The CW Affiliate Apocalypse of 2016

[Samantha 2895]

The commonly-owned duopolies of full-power Big Four stations that have existed come into legal being for one of three reasons:

1. One of the duopoly partners is a new affiliate. This is the case with both of the Jacksonville duopolies that have existed. WJXX was the ABC affiliate in Jacksonville for just under three years at the time of its acquisition. This is also the case with WRAZ in Raleigh, but Capitol had been operating the station before it obtained Fox and before Capitol bought it, and with WTEV which was a UPN affiliate at time of combined operation. What happens is the new affiliate isn't rating top four in the market yet and so it's still possible to pull it off.
   
2. There is a strong Spanish-language station in the market. Fresno is the main one of these that actually went through, as Nexstar owns both KGPE and KSEE (and KFTV rates top four). This would have also been the case in the Miami WTVJ/WPLG proposed duopoly, which cleared the FTC but did not get FCC approval by the time the sale was called off. (The primary motive for canceling the sale wasn't FCC approval but the 2008 economic collapse.)
   
3. Failing station waivers. This is the case with the KIVI/KNIN duopoly (though KNIN was not Fox at the time it was created) and the KYMA/KSWT duopoly. This is also the only one of the three avenues in smaller markets.
   

The #2 case is not applicable at all to St. Louis. The #3 case is appropriate to the St. Louis market because it has very few stations for its DMA size. The #1 case is how Tribune got KTVI in the first place, as KDNL had managed to edge out KPLR for fourth at the time (otherwise it would have been barred from doing so). There is nothing on the level of the FCC preventing Tribune from pursuing a network affiliation for KPLR. Sure, there are business and contract concerns, but those are not license-level issues.

[nomadcowatbk 149]

 

The commonly-owned duopolies of full-power Big Four stations that have existed come into legal being for one of three reasons:

1. One of the duopoly partners is a new affiliate. This is the case with both of the Jacksonville duopolies that have existed. WJXX was the ABC affiliate in Jacksonville for just under three years at the time of its acquisition. This is also the case with WRAZ in Raleigh, but Capitol had been operating the station before it obtained Fox and before Capitol bought it, and with WTEV which was a UPN affiliate at time of combined operation. What happens is the new affiliate isn't rating top four in the market yet and so it's still possible to pull it off.
   
2. There is a strong Spanish-language station in the market. Fresno is the main one of these that actually went through, as Nexstar owns both KGPE and KSEE (and KFTV rates top four). This would have also been the case in the Miami WTVJ/WPLG proposed duopoly, which cleared the FTC but did not get FCC approval by the time the sale was called off. (The primary motive for canceling the sale wasn't FCC approval but the 2008 economic collapse.)
   
3. Failing station waivers. This is the case with the KIVI/KNIN duopoly (though KNIN was not Fox at the time it was created) and the KYMA/KSWT duopoly. This is also the only one of the three avenues in smaller markets.
   

The #2 case is not applicable at all to St. Louis. The #3 case is appropriate to the St. Louis market because it has very few stations for its DMA size. The #1 case is how Tribune got KTVI in the first place, as KDNL had managed to edge out KPLR for fourth at the time (otherwise it would have been barred from doing so). There is nothing on the level of the FCC preventing Tribune from pursuing a network affiliation for KPLR. Sure, there are business and contract concerns, but those are not license-level issues.

 

wasn't KPLR #4 when it had Cardinals and Blues games? CW probably outranks ABC sometimes in STL,

[jrherbaugh 0]

Tribune has started making deals that may keep CW alive, despite being bumped to 4.2 in Indy.

 

The agreement also includes renewals for four Tribune Media-owned CBS affiliates: WREG-TV in Memphis, Tenn.; WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Ala; KFSM-TV in Ft. Smith, Ark.; and WTVR-TV in Richmond, Va.

--THR

I always thought The CW would only last as long as the original Tribune deal. But now I think The CW has a future because so many of the other networks' shows are falling toward 1.0 in the demo.

[T.L. Hughes 890]

 

Tribune has started making deals that may keep CW alive, despite being bumped to 4.2 in Indy.

 

 

I always thought The CW would only last as long as the original Tribune deal. But now I think The CW has a future because so many of the other networks' shows are falling toward 1.0 in the demo.

 

This has to do with CBS affiliations, not The CW. The CW renewal deals won't begin to be assessed until at the earliest, late next year.

[jmkcool2002 8]

Wouldn't be surprised if Sinclair started a competitor network which surpassed The CW.

[channel2 979]

I have my doubts that anything Sinclair could cook up would attain any real popularity.

[Samantha 2895]

 

I have my doubts that anything Sinclair could cook up would attain any real popularity.

 

I think they'd have trouble on the programming side, but I actually think they could get enough interest from station groups to start that network.

[ChesapeakeTV 311]

 

I think they'd have trouble on the programming side, but I actually think they could get enough interest from station groups to start that network.

 

I agree with the programming bit, but at this point they probably wouldn't need to even bother with any other station groups to get their foot in the door.

[Samantha 2895]

 

I agree with the programming bit, but at this point they probably wouldn't need to even bother with any other station groups to get their foot in the door.

 

Certainly SBG's own stations make a sizable down payment, but they'd need to crack the major markets where SBG will never be (New York, etc.).