promoguy98 252 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Here's the link from TVNewsCheck: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/77940/gray-buys-stations-in-flint-toledo-for-128m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1509 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Wow, I didn't expect that! I guess that means they have other stations for sale as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEOMatrix 1295 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I had a feeling SJL/Lilly would eventually start selling the group. I also got a feeling that the rest of SJL (WICU/WSEE and WENY) might become Sinclair bait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swillh2k2 203 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I had a feeling SJL/Lilly would eventually start selling the group. I also got a feeling that the rest of SJL (WICU/WSEE and WENY) might become Sinclair bait. As much as that would upset people, you may be right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvjay 6 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I had a feeling SJL/Lilly would eventually start selling the group. I also got a feeling that the rest of SJL (WICU/WSEE and WENY) might become Sinclair bait. I could see that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvjay 6 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 This is the crazy part, "The deal is another big score for George Lilly, who owns SJL Holdings. He bought the stations from ABC in 2010 for $30 million after having sold them to ABC for $120 million in 1995." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1509 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 ABC must have been desperate to unload them in 2010 to sell for a bargain basement price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4256 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I had a feeling SJL/Lilly would eventually start selling the group. I also got a feeling that the rest of SJL (WICU/WSEE and WENY) might become Sinclair bait. Considering what SJL/Lilly did to WICU and WSEE (especially WSEE) a sale to S!nclair would constitute an improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4256 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Isn't it a nice coincidence that this sale to Gray takes place after S!nclair forced Buckeye into a retrans deal with WNWO that was more than WTVG and WTOL combined... yet WNWO is the fourth station in a two-station market. Gray vs. Buckeye for WTVG retrans fees will be very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvjay 6 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Isn't it a nice coincidence that this sale to Gray takes place after S!nclair forced Buckeye into a retrans deal with WNWO that was more than WTVG and WTOL combined... yet WNWO is the fourth station in a two-station market. Is this fact or are you speculating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEOMatrix 1295 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Considering what SJL/Lilly did to WICU and WSEE (especially WSEE) a sale to S!nclair would constitute an improvement. Actually Sinclair would be an improvement to WTVG and WJRT but they couldn't have them due to owning WNWO and WEYI, respectively. Hopefully, Gray can improve the on-air look of WTVG and WJRT because honestly, they look more like an Elmira or Erie station than a Toledo station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4256 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Is this fact or are you speculating? It's been well-established. Terms of the retrans deal were never made public AFAIK, but all signs point to Buckeye caving on S!nclair's demands, which were publicly known. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 756 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Considering what SJL/Lilly did to WICU and WSEE (especially WSEE) a sale to S!nclair would constitute an improvement. Goes without saying when you consider the Nexstar stations in those markets make them look extremely low budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
effseesee 101 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 This is the crazy part, "The deal is another big score for George Lilly, who owns SJL Holdings. He bought the stations from ABC in 2010 for $30 million after having sold them to ABC for $120 million in 1995." George Lilly made out like a bandit twice. ABC was desperate in 1995, because they were worried that WXYZ would flip to CBS, which would leave them without a reliable signal in the Detroit suburbs. Then he comes back, when the market is in the toilet, and buys the stations at a fire sale price. Now, with the station market hot due to consolidation, he cashes out again. Pretty impressive that someone can make a huge windfall twice on the same two stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrannical bastard 3496 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 At least WTVG and WJRT are stand alone stations. Trying to get WICU/WJRT would have to involve the shutdown of either station to get the sale. Nexstar got in while the going was good, and they can remain status quo.....for now...... And Toledo will FINALLY have an over-the-air CW station! I wonder what this means for WT05, the current channel run by BuckeyeCableVision? Another retrans war could be in the making....especially since WTVG is more justified to demand a higher price than WNWO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrtraveler01 737 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 It's been well-established. Terms of the retrans deal were never made public AFAIK, but all signs point to Buckeye caving on S!nclair's demands, which were publicly known. If that's true, then that's just another example of why more people are cutting the cord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvjay 6 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 It's been well-established. Terms of the retrans deal were never made public AFAIK, but all signs point to Buckeye caving on S!nclair's demands, which were publicly known. I have read all the press releases and interviews and I don't believe that Buckeye caved as much as you might think, just my opinion though. I think Sinclair had to gave up a little because NO ONE watches WNWO in Toledo and Sinclair wants to get Allbritton but Buckeye had filled complaints with the FCC over the negotiations which could of effected the deal. Again, just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
channel2 886 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Disney sure picked the wrong time to sell these stations. Of course, at the time that deal was struck the station market was slow and I imagine that Disney just wanted to be rid of them because of the blockbuster Marvel deal (Iger-era Disney tends to use major acquisitions as cues to unload assets they don't want anymore; the Pixar deal occurred around the time ABC Radio was divested to Citadel, and they divested most of their publishing operation to Hachette after the Lucasfilm deal; also, the news of Disney's abortive attempt to sell ABC itself got out not long after the Marvel deal was consummated). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1509 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Will they be Gray's largest markets as well? I wonder why they passed up on WENY and WSEE/WICU (although one of those would need to be turned off, no matter who buys them, since I don't think Erie can support three news operations)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
channel2 886 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 No, that would be Knoxville, where they own WVLT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhratbrat 423 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Music can stay the same, but improve the graphics somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrannical bastard 3496 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 It wouldn't surprise me if Gray makes a play for one of the divested Mobile stations, whether it's WKRG or WALA (and WFNA). If they can own a Knoxville station, Mobile's right up there. And if they're up to the task, either WIAT or WVTM are sale bait. Buying both markets would give a lot of weight in Alabama to pair with their powerhouse WTVY in Dothan, along with adjoining markets like Meridian (WTOK) and Panama City (WJHG). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrtraveler01 737 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 It wouldn't surprise me if Gray makes a play for one of the divested Mobile stations, whether it's WKRG or WALA (and WFNA). If they can own a Knoxville station, Mobile's right up there. And if they're up to the task, either WIAT or WVTM are sale bait. Buying both markets would give a lot of weight in Alabama to pair with their powerhouse WTVY in Dothan, along with adjoining markets like Meridian (WTOK) and Panama City (WJHG). Its possible. But they're going to have to put up a strong bid against Raycom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Its possible. But they're going to have to put up a strong bid against Raycom. Not in Birmingham though some have floated Nexstar for the Birmingham station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hathawaynson2 38 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Not in Birmingham though some have floated Nexstar for the Birmingham station. Nexstar in Birmingham?? sounds interesting to me. I thought Gray or Meredith might be interested in one of the divested stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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