TheRob 920 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Meredith already owns KPHO in Phoenix, as you know. ---- DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Meredith Corporation (NYSE:MDP), one of America's leading media and marketing companies, today announced an expansion of its television footprint by entering into definitive agreements to purchase the broadcast assets of television stations in Phoenix and in St. Louis from Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI) and Sander Media LLC for $407.5 million in cash. These stations are part of Gannett's previously announced acquisition of Belo Corp. http://meredith.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=2311&item=136853#.UrhTk2CCuzc.twitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1509 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 No surprise about KMOV (it was exactly what we all speculated, since it seemed very logical), but would KTVK be a legal duopoly (are they 5th or lower in ratings? I suspect with the large Hispanic community they would be) or does Meredith need to start a shell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hathawaynson2 38 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 So this means KMOV/KCTV becomes sister stations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Gannett announce on its website, which I just posted on the Gannett/Belo thread that SagamoreHill will acquire the license of KASW. Meredith proper will acquire KTVK. SagamoreHill also plays shell bate in markets like Rochester, MN, Corpus Christi, TX & Montgomery, AL. This is probably what they might be looking for because SagamoreHill is not like these sidecars which have heavy ties to these main companies like Cunningham/Deerfield with Sinclair & Mission with Nexstar etc., But nevertheless, this is real good news. The first thing that came of mind of who should've gotten KMOV was Meredith, because of that station they own on the other side of the state. But I never thought that they would also think about selling KTVK/KASW as well. That alone will have some sort of questions because KTVK have improved grately in their news product as of late. Any change to that great product could very well alter something alreay going good for 3TV News. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Gannett announce on its website, which I just posted on the Gannett/Belo thread that SagamoreHill will acquire the license of KASW. Meredith proper will acquire KTVK. SagamoreHill also plays shell bate in markets like Rochester, MN, Corpus Christi, TX & Montgomery, AL. This is probably what they might be looking for because SagamoreHill is not like these sidecars which have heavy ties to these main companies like Cunningham/Deerfield with Sinclair & Mission with Nexstar etc., But nevertheless, this is real good news. The first thing that came of mind of who should've gotten KMOV was Meredith, because of that station they own on the other side of the state. But I never thought that they would also think about selling KTVK/KASW as well. That alone will have some sort of questions because KTVK have improved grately in their news product as of late. Any change to that great product could very well alter something alreay going good for 3TV News. I first predicted that KPHO and KTVK would merge their news operations (but under separate ownership) two years ago. I know they'll keep "Good Morning Arizona" as-is on KTVK, but what happens to the rest of their news department? Will they combine the best from both KPHO and KTVK while still letting some go? KTVK has the newer facility in a better part of town, but Meredith has their west coast hub at KPHO, so I don't know where they will consolidate. (Raymie filing a Petition to Deny in 3...2...1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 My heart began pounding when I read this news. I had expected KMOV to sell to Meredith, and sell quickly. But KTVK? Whoa! That came out of nowhere! Gannett must have realized that there was just enough heat being generated by their ownership of the Republic to want to sell these as well. Now the questions are very different ones indeed. Meredith is going to have a 2+1 duopoly in this market, and the obvious first consolidation points are news and facilities. 3's news has been better than at any point after their loss of ABC, while 5 has somehow managed to float along in the market (the rising tide of CBS has floated their boat pretty well in the last five years). A consolidation of these two would be sad but it might be inevitable. Phoenix has had five news operations for the past twenty years, a bit unusual but not unheard of for a market of its size. How far will Meredith want to go to consolidate the KTVK and KPHO shops? No surprise about KMOV (it was exactly what we all speculated, since it seemed very logical), but would KTVK be a legal duopoly (are they 5th or lower in ratings? I suspect with the large Hispanic community they would be) or does Meredith need to start a shell? You might be right. On the Spanish side KTVW appeared in 1978, and since it was the only full-power Spanish station in the market from that point until 2006 (!), it became a darn good juggernaut. (Good SIN/Univision programming helped.) I'm not sure on total market ratings, as there aren't many recent ones available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrtraveler01 737 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 So this means KMOV/KCTV becomes sister stations? And Katie Horner is a Meredith employee once more (she's at KMOV now). I'm willing to bet that owning KCTV had a lot to do with Meredith going after KMOV. And as I said before, they're both run in a similar fashion and I really thought that Meredith would be the best fit for them. This was a very nice early Christmas present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 And Katie Horner is a Meredith employee once more (she's at KMOV now). I'm willing to bet that owning KCTV had a lot to do with Meredith going after KMOV. And as I said before, they're both run in a similar fashion and I really thought that Meredith would be the best fit for them. This was a very nice early Christmas present. And see, while it's absolutely the best case scenario for St. Louis, this is almost a worst case scenario for Phoenix. At least under Sander we had guarantees that KTVK/KASW were to be run separately. That looks like it isn't happening now. One thing to note: today Meredith held a conference call to discuss the acquisitions. The transcript will be up on this page within 48 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrtraveler01 737 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 And see, while it's absolutely the best case scenario for St. Louis, this is almost a worst case scenario for Phoenix. At least under Sander we had guarantees that KTVK/KASW were to be run separately. That looks like it isn't happening now. One thing to note: today Meredith held a conference call to discuss the acquisitions. The transcript will be up on this page within 48 hours. Yeah, the KTVK part of this deal surprised me too. But I don't think there was a way that KTVK would've been bought by a media company that didn't have some current presence in Phoenix already (excluding Sinclair but they would've faced a major hurdle in St. Louis). Hopefully they'll find a way to maximize both of KPHO and KTVK's strengths without making too many deep cuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVLurker 161 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 This is especially good news for St. Louis. I believe Meridith to be a good company and therefore I think they'll do good in St. Louis. Phoenix however is questionable. This will net them with a triopoply and a news dominance over Phoenix. Sure, it may be like LA but I still don't feel comfortable.with them taking over Phoenix. If anything they should divest KASW to another company. Still, who's up for seeing KTVK as a KCAL clone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewsMaster 226 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I think that KTVK will remain separate from KPHO but I'm wondering whether KASW stays with KTVK or gets moved to KPHO. KPHO could start a 9pm newscast on KASW, if they so choose. CBS 5 News at 9 on CW 6? Maybe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I think that KTVK will remain separate from KPHO but I'm wondering whether KASW stays with KTVK or gets moved to KPHO. KPHO could start a 9pm newscast on KASW, if they so choose. CBS 5 News at 9 on CW 6? Maybe... Meredith is such a bottom-line-before-everything-else oriented company that it wouldn't make $en$e for them to keep two newsrooms open. These are two well-established news stations, and a lot of people will be on the street after the integration is completed. The upside is that KPHO can start simulcasting the cable-only "Arizona News Channel" on their 5.2, and they will have a better library of "E/I" shows to meet the "three-hour rule" requirement besides the dated and creepy "Gina D's Kids Club" they currently air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Meredith is such a bottom-line-before-everything-else oriented company that it wouldn't make $en$e for them to keep two newsrooms open. These are two well-established news stations, and a lot of people will be on the street after the integration is completed. The upside is that KPHO can start simulcasting the cable-only "Arizona News Channel" on their 5.2, and they will have a better library of "E/I" shows to meet the "three-hour rule" requirement besides the dated and creepy "Gina D's Kids Club" they currently air. Have you seen the AZ News Channel lately? It's pretty sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToriElectra 291 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I didn't see this coming at all. Let's hope that KMOV does well. As for KTVK, just move the West Coast hub there; they'll also have a large fleet of vehicles, if you combine both, and hence more on-scene reporting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Have you seen the AZ News Channel lately? It's pretty sad. "CBS 5 Weather Now" is pretty sad too. But, they refuse to drop it. They can merge two poorly-executed ideas into one and see if it actually improves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 996 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Would they consider moving the CW affiliation over to KTVK? They still could large amounts of news during the day (albeit shifting hours to accommodate the CW schedule) and turn around and sell KASW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Would they consider moving the CW affiliation over to KTVK? They still could large amounts of news during the day (albeit shifting hours to accommodate the CW schedule) and turn around and sell KASW. The value of KASW without the CW is fairly low, mostly the syndicated programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hathawaynson2 38 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I didn't see this coming at all. Let's hope that KMOV does well. As for KTVK, just move the West Coast hub there; they'll also have a large fleet of vehicles, if you combine both, and hence more on-scene reporting. good Idea, but last I heard, KTVK used to be the Master Control Hub for the stations that were owned by BELO that merged in Gannett. Has Meredith considered or even thought of this idea before hand? I think it would be a great idea, but I remember that KVVU-TV is the Main hub for KPHO and the two west coast stations it owns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 good Idea, but last I heard, KTVK used to be the Master Control Hub for the stations that were owned by BELO that merged in Gannett. Has Meredith considered or even thought of this idea before hand? I think it would be a great idea, but I remember that KVVU-TV is the Main hub for KPHO and the two west coast stations it owns. KTVK hubbed KMSB and KTTU in Tucson until Belo struck an SSA deal with Raycom. Those were the only stations operating from 5555 N. 7th Avenue. As I mentioned above, KPHO, not KVVU, is the west coast centralcasting hub for Meredith. But, KPHO's studios are in a run-down part of West Central Phoenix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1509 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I see an angry lady and an angry station out of this. 1) Katie Horner. She is probably in a position where she needs to start sending resumes out again since she is not well liked at Meredith. 2) KPHO. Given their higher quality product despite being an independent, maybe Meredith will keep the KTVK staff and building, use that for a base and perhaps the KPHO staff are expendable? Some duopolies are very well done (such as the Denver and St. Louis Tribune duopolies) while many others are horribly managed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 The value of KASW without the CW is fairly low, mostly the syndicated programs. KASW still has a great inventory of syndicated shows. But, after The CW closes shop (I do see that happening in 2016, if not sooner), the station will have ten less hours to fill. The KASW license is an attractive property for a Spanish-language broadcaster that is currently relegated to low-power, such as Liberman or Azteca. It probably won't happen until the advent of ATSC 3.0, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 KASW still has a great inventory of syndicated shows. But, after The CW closes shop (I do see that happening in 2016, if not sooner), the station will have ten less hours to fill. The KASW license is an attractive property for a Spanish-language broadcaster that is currently relegated to low-power, such as Liberman or Azteca. It probably won't happen until the advent of ATSC 3.0, though. That's a good point. The CW probably isn't going to be around all that much longer, given that it's a money loser but for the streaming rights to its programs. Meredith and SagamoreHill could make some good return on their investment by selling a full-market signal or even selling the spectrum in 2015. There aren't any spectrum speculators in Phoenix, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanewsguy 509 Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 I see an angry lady and an angry station out of this. 1) Katie Horner. She is probably in a position where she needs to start sending resumes out again since she is not well liked at Meredith. 2) KPHO. Given their higher quality product despite being an independent, maybe Meredith will keep the KTVK staff and building, use that for a base and perhaps the KPHO staff are expendable? Some duopolies are very well done (such as the Denver and St. Louis Tribune duopolies) while many others are horribly managed. 1. I don't think they'll fire Katie Horner. It was the old GM who at KCTV who fired her. He's now at Sinclair's WPMI. 2. Maybe they'll just do what KABB/WOAI do here. Merge reporting staffs but still be based in separate buildings. Yes a lot of redundancy occurs (having two separate master control crews working at the same time for instance) but it ensures they stay separate. Either or, they will share stories. It's inevitable. Why send two separate crews to cover the same story? Talk about redundancy. This frees them to cover more news that the other Valley stations can't because they will have smaller staff. Also St. Louis viewers, in February or May sweeps (whicheever one is the first where Meredith has control of KMOV), mark my words, no more "Great Gas Giveaway". They will pay your mortgage or rent instead (this is standard across Meredith during sweeps months). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 Does anyone in here have any BIA information about revenues? I don't have access to them, but I have a good feeling that the combined KPHO, KTVK, and KASW will control between 1/3 and 1/2 of the broadcast TV revenue in Phoenix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrannical bastard 3471 Posted December 24, 2013 Share Posted December 24, 2013 1. I don't think they'll fire Katie Horner. It was the old GM who at KCTV who fired her. He's now at Sinclair's WPMI. Ironically, Bobby Totsch worked for KMOV for over 20 years before being hired by KCTV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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