Sinclair...Again

[damien6786 9]

Looks like it was the end of Fox Rochester News did the reporters who work there was layoff or move to WHAM

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

Looks like it was the end of Fox Rochester News did the reporters who work there was layoff or move to WHAM

 

No. Originally WROC produced the news on WUHF via an LMA with Nexstar. But since Sinclair now owns WHAM, they decided it made more sense for WHAM to produce the 10PM news for its new sister station instead of keeping the LMA going with WROC.

[hathawaynson2 39]

Yesterday was the first day of the WHAM-produced newscast on Fox Rochester (WUHF) and here is what it looked like.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQL0c2q7XfM

Sounds like Advantage is the news music being used by WHAM by Frank Gari and it sounds like it was updated. The graphics however are not like Hearst television's graphics.

[Thundershock MN 169]

 

Sure seems that way.I guess they were able to extend the agreement now that it's under a lot less scrutiny since Gannett was forced to sell off KMOV.

 

And regardless of what they said, this should be proof that cancelling StlNow in the first place was tied to the Gannett-Belo deal combined with Sinclair planning on getting KTVI (which obviously didn't happen).

 

Agree 100% on the first bolded part. As I pointed out I think it was pretty easy to read though their BS back in June. Disagree 100% on the second bolded part. I have a hard time believing they (Sinclair) thought it was a fait accompli they would end up with KTVI. First, looking back I think it's pretty evident that that Tribune had the inside track on the LocalTV stations and were theirs for the taking. Second, Meredith CEO Steven Lacy's commented on the LocalTV & Allbritton auctions stating "We were always second." Not sure if that means they were actually second or just one of several runners-up. Either way It's completely possible Sinclair wasn't really in the running for the LocalTV stations.

 

As I've stated this is all kind of a blessing in disguise. The way everything played it self out essentially forced them (KDNL) to restart an in-house operation. I don't see how that can't be viewed as anything but a positive.

[Leavellebrett 85]

 

Sounds like Advantage is the news music being used by WHAM by Frank Gari and it sounds like it was updated. The graphics however are not like Hearst television's graphics.

 

Why would they be like Hearst?

[hathawaynson2 39]

Why would they be like Hearst?

well, if you compare WHAM -TV 's current graphics and KMBC's graphics from 2007, Hearst had their lower thirds dark blue on the top with the talents name and white in the middle and bottom would be dark blue.

 

I apologize for bringing it up, I just noticed the different colors used during the 1 minute video.

[Leavellebrett 85]

 

well, if you compare WHAM -TV 's current graphics and KMBC's graphics from 2007, Hearst had their lower thirds dark blue on the top with the talents name and white in the middle and bottom would be dark blue.

 

I apologize for bringing it up, I just noticed the different colors used during the 1 minute video.

 

Don't apologize, I thought you were talking about the current Hearst graphics.

[CircleSeven 1955]

As I've stated this is all kind of a blessing in disguise. The way everything played it self out essentially forced them (KDNL) to restart an in-house operation. I don't see how that can't be viewed as anything but a positive.

That's only if they follow through with it. Over the course of those 28 months, those devils shelled out $3B (over $2B in 2013 alone) in their "M&A fund" to compulsively buy stations, left and right. They have all that loot to start an in-house news operation. They got enough capital to start in-house news ops. in St. Louis & Pittsburgh, there's absolutely no reason they can't pull this off. They can't let those KSDK simulcasts continue on long-term.

[Thundershock MN 169]

 

That's only if they follow through with it. Over the course of those 28 months, those devils shelled out $3B (over $2B in 2013 alone) in their "M&A fund" to compulsively buy stations, left and right. They have all that loot to start an in-house news operation. They got enough capital to start in-house news ops. in St. Louis & Pittsburgh, there's absolutely no reason they can't pull this off. They can't let those KSDK simulcasts continue on long-term.

 

The positions at KDNL (including a few additional ones posted in November) are still posted on Sinclair's site. If they were going to pull the plug and go back to some sort of news share agreement w/ KSDK I think they would have pulled those postings. I believe they are just taking a little more time given the KSDK/KMOV deal didn't go down as planned.

 

The money they have been spending on station acquisitions will almost assuredly provide better ROI than launching newscasts in various markets. You may not like it, and I may not like it. But, that's just reality. Banks lent them billions of dollars to buy stations because it is "low-risk" with almost "immediate ROI" meaning they are likely to get their cash back.

 

Folks have been clamoring for KDNL to restart an in-house operation. Right now it looks like they will get their wish. And, with out the Belo/Gannett deal it likely wouldn't have happened. Hence, the KSDK/KMOV deal was a blessing in disguise. It essentially forced KDNL to restart an in-house operation. And, the icing on the cake was the KSDK/KMOV deal being shot down.

[sanewsguy 511]

And the consolidation of WOAI and KABB into one entity has begun, well sort of:

Yes, KABB's traffic anchor Jessica Headley is now doing the traffic on both WOAI and KABB as of Monday morning. As you can see in that photo, she is doing it at the WOAI studio (they still have not moved into one building for whatever reason). They use WOAI's graphics in the monitor but have dumped WOAI's old traffic branding "Traffic Tracker" and now just refer to the segments by KABB's "On Time Traffic" brand on both stations. I was surprised to tune in to WOAI's news and not see Shelly Miles doing the traffic. For now the two shows still have separate meteorologists but I have a feeling either Albert Flores or Shaun Stevens will be cut soon.

 

I'm mixed. I do not know why they decided to get rid of Shelly Miles. But I have some suspicions. Maybe Shelly Miles was moved from the news department to the sales department and SA Living became a sales production? Or they want to consolidate morning teams. Which I hope doesn't happen. I really like Michael Garofalo, Leslie Bohl and Albert Flores. They all meld well together and so did Shelly. Ernie Zuniga, Monica Taylor, Shaun Stevens, and Jessica Headley were their own team and they went well together and somebody from the station (probably Blaise Labbe) thought this was good idea which I disagree.

 

I'm also thinking maybe they realized Headley's contract runs out this year (I think) and that if she doesn't renew, then they can just have Shelly Miles do both station's traffic. Which isn't a good idea either as Miles fits WOAI better and wouldn't fit on Fox.

 

Shelly Miles was easily the better traffic anchor and she should've been retained instead. Oh well. This is not looking good and I smell layoffs coming....

 

Besides, Jessica fit Fox 29 far more than Channel 4. Hopefully this is reversed but I doubt it.

 

Oh and they don't go by "NBC 4", they go by "4 San Antonio". The KABB people don't refer to WOAI by the correct branding...

[groupwfan 97]

 

And the consolidation of WOAI and KABB into one entity has begun, well sort of:

Yes, KABB's traffic anchor Jessica Headley is now doing the traffic on both WOAI and KABB as of Monday morning. As you can see in that photo, she is doing it at the WOAI studio (they still have not moved into one building for whatever reason). They use WOAI's graphics in the monitor but have dumped WOAI's old traffic branding "Traffic Tracker" and now just refer to the segments by KABB's "On Time Traffic" brand on both stations. I was surprised to tune in to WOAI's news and not see Shelly Miles doing the traffic. For now the two shows still have separate meteorologists but I have a feeling either Albert Flores or Shaun Stevens will be cut soon.

 

I'm mixed. I do not know why they decided to get rid of Shelly Miles. But I have some suspicions. Maybe Shelly Miles was moved from the news department to the sales department and SA Living became a sales production? Or they want to consolidate morning teams. Which I hope doesn't happen. I really like Michael Garofalo, Leslie Bohl and Albert Flores. They all meld well together and so did Shelly. Ernie Zuniga, Monica Taylor, Shaun Stevens, and Jessica Headley were their own team and they went well together and somebody from the station (probably Blaise Labbe) thought this was good idea which I disagree.

 

I'm also thinking maybe they realized Headley's contract runs out this year (I think) and that if she doesn't renew, then they can just have Shelly Miles do both station's traffic. Which isn't a good idea either as Miles fits WOAI better and wouldn't fit on Fox.

 

Shelly Miles was easily the better traffic anchor and she should've been retained instead. Oh well. This is not looking good and I smell layoffs coming....

 

Besides, Jessica fit Fox 29 far more than Channel 4. Hopefully this is reversed but I doubt it.

 

Oh and they don't go by "NBC 4", they go by "4 San Antonio". The KABB people don't refer to WOAI by the correct branding...

 

Ohhh boy, it's one of those anchors who can't get the name of their newly acquired sister station's moniker right...

[Samantha 2895]

A new filing today in the Sinclair/Allbritton saga. It is dated today but has not appeared on the FCC site; however I have had it emailed to me.

 

Sinclair is seeking to remedy its LMA situations in Birmingham, Charleston and Harrisburg with the following changes:

• The LMA for WDBB would be assigned to Deerfield, which would own WTTO. As such the grandfathered LMA would move completely.
  
• The LMA for WTAT would be converted into a JSA/SSA.
  
• Sinclair would assign its rights to acquire WLYH to a third party, currently assumed to be Howard Stirk, and that LMA would be converted into a JSA/SSA.
  

UPDATE:

 

The FCC has responded remarkably quickly. Apparently nothing at all can change in an LMA from before November 5, 1996—NOTHING. AT ALL. "Consequently, the above-captioned applications [birmingham, Charleston and Harrisburg], if granted, would result in Sinclair holding attributable interests in two stations in all of the relevant markets, in violation of the local ownership rule". I believe that this in combination with today's proposals will require a restructuring of Birmingham's arrangement.

 

UPDATE 2:

 

And now Sinclair's lawyers say that point is moot and expect a response to their letter from *today*. Again, given what Sinclair has just proposed a restructuring of Birmingham will suffice.

[jero23 105]

I just wish Sinclair would just give up on the Birmingham deal altogether. The way they keep attempting to reinvent the wheel with ownership and "local marketing agreements" such are pointless. This is the reason why some have said years ago there should have a swap of licenses for the APT stations like WBIQ & WCIQ with the plethora of UHF stations in the now large Birmingham (Tuscaloosa/Anniston) market area. It wouldn't have resulted in the need of arrangements like ABC 33/40 or WTTO/WDBB.

[hathawaynson2 39]

I think Sinclair should give up on the Birmingham, Charleston and Harrisburg deals. I am pretty sure that they are going to attempt to keep the stations mentioned above together before Sinclair is forced to sell and remember they attempted to assign WSYT to Cunningham? That did not work out really well at all because Sinclair would have four stations to deal with.

 

Unless you want to see a bunch of cheerleaders in a song and dance routine, I don't think that the Allbritton sale wont go through the unless the conflicting stations are sold to different companies besides the plethora of side-car corporations that are controlled by Sinclair.

[Samantha 2895]

 

I am pretty sure that they are going to attempt to keep the stations mentioned above together before Sinclair is forced to sell.

 

Yup. As proposed, here is how that would all look:

 

Birmingham: WCFT/WJSU/WBMA (Sinclair); WABM, WTTO/WDBB (Deerfield)

Charleston: WCIV (Sinclair), JSA/SSA to WTAT (Cunningham) and WMMP (Howard Stirk)

Harrisburg: WHTM (Sinclair), WHP (Deerfield), JSA/SSA to WLYH (HSH*)

 

*Sinclair apparently has an option to purchase this station, which it operates, from Nexstar. Nexstar owns no other stations in the market.

[GoldenShine9 1513]

I think Sinclair is in desperation mode. They aren't even like Gannett who clearly didn't fight anything when they couldn't keep KMOV (and went a step further to sell off KTVK). This may end up in court...

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

I think Sinclair is in desperation mode. They aren't even like Gannett who clearly didn't fight anything when they couldn't keep KMOV (and went a step further to sell off KTVK). This may end up in court...

 

Sinclair whines and gripes anytime it doesn't get their way, just read their legal documents and you see how arrogant they come across compared to other station groups' legal departments.

 

It doesn't shock me that Sinclair is going to fight this to the very end, although they're going to end up losing even more money in the process (but I never said they were bright). They really should just do what Gannett did with KMOV and KTVK and just sell off the redundant stations. Why they aren't talking about selling WHP to Nexstar is one I can't figure out, it seems like a perfect fit and gets rid of one of the discrepancy markets. Not sure who could be potential buyers in Charleston and Birmingham but it seems more and more likely to be what Sinclair will be forced to do if they want to close on the Allibritton stations and finally get their crown jewel in DC.

[CircleSeven 1955]

See, I knew they were going to try to go through every avenue and fight tooth and nail to keep everything in their fold. I'm shocked that they haven't amended the ABC affiliates (WCFT, WCIV, and or WHTM) to Deerfield? Since the FCC greenlighted the WUTB's transaction, while WNUV is on a grandfathered LMA with WBFF.

 

Personally I never thought Birmingham was much of an issue, despite they are five full-power stations and one LP involved, which could end up being a proposed virtual sextopoly (really a "triopoly" because it would stream three different programming streams, yet three relays another station, but by station count its a sextopoly (the FCC treats WCFT/WJSU as a "enhanced coverage duopoly"), quintopoly involving full-powers), and only because they don't carry news on those stations. But looking at the other big TV stations in that market and none of them don't have a duopoly (WBRC, WVTM & WIAT), the FCC is probably looking at it as a whole.

 

Yup. As proposed, here is how that would all look:

 

Birmingham: WCFT/WJSU/WBMA (Sinclair); WABM, WTTO/WDBB (Deerfield)

Charleston: WCIV (Sinclair), JSA/SSA to WTAT (Cunningham) and WMMP (Howard Stirk)

Harrisburg: WHTM (Sinclair), WHP (Deerfield), JSA/SSA to WLYH (HSH*)

 

*Sinclair apparently has an option to purchase this station, which it operates, from Nexstar. Nexstar owns no other stations in the market.

Raymie, regarding the lineup, and I want to make it clear. So they're proposing Cunningham would still be the licensee of WDBB? Just want to make sure what you'd wrote. I assumed that they couldn't get satellite authority because both stations are close. That's the reason why the shell was assigned for WDBB in the first place.

 

Anywho, I did think the Harrisburg & Charleston ones were the mostly problematic, especially the Harrisburg ones, which have two stations (WHTM & WHP) having separate news ops. Some folks were probably thinking that they should follow what Gannett did and divest, but I knew those Heathens weren't going to do it, and will do so as their last resort. It also makes me wonder if those other pending deals (New Age, WWCP, WPFO & KRNV/KENV) could also see the same kind of holdout, yet none of those other markets, except for the Johnstown market, have grandfathered LMA (yet they never had an old LMA with WWCP/WATM, the WWCP current owners do).

 

They're lucky that they're in a battle with the FCC, and not the Department of Justice, because they would've gave them a consent decree, which could shut down the entire deal. It hasn't happen yet, but Sincrap better hope they don't step in......

 

The Barrington battle was eight months and were forced to divest a station next door (WSYT) to Brady. We're not even five months into this Allbritton battle, and with less than half of those TV stations involved than the other group, they're dealing with an even tougher battle. We'll see how long this battle is going to last. If this goes to the courts, those heathens have the money. They have the money to buy stations left and right. But is it really worth all that legal fight? And I wouldn't be shocked if they would go through this avenue. I'm thinking in my mind that Robert is thinking "why this deal haven't closed yet?" Serve him right for selling the "house that ol Joe built" to that devil. Now look where we are now.

[jero23 105]

Think it's time somebody does cue the DOJ on this deal and shut this sh*t down. I am high passed tired of Sinclair and their shenanigans.

[A3N 1002]

Is there a time frame by which Sinclair's deal with Albittron needs to be completed before either side can pull out of the deal?

[CircleSeven 1955]

 

Is there a time frame by which Sinclair's deal with Albittron needs to be completed before either side can pull out of the deal?

 

There's no mandatory or hard time frame. But I'm thinking Allbritton is getting impatient.

 

Anywho, here's yesterday's letter of their proposed reassignments, which is now posted on the FCC site.

[hathawaynson2 39]

Think it's time somebody does cue the DOJ on this deal and shut this sh*t down. I am high passed tired of Sinclair and their shenanigans.

personally speaking I'm tired of Sinclair and its usage of side-car corporations, but yet again it's time to put an end to this deal.

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

There's no mandatory or hard time frame. But I'm thinking Allbritton is getting impatient.

 

Anywho, here's yesterday's letter of their proposed reassignments, which is now posted on the FCC site.

 

I'm just wondering how much in legal fees this is costing both sides. I imagine that it's as much of a money pit as the actual transaction they're trying to get approved.

[hathawaynson2 39]

I'm just wondering how much in legal fees this is costing both sides. I imagine that it's as much of a money pit as the actual transaction they're trying to get approved.

it can accumulate overtime!

if Sinclair can budget out enough money for lawyers, it seems that they can not ever balance the bookkeeping after all of the transactions.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

Sinclair purchase El Paso office building for KDBC and KFOX.

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/sinclair-purchases-el-paso-building-for-kfox-and-kdbc_b113628