Allbritton Deal?

[Breaking News 839]

Here the Newsblues headline for Monday May 19, 2014

 

Hearst, Scripps, and Meredith renew interest in Allbritton

Has FCC squashed Sinclair's $985 million gambit?

 

 

Any thoughts on this one????

[ns8401 957]

 

Here the Newsblues headline for Monday May 19, 2014

 

Hearst, Scripps, and Meredith renew interest in Allbritton

Has FCC squashed Sinclair's $985 million gambit?

 

 

Any thoughts on this one????

 

It would make sense for Scripps at least because Allbritton is all ABC.

[TVLurker 241]

I don't know if this is nothing than a mere pipe dream but I'm going to wait for official confirmation before assuming anything.

[CircleSeven 1960]

I guess they're starting to do this new speculation talk, in case that existing deal doesn't close by that July 27 outside date (69 days away!). And this would be a huge loss for the Heathens of Hunt Valley.

 

Except for Meredith, the other two groups have one overlap (Scripps overlap in Tulsa, while Hearst overlap in Harrisburg), and they would most likely divest that one station to an independent entity.

 

The one group that have been uber-silent throughout this M&A wave have been Hearst. I've said this before and I've say it again, KTUL & KATV would fit Hearst's footprint like a glove, since they already have KHBS/KHOG & KOCO.

[bhratbrat 437]

Its kind of weird not to see or hear anything coming out of Rosslyn (Neighborhood of Arlington where WJLA-Allbritton HQ's are). I know they want to keep Politico, but who knows. If this sale doesn't go through, the other question would be how much could they fetch for the entire group considering it has been seriously waiting a long time.

[hathawaynson2 39]

I was wondering what was going on with the Allbrittion/Sinclair deal and as a witness on what is going on, I thought Sinclair was divesting overlapping stations.

[TJTWX 2]

 

It would make sense for Scripps at least because Allbritton is all ABC.

 

Hearst possibly as well because they own some ABC stations too. But I don't think Strive and the graphics would fit well on WHTM.

[NewsMaster 226]

I am still not a fan of the Bozos of Baltimore wanting to swap the facilities of WHP and WHTM. Is that plan still intact?

 

And just like KBBR, I'm not going to go crazy on this deal just yet since there's still over two months for them to close the deal.

[Rusty Muck 4405]

These type of leaks don't happen by accident.

 

Remember that back in October, DCRTV had suggested that Allbritton was starting to get cold feet about the deal.

 

If Allbritton had cold feet back then, how nervous are they at this current juncture, while S!nclair stalls and stalls and refuses to make credible divesture concessions?

[NEOMatrix 1307]

Is there a possibility that no one buys any of Albritton?

[Rusty Muck 4405]

I don't know if this is nothing than a mere pipe dream but I'm going to wait for official confirmation before assuming anything.

Part of my thinks that if the deal 'dies,' it will be because Allbritton cancels it.

 

I get the impression that they are more apt to let the clock run out. If they pull the rug out from under S!nclair, that could cause a whole bunch of problems.

[GoldenShine9 1514]

Meredith is a very poor fit for Allbritton as they have no ABC stations (most of their stations are CBS and Fox). They are well-positioned to pick up some of the LIN assets that Media General cannot acquire though...

 

Hearst and Scripps are definitely the best fits...each though would have to dump one station (WHTM for Hearst - no way are they getting rid of WGAL; KTUL or KJRH for Scripps - really a tossup there since KOTV crushes both of them), presumably in a side deal. No one really has a perfectly clean deal unless some shocker comes in. Others you can probably rule out right away are Gannett (they would have to get rid of their flagship WUSA to make it work), Media General (3 conflicts) and Nexstar (beyond their price range).

 

I would expect Sinclair to sue the FCC or DOJ if the deal dies on them though, and I could see them suing Allbritton if they walk away before July 27.

[TexasTVNews 1378]

I only wish that ABC/Disney would reconsider buying WJLA.

[bhratbrat 437]

That might be why the folks in Rosslyn are going to let that clock tick down before they decide to either put the stations back on the market or might eventually just keep the stations.

 

WJLA alone is worth $500 million at least and it is prime real estate on the market, not only having a local television station in the nation's capital but also being for now being one of two locally owned stations (the other being WUSA/Gannett)

 

In reference to TexasTVNews, I wish they would buy WJLA out, but I just think that if ABC/Disney is doing cost cutting moves to their O&O division, than I don't think they want to get into buying WJLA.

[Glimmer 283]

Either of the three owners mentioned would be a good for for Allbritton; indeed Meredith has no ABCs in their roster but they are a proven station owner with an open desire to grow (the purchase of KMOV, the bid for McGraw Hill going back a bit further). Hearst and Scripps' pluses and minuses have all been said before in greater detail. The wild card could be Allbritton staying in place, and there's always the possibility that the impossible becomes possible and the Sinclair deal is actually approved but those days are fast fading (thankfully).

[NEOMatrix 1307]

If Allbritton does sell, I could see them maybe pairing down to about three stations (WJLA/NC8, WBMA+, and WHTM) and sell the rest over to either Hearst, Nexstar, or Gray. I honestly just can't see any group that wouldn't have a conflict. Then, Albritton can FINALLY put some investment into the leftover stations because, frankly, WJLA looks so freaking cheap and dated for the 8th largest market, WBMA+ looks bad for a market that once had TWO O&Os, and WHTM has cheaper graphics than a freaking SINCLAIR station.

[Rusty Muck 4405]

I only wish that ABC/Disney would reconsider buying WJLA.

As long as WJLA and NewsChannel 8 are bundled together, I can't see that happening.

[tyrannical bastard 4036]

If either Allbritton or Sinclair pulls the plug on this deal, Allbritton is going to have to accept the fact that assets are going to overlap with many potential suitors and their pipe dream of selling off the company in one piece for their own tax purposes is virtually impossible due to the clampdown of the FCC. Meredith is their ONLY option, and that's if they're in a buying mood.

 

Warren Buffet may get his chance should he want a group of ABC affiliates to pair with WPLG, but that even presents a challenge since BH Media already owns the newspaper in Tulsa AND in Roanoke.

[GoldenShine9 1514]

If either Allbritton or Sinclair pulls the plug on this deal, Allbritton is going to have to accept the fact that assets are going to overlap with many potential suitors and their pipe dream of selling off the company in one piece for their own tax purposes is virtually impossible due to the clampdown of the FCC. Meredith is their ONLY option, and that's if they're in a buying mood.

 

 

Warren Buffet may get his chance should he want a group of ABC affiliates to pair with WPLG, but that even presents a challenge since BH Media already owns the newspaper in Tulsa AND in Roanoke.

 

Would the FCC mind if the new company commits immediately to sell it off (and actually has a buyer) though? For example, if Scripps bought Allbritton's TV stations, immediately puts up KTUL for sale and, say, Sinclair (since Tulsa is not one of their conflict markets), puts up an offer right away for it, would the FCC accept it?

[effseesee 101]

 

If either Allbritton or Sinclair pulls the plug on this deal, Allbritton is going to have to accept the fact that assets are going to overlap with many potential suitors and their pipe dream of selling off the company in one piece for their own tax purposes is virtually impossible due to the clampdown of the FCC. Meredith is their ONLY option, and that's if they're in a buying mood.

 

Warren Buffet may get his chance should he want a group of ABC affiliates to pair with WPLG, but that even presents a challenge since BH Media already owns the newspaper in Tulsa AND in Roanoke.

 

Buffet's newspaper in Roanoke wouldn't conflict since the tv station is licensed to Lynchburg. Given that the FCC recently allowed Cox to own a TV station and the cable system in Tulsa, I would think they would allow an owner to co-own a TV station and newspaper; but who know's what they're thinking over there.

[Samantha 2902]

 

Buffet's newspaper in Roanoke wouldn't conflict since the tv station is licensed to Lynchburg. Given that the FCC recently allowed Cox to own a TV station and the cable system in Tulsa, I would think they would allow an owner to co-own a TV station and newspaper; but who know's what they're thinking over there.

 

Gannett didn't even attempt to buy KGW in Portland outright because it owns the newspaper in Salem.

 

There hasn't been any meaningful activity since last Monday when Howard Stirk Holdings dropped its attempt to buy WLYH. We did have someone thinking this was the Comcast/TWC merger though (again).

[CircleSeven 1960]

Buffet's newspaper in Roanoke wouldn't conflict since the tv station is licensed to Lynchburg. Given that the FCC recently allowed Cox to own a TV station and the cable system in Tulsa, I would think they would allow an owner to co-own a TV station and newspaper; but who know's what they're thinking over there.

So if you say that the FCC would allow a Lynchburg newspaper be co-owned with a Roanoke station (which I know that would breach the NBCO rule since Lynchburg is in the Roanoke market), then why didn't Gannett took ownership of Portland's KGW outright, since they also own the Statesman Journal in nearby Salem?

 

Gannett didn't even attempt to buy KGW in Portland outright because it owns the newspaper in Salem.

They surely didn't.

[GoldenShine9 1514]

Something has to give here for sure. I am thinking Allbritton might be pulling the plug, realizing they are nowhere closer to a deal than they were 10 months ago, and a new deal with someone else would get it done quicker, due to Sinclair's insistence on shells and desperation to keep everything and fight.\

 

What was the last major deal to be canceled in mid-purchase? I know Sinclair was denied WTVR by the DOJ in 2008, but that was ordered by them.

[Samantha 2902]

 

Something has to give here for sure. I am thinking Allbritton might be pulling the plug, realizing they are nowhere closer to a deal than they were 10 months ago, and a new deal with someone else would get it done quicker, due to Sinclair's insistence on shells and desperation to keep everything and fight.\

 

What was the last major deal to be canceled in mid-purchase? I know Sinclair was denied WTVR by the DOJ in 2008, but that was ordered by them.

 

Drewry canceled its planned selloff of its television stations to London in late 2008 because the financing fell through (and because, you know, 2008).

[ABC 7 Denver 1729]

Since this is absolutely speculation how about we move this over to Speculatron 9000, Weeters?