Gray Television Now Literally Owns the Dothan, AL and Panama City DMA's

[Herb Tarlek 0]

Already owning the monster signal of WTVY CBS 4 in Dothan and WJHG NBC 7 in Panama City, they have added 2 LD stations in each market respectively. In September 2012, Gray launched a CBS affiliate based at WJHG and now a NBC based at WTVY. WRGX 23.1 NBC is simulcast on WTVY 4.4 and WECP 18.1 CBS Panama City is simulcast on 7.3. These markets are so close that you can now literally receive 3 signals of CBS programming and 3 signals of NBC, especially in Panama City where WTVY still has a strong signal. Talk about overkill!

[CircleSeven 1960]

Already owning the monster signal of WTVY CBS 4 in Dothan and WJHG NBC 7 in Panama City, they have added 2 LD stations in each market respectively. In September 2012, Gray launched a CBS affiliate based at WJHG and now a NBC based at WTVY. WRGX 23.1 NBC is simulcast on WTVY 4.4 and WECP 18.1 CBS Panama City is simulcast on 7.3. These markets are so close that you can now literally receive 3 signals of CBS programming and 3 signals of NBC, especially in Panama City where WTVY still has a strong signal. Talk about overkill!

Welcome to the board.

 

Yeah, Gray turned on WRGX this morning. Before the digital craze. The Panama City folks had to rely on WTVY for CBS on cable & OTA. In contrast, Dothan folks had to rely on WJHG for NBC on cable & OTA. But now Gray has bought LPs in markets where they already have a full power station. Yeah they have the Wiregrass/Middle Florida Panhandle LOCKED!!! But they've done so in Virginia & Nebraska as well.

[Herb Tarlek 0]

Thanks! The people in Dothan and SE Alabama are most upset at losing WSFA from Montgomery. A lot of panhandle viewers are still upset about losing WTVY as well.

[tyrannical bastard 4036]

Ever since Benedek sold the majority of their stations to Gray, the appearance of a duopoly has persisted in this area. The bottom line is that Dothan and Panama City are separate markets and WJHG and WTVY have always maintained separate operations in their respective cities ever since they came under common ownership. Had this merger happened several years earlier (when stations with city-grade signal contour overlap and neighboring markets were forbidden to be under common ownershup), divestitures would have been required. The FCC forced Gray to sell WALB in Albany, GA, and nearly forced them to sell WJHG when the Phipps family sold WCTV in Tallahassee to Gray.

 

Since the secondary stations are low power, they are allowed under FCC rules and are not subject to the restrictions that full-powered stations must abide by.

 

I wonder what Nexstar will do with WDHN....it could be one of the divestitures Nexstar is looking to make since it is relatively isolated from other Nexstar stations...or they could be on a "mission" to acquire some of Raycom's smaller stations (WDFX and/or WPGX), or even pair it with WMBB in Panama City should Hoak be in the market to sell...or buy.

[hathawaynson2 39]

Already owning the monster signal of WTVY CBS 4 in Dothan and WJHG NBC 7 in Panama City, they have added 2 LD stations in each market respectively. In September 2012, Gray launched a CBS affiliate based at WJHG and now a NBC based at WTVY. WRGX 23.1 NBC is simulcast on WTVY 4.4 and WECP 18.1 CBS Panama City is simulcast on 7.3. These markets are so close that you can now literally receive 3 signals of CBS programming and 3 signals of NBC, especially in Panama City where WTVY still has a strong signal. Talk about overkill!

That would be called overlapping and yes its overkill!

by the way, welcome to the board! I hope that you are very comfortable posting your opinions.