication of how the digital transition is accelerating to coincide with the demand of today's consumers to access anything, anywhere and at anytime. The Tablet TV is beginning to reveal itself as the next disruptor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Well, the paperwork is now posted, as of this morning, and its Nexstar (not Mission) is used on the paperwork. Reason is this multiple ownership compliance statement says that KFSN, KFTV, KMPH & KGPE (in that order) is within the top-four while KSEE is in 5th place. Should this get greenlighted by the FCC, this will be the first time in more than decade (after Gannett acquired WJXX in Jacksonville) to form a duopoly involving two of the big-three network affiliated stations. This will be Nexstar's first big-3 duopoly (in these special circumstances mentioned), without using its silent shell partner Mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 And just this yesterday, the FCC greenlighted the assignment of license of KSEE to Nexstar. I have a feeling a unified news brand of both 24 & 47 would be fortcoming once it gets consummated soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
effseesee 101 Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 And just this yesterday' date=' the FCC greenlighted the assignment of license of KSEE to Nexstar. I have a feeling a unified news brand of both 24 & 47 would be fortcoming once it gets consummated soon. Actually, the news director at 24 was canned on Monday and the news director at 47 is taking over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 Actually, the news director at 24 was canned on Monday and the news director at 47 is taking over. That's the sign right there. But the bigger question is, which building will get the ax. 24 or 47? Will Nexstar use the 'Eyewitness News' brand like the other Nexstar-owned stations? EDIT (5/6): Here's the article from FTVLive announcing the ousting of the ND of KSEE. Unrelated to this, will Sinclair get KMPH/KFRE, as they'd stated that they are poised to get most of the Titan stations. And if this is a done deal, Sinclair & Nexstar would gobble up both Fresno & Bakersfield markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted May 26, 2013 Author Share Posted May 26, 2013 Okay The Fresno Bee reported last Wednesday that construction is in the works at the KSEE 24 facilities. Well, y'all know what they're going to do with the KGPE 47 building, right? The construction includes a new set and high definition equipment & master controls for both stations. Once the consolidation happens, many of the reporters will continue to do reports for both 24 & 47, but the anchors will continue to anchor their separate stations newscasts (I know that won't fly in the long term). They didn't state specifics on a firm timeline, but the consolidation could be implemented by the fall. I still think layoffs is going to happen. It has happen in many of the Nexstar acquired markets already. Fresno will not be the exception to the rule. Since the KSEE has union employess, Nexstar would have talk to the unions for some concessions, before pulling the layoff lever. They just can't immediately fire them off the bat. I still think we'll see an "Eyewitness News" kind of thing happening in Fresno (like inScranton-Wilkes-Barre, one market greater than Fresno) where they would simulcast a unified newscasts on both 24 & 47. Nexstar only cares for consolidation. And even if they keep both anchor teams for each of the stations now, it won't be for the long term. And even after they do that, it won't matter because, many folks will still flock on the two-ton King Kong (not an 800 lb. gorilla) in Fresno, the Big three-0. The only good news that's coming out of this is that Nexstar continues to do the heavy lifting. They are doing continued investment into the stations they've acquired (especially in Utah, Memphis and now in Fresno, and hopefully they'll do the same in the ComCorp markets) unlike that other station group company in the Mid-Atlantic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 And it's a done deal. Consummated on Friday, we now have a second Big-Three Network Duopoly in the country, and Nexstar's first TRUE Big-3 Duopoly, without using the Mission Card. The first Big-3 duopoly was Gannett's WTLV/WJXX in Jacksonville, which it happened by in early 2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted June 8, 2013 Author Share Posted June 8, 2013 And we might have some fallout from the merger is seeping in. Fresno Bee states that KGPE anchor/reporter Mike Scott state will retire from the station after almost 30 years. He will leave next Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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