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Sinclair...Again


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I'm wondering if Sinclair had a part to play in the Media General-Young merger, i.e. if they were aggressively going after either or both companies before they decided to merge?

 

Now that we know SBG was going hard for Belo (trying to take it from Gannett after the deal was announced) and was also likely the #2 bidder for Local TV LLC. If Sinclair had successfully got both those groups, they would have 201 stations right now assuming all deals were approved.

 

Had Sinclair snatched Belo from the hands of Gannett, that would have probably ignited more outrage than the Allbritton deal (given the even more extreme overlap among their stations compared to Gannett's issues in St. Louis and Phoenix). They would have had to place a good chunk of the Fisher group into their shells. Now, it seems that they just want to pick a fight with the FCC and FTC just to say they did.

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I do wonder if LIN's going to sell. They're private equity-backed (HM Capital Partners owns a huge chunk of stock, albeit most of it being of a non-voting variety), and there were rumblings that they were talking to Meredith about a merger...

 

A LIN-Meredith merger seems logical to fend off a Sinclair takeover of either group, since Meredith Local Media is run by an ex-LIN exec and has other former LIN managers installed within the group. They would have to sell (or shell out) one of their stations in Hartford, though. But, that's Speculatron bait.

 

A LIN-Meredith merger seems logical to fend off a Sinclair takeover of either group, since Meredith Local Media is run by an ex-LIN exec and has other former LIN managers installed within the group. They would have to sell (or shell out) one of their stations in Hartford, though. But, that's Speculatron bait.

 

LIN could just use its Vaughan shell for 'FSB. Both are good newscasts, but WTNH has the edge (content-wise) WFSB (ratings-wise).

 

LIN could just use its Vaughan shell for 'FSB. Both are good newscasts, but WTNH has the edge (content-wise) WFSB (ratings-wise).

 

I have strong doubt that LIN would use the Vaughan card for Hartford and Portland. Well, the worst scenario would be Portland could a triopoly bate, with KPTV having to be assigned to the shell, because KOIN & KPTV (Meredith also owns MyNet KPDX) are within the top-4. But I don't think it'll fly easily in Hartford if WFSB & WTNH (and let's not forget LIN also owns MyNet WCTX) are the two top stations in Connecticut.

 

But in the case of both cities, all four news stations have very established news departments, and I doubt LIN would want to break any of that. Especially in Connecticut where both WFSB & WTNH competes well. Having them consolidate would turn heads in the state. Therefore, it's would be better for them to just spin-off, instead of having all the hassle of sitting and waiting on the greenlight for a very long time. Hartford is not like Topeka. Not by a longshot.

 

If one get spun-off, it bet not be by those dirty heathens. Anybody but them. Hell, y'all can call Ms. Barr now and let PNS buy back WFSB. It used to be their flagship back in the day.

In the crazy scenario that Sinclair had actually succeeded in getting Belo, as well as Local TV, for a total of 201 stations at this point (assuming they had no role in the Media General-Young deal and didn't try to take either company), they would have stations in 92 markets as well...plus many duopolies, triopolies and even quadropolies in a few cases. Forget the cap, that would put them close to, if not over, 50% coverage. Even with the UHF discount, they would be close to 30%.

If the UHF discount is eliminated, than it shouldn't be since Sinclair would be decimal points shy of the 39% line and buying any of the aforementioned groups would easily put them over the top.

If I'm not mistaken, past UHF discounts would be grandfathered, so S!nclair would still have a lot of breathing room.

 

It makes us wonder where the money is coming from as well...secret donors? or are they just taking on endless debt?

The latter.

 

Cumulus Media is doing the same thing with the same tactic right about now, but Cumulus at least sells stations to third parties in order to get the equity to finance their absurd megadeals (ie, spinning off select stations to Townsquare valued at $250M in order to merge WestwoodOne - the former NBC, Mutual and RKO - into Cumulus Radio, the former ABC Radio).

 

S!nclair is just taking on mountains of debt with no answer for it.

 

If anyone is dumb enough to donate money to S!nclair, they deserve to lose their shirts.

 

It makes us wonder where the money is coming from as well...secret donors? or are they just taking on endless debt?

 

I think several people have had the same thing come to mind. The Koch brothers? They wanted to buy the Tribune newspapers at one point, so they do have an interest for media. But, I doubt there's a conspiracy to secretly buy a stake in a TV group that is on a major buying spree to influence American pollitics.

 

I think several people have had the same thing come to mind. The Koch brothers? They wanted to buy the Tribune newspapers at one point, so they do have an interest for media. But, I doubt there's a conspiracy to secretly buy a stake in a TV group that is on a major buying spree to influence American pollitics.

 

If the Koch brothers purchased a stake in S!nclair, everyone would have known about it and did this already... :beat:

There's really nothing secret going on here. S!nclair is compulsively buying things for the sake of buying them, and they've always exploited the shell game loophole (which, again, is very much legal) to the hilt.

 

If the Koch brothers purchased a stake in S!nclair, everyone would have known about it and did this already... :beat:

There's really nothing secret going on here. S!nclair is compulsively buying things for the sake of buying them, and they've always exploited the shell game loophole (which, again, is very much legal) to the hilt.

 

Yeah, but Sinclair (well...really their lawyers) told us that they don't play any of those shell games or exploit any loopholes, and that we hurt their feelings to suggest such an offensive thing.

 

(Sinclair is really the TV equivalent of a drunken sailor)

Newsblues Headline 10.16.13

New owner Sinclair cleans house in Seattle

 

So what going on at KOMO4 who are The Smith Bros getting rid of now since it part of the Sinclair Dynasty??? KOMO4 employees be prepared to be gutted like a fish.

Just wait until S!nclair's string of M&A luck runs out and the company collapses from within.

 

Expect mass purging of employees on a Clear Channel-sized scale in the coming years as S!nclair winds up as the mother of all toxic assets.

 

Just wait until S!nclair's string of M&A luck runs out and the company collapses from within.

 

Expect mass purging of employees on a Clear Channel-sized scale in the coming years as S!nclair winds up as the mother of all toxic assets.

 

What would happen to all those stations if Sinclair collapses?

What would happen to all those stations if Sinclair collapses?

They would likely follow the Clear Channel route in radio... where a handful of major market stations centralized voice tracking methods in ther "Premium Choice" service.

 

NewsCentral 2.0, anyone?

 

Newsblues Headline 10.16.13

New owner Sinclair cleans house in Seattle

 

So what going on at KOMO4 who are The Smith Bros getting rid of now since it part of the Sinclair Dynasty??? KOMO4 employees be prepared to be gutted like a fish.

 

Wonder if KING, KIRO, or KCPQ are hiring?

So Sinclair is once again taking the cheap approach and making KOMO a victim of their management.

 

If this approach doesn't work in markets like Columbus or Dayton, why would they think it will work in a very ccompetitive market like Seattle where the competitors invest tons in their stations?

 

I don't think KING will be hiring until the day Gannett has the keys...

 

And you know how Gannett tries to cutback too. They might hire but, they might have to trim the fat meat too. Just sayin'. If the Deathstar have those keys, let's hope they won't be like those dirty devils of Maryland.

 

But nothing will happen until the FCC greenlights it, and that alone still could be eons away. I wouldn't be shocked if we go past the start of 2014 before we see the light turning green.

 

I don't think KING will be hiring until the day Gannett has the keys...

 

I was thinking more like KIRO. Seems like a great opportunity to poach some viewers from KOMO (especially if KOMO's on-air product starts to degrade in quality) and finally get out of its third place rut.

 

I was thinking more like KIRO. Seems like a great opportunity to poach some viewers from KOMO (especially if KOMO's on-air product starts to degrade in quality) and finally get out of its third place rut.

 

That would be nice to see. It would also be nice if Tribune get their game up with Q13's newscast too. And I wouldn't be shocked if they get some hires if those devils start letting go folks. It would be KIRO 7's & KCPQ's time to shine.

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