TEGNA Broadcasting and Digital General Discussion

[ABC 7 Denver 1712]

1 hour ago, JohnnyNews said:

So there’s WCNC with the new tropical icons 

 

I'd like to point out the U3 right alignment issue:

[CLETVFan 367]

Apparently, WKYC is in third place (even fourth at times) according to this email.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2020/9/15/the-inbox

[ttvn2000 320]

8 hours ago, CLETVFan said:

Apparently, WKYC is in third place (even fourth at times) according to this email.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2020/9/15/the-inbox

It’s reassuring to see some sort of resistance at WKYC.  But it is certainly not coming from the top, as GM Micki Byrnes nominated Adam Miller for a Crain’s “40 under 40 award.”

 

https://www.crainscleveland.com/awards/adam-miller-forty-under-40-2020

[JohnnyNews 119]

WFAA has renamed it’s 5pm show to “After the Bell”. KTVB has a new 5pm show called “The 208”.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

38 minutes ago, JohnnyNews said:

WFAA has renamed it’s 5pm show to “After the Bell”. KTVB has a new 5pm show called “The 208”.

 

I don't like it now one bit... on WFAA I mean.

Edited September 19, 2020 by TexasTVNews

[Greggo 351]

20 minutes ago, TexasTVNews said:

 

I don't like it now one bit... on WFAA I mean.

Because the stock markets are located in Dallas?!? Oh, wait ...

 

WFAA management is atrocious. 

[newsbot 271]

WCSH/WLBZ have changed out the generic TEGNA ident at the end of the newscasts to an Election 2020 themed one with the identity of the local station. Are other Tegna stations doing this?

 

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by newsbot

[Samantha 2895]

Tegna is making another buy, this time from Estrella Media.

 

They'll be purchasing that network's owned station in Dallas, KMPX 29, for $19 million. There are two important elements to this deal:

• Estrella will remain, on 29.1 apparently; there's a 5-year network affiliation agreement that will be part of this sale.
• There are triggering clauses in the agreement that then would allow Estrella, under a separate option agreement, to buy WFAA-TV (read: the VHF transmitter facility) for $5 million.

Quote

This application requests Commission consent to the assignment of license for KMPX(TV), Decatur, TX from Estrella Television License of Dallas LLC (“Assignor”) to WFAA-TV, Inc.  (“Assignee”).  Assignor’s parent company, Estrella Media Inc. (“Estrella”), is the owner and operator of the Estrella television programming network.

In addition to the acquiring the license and certain assets of KMPX(TV), pursuant to the transaction documents, Assignee will grant to Assignor an option, exercisable if certain triggering events occur before the five (5) year anniversary of the KMPX closing date, to purchase Assignee’s station WFAA(TV), Dallas, TX.

Further, Assignee will enter into a Network Affiliation Agreement that provides for the delivery and broadcast of Estrella’s network and local programming on KMPX(TV) for a period of five (5) years, subject to certain termination rights and the ability to transfer carriage of Estrella network programming to another television channel in the market owned by Assignee or a commonly-controlled company.

 

[ABC 7 Denver 1712]

37 minutes ago, Samantha said:

Tegna is making another buy, this time from Estrella Media.

 

They'll be purchasing that network's owned station in Dallas, KMPX 29, for $19 million. There are two important elements to this deal:

• Estrella will remain, on 29.1 apparently; there's a 5-year network affiliation agreement that will be part of this sale.
• There are triggering clauses in the agreement that then would allow Estrella, under a separate option agreement, to buy WFAA-TV (read: the VHF transmitter facility) for $5 million.

 

 

I'm suspicious about what TEGNA's objective here is. Are they thinking that KDAF is going to lose their CW affiliation and be able to line up KMPX as a replacement. I think it's strange for them to buy a one-off Estrella station.

[JohnnyNews 119]

40 minutes ago, Samantha said:

Tegna is making another buy, this time from Estrella Media.

 

They'll be purchasing that network's owned station in Dallas, KMPX 29, for $19 million. There are two important elements to this deal:

• Estrella will remain, on 29.1 apparently; there's a 5-year network affiliation agreement that will be part of this sale.
• There are triggering clauses in the agreement that then would allow Estrella, under a separate option agreement, to buy WFAA-TV (read: the VHF transmitter facility) for $5 million.

 

So if WFAA gets bought will TEGNA switch all of them to the Estrella and then the ABC affiliate goes to KMPX ABC 29

Just now, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

I'm suspicious about what TEGNA's objective here is. Are they thinking that KDAF is going to lose their CW affiliation and be able to line up KMPX as a replacement. I think it's strange for them to buy a one-off Estrella station.

@ABC 7 Denver Nexstar won’t allow it..... because for 1 this is Nexstar’s flagship and KDAF will not be losing its affiliation no time soon unles Viacom gives it to KTXA and it becomes an O&O with KTVT 

[TexasTVNews 1377]

6 minutes ago, JohnnyNews said:

So if WFAA gets bought will TEGNA switch all of them to the Estrella and then the ABC affiliate goes to KMPX ABC 29

 

No way! Absolutely Not! They'll be a lot angry viewers calling, Facebook messages, and letters will disapprove if that happens.

[JohnnyNews 119]

4 minutes ago, TexasTVNews said:

 

No way! Absolutely Not! They'll be a lot angry viewers calling, Facebook messages, and letters will disapprove if that happens.

@TexasTVNews as me and you both live in this market we already know how TEGNA treats WFAA. So that scenario is a good chance of happening and matter of fact I made a scenario of a realignment if it happens this fall.

Dallas/Ft.Worth Realignment 

 

KMPX ABC 29.   (TEGNA)

Fox 4.           (O&O)

NBC 5.          (O&O)

CBS 11.         (O&O)

TXA 21.          (O&O)

CW 33.      (Nexstar)

Estrella 8.      (Estrella)

Ion 68              (Scripps)

Telemundo 39. (O&O)

[Samantha 2895]

18 minutes ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

I'm suspicious about what TEGNA's objective here is. Are they thinking that KDAF is going to lose their CW affiliation and be able to line up KMPX as a replacement. I think it's strange for them to buy a one-off Estrella station.

 

The answer here should be more obvious. They'd rather have a slice of UHF spectrum than a slice of VHF spectrum.

 

I bet KMPX turns out like KTBU, i.e. they add an 8.8 WFAA simulcast subchannel. Estrella might then buy the VHF transmitter facility, at which time there'd likely be a call sign and virtual channel swap.

 

If Estrella exercises this option, it's essentially Estrella being paid $14 million ($19 million purchase price for KMPX minus $5 million purchase price in the option agreement for WFAA) to move to VHF.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

I see a two scenarios.

 

1. KMPX as an independent maybe a CW affiliate. IMO, WFAA could start expanding and producing news on KMPX.*

 

(*) When WFAA was owned by Belo, they operate KFWD and rebrand it as "Classic TV". We might see a revival of

Classic TV if KMPX goes English language independent, and move Estrella TV to 29.2.

 

2. Keep KMPX on Estrella TV and movie it to 8.5.

[Adam MadMan 285]

1 hour ago, Samantha said:

The answer here should be more obvious. They'd rather have a slice of UHF spectrum than a slice of VHF spectrum.

This. VHF may have been an asset in the analog days, but in 2020 it's an albatross so big it may as well be eating sharks. It's funny how far we've come from the days where Married with Children was making jokes about UHF stations (or more specifically, pre-NFL Fox affiliates) needing large amounts of antennas to get them. Nowadays, it often seems like you need that for VHF.

Edited September 28, 2020 by Adam MadMan
I typed the wrong year. Still, could you blame me for not accepting what year this is?

[Yankees4life 558]

This is a good deal for Tegna. They're basically trading up for a better spectrum (which means a better signal coverage for Dallas cordcutters)

[The Frog 429]

A move spurred in part by WFAA's recent reception woes, no doubt. Their signal has been more elusive than usual since they completed their facility changes this summer. Reducing ERP on VHF wasn't a good idea.

 

This strikes me as a really roundabout way of doing what should've been a simple facility swap.  If the plan is for Estrella to acquire WFAA's VHF facility, surely this could've been done in a more straightforward fashion? For Estrella, easily parting with an O&O in DMA #5 and potentially ending up on a weaker signal doesn't send a good message about their future.  Either way, Tegna can maneuver this into more cap space...

[Yankees4life 558]

6 minutes ago, The Frog said:

A move spurred in part by WFAA's recent reception woes, no doubt. Their signal has been more elusive than usual since they completed their facility changes this summer. Reducing ERP on VHF wasn't a good idea.

 

This strikes me as a really roundabout way of doing what should've been a simple facility swap.  If the plan is for Estrella to acquire WFAA's VHF facility, surely this could've been done in a more straightforward fashion? For Estrella, easily parting with an O&O in DMA #5 and potentially ending up on a weaker signal doesn't send a good message about their future.  Either way, Tegna can maneuver this into more cap space...

Estrella already had their financial woes in the past so theres precedence that they may have another here. So they might be happy to take the money...

Edited September 29, 2020 by Yankees4life

[JCB4TV 347]

1 hour ago, The Frog said:

A move spurred in part by WFAA's recent reception woes, no doubt. Their signal has been more elusive than usual since they completed their facility changes this summer. Reducing ERP on VHF wasn't a good idea.

 

This strikes me as a really roundabout way of doing what should've been a simple facility swap.  If the plan is for Estrella to acquire WFAA's VHF facility, surely this could've been done in a more straightforward fashion? For Estrella, easily parting with an O&O in DMA #5 and potentially ending up on a weaker signal doesn't send a good message about their future.  Either way, Tegna can maneuver this into more cap space...

It appears that WFAA can move 8.1 to the KMPX stick as soon as this deal closes.

[Samantha 2895]

Even RBR knows what this is:

 

A Big D Upgrade In Play For WFAA
"TEGNA has reached a deal with a major Hispanic-targeted media company that will give it improved signal coverage in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The deal illustrates just how valuable UHF signals have become in a digital TV world."

[JohnnyNews 119]

2 hours ago, JCB4TV said:

It appears that WFAA can move 8.1 to the KMPX stick as soon as this deal closes.

So it seems as News 8 will be in KMPX now with the stronger signal

[compubit 673]

This will benefit my family members in far North Collin and Denton counties - no ABC/8 without cable/satellite/streaming service...

 

Jim

[TennTV1983 802]

WATN officially switched over to the full TEGNA graphics as of tonight. 

 

Note: The live stream is currently down, so I can't record.

Edited October 11, 2020 by TennTV1983

[who?cares 254]

It appears WZDX will launch soon. 
They’re now using the weather graphics on their website. 

[NewsGuyTV 42]

2 hours ago, TennTV1983 said:

WATN officially switched over to the full TEGNA graphics as of tonight. 

 

Note: The live stream is currently down, so I can't record.

WHY TEGNA, WHY???