Sinclair Broadcast Group - General Discussion

[Drew 158]

Looks like KIMA is moving toward the same as KNDO and KAPP, operating more as a small bureau serving the Tri-Cities. With the former KCYU FOX now branded regionally as FOX Yakima & Tri-Cities since its technically a digital channel of KIMA and doesn't belong to KCYU since that's now ROAR. With this market is consolidating, I wouldn’t be surprised if within the next couple of years most of KNDO/KNDU ends up being produced out of KHQ. with just a couple of local inserts and reporters in valley. The same will be for KAPP/KVEW out of KXLY. 

[VHSgoodiesWA 334]

UPDATE:

Looks like lights out for Yakima's first television station. RIP KIMA, 1953-2026 

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/business/kima-newscasts-apparently-moved-from-yakima-to-tri-cities-amid-ownership-changes/article_9ee73618-04de-4129-a252-68e3be4b480a.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

 

A Facebook comment on the YH-R from Steve Rocha (Morning guy on 100.9 Cherry FM) says John Kennedy O'Connor was seen at a brewery yesterday, close to news time. Casually dressed. I pray he ends up either in Pasco (with Scott) or in another amazing location. JKOC could be in Boise, Birmingham, or Binghamton and I'd still watch him. He was the best thing to happen to KIMA's news department in years.

[Drew 158]

If he was still with the station I am sure they would have announced something kinda like when KNDO stopped their Yakima only newscasts and the female anchor was moving to the Tri-Cities. They announced it. 

[VHSgoodiesWA 334]

I don't recall him saying anything on Monday night (the 30th). Just that we'll see you tomorrow, "join us for your local KIMA Action News at 11", etc.

This also affects the relatively new sports director, Austin Peppers, who took over Alan Sillence when he retired last January after a 31 year run at the station. He's young and hopefully will end up somewhere too.

[MarkBRollins88_v2 355]

On 2/7/2026 at 4:53 PM, JRyan said:

I'm still at a loss for words for why Sinclair/Rincon is choosing to consolidate at KOKI's facilities and not KTUL.  My assumption is that KTUL currently has the superior building and studio space - notwithstanding the cuts and partial merger with KOKH for newscasts.

 

An absolute tragedy for Tulsa is the only way to summarize this.

KOKI has a much superior facility. While the building itself is not new (built as a department store in the early 60s), it’s a much bigger and more modern facility than KTUL’s in Lookout mountain.

 

KOKI has space to build out multiple studios. It even has several thousand square feet of a now-unused event center operated in the building under clear channel. 
 

The building also houses a cluster of radio stations now KOKI is partners with. 
 

KOKI is also a much higher rated station.

 

Sinclair has run KTUL so far into the ground, many of its newscast see viewers in the hundreds, rather than thousands. 
 

KOKI is a solid #2 and on occasion still beats KOTV, though not like it used to under old Cox.

[ScottSchell 423]

KTUL had a 5pm and 6pm show but FOX23’s 10pm is on ABC and FOX here in Tulsa, but having been running their promos as normal during breaks. After watching the beginning of the newscast FOX23 said that there was technical difficulties at KTUL so they stepped up to air the newscast on the sister station.

Edited April 3 by ScottSchell

[norcalTVfan 58]

On 4/1/2026 at 8:58 PM, VHSgoodiesWA said:

UPDATE:

Looks like lights out for Yakima's first television station. RIP KIMA, 1953-2026 

https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/business/kima-newscasts-apparently-moved-from-yakima-to-tri-cities-amid-ownership-changes/article_9ee73618-04de-4129-a252-68e3be4b480a.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

 

A Facebook comment on the YH-R from Steve Rocha (Morning guy on 100.9 Cherry FM) says John Kennedy O'Connor was seen at a brewery yesterday, close to news time. Casually dressed. I pray he ends up either in Pasco (with Scott) or in another amazing location. JKOC could be in Boise, Birmingham, or Binghamton and I'd still watch him. He was the best thing to happen to KIMA's news department in years.

I was surprised to see JKO in Yakima. Didn’t seem his style. He was in Eureka, CA before where he anchored every weekday newscast, morning and night. It is a beautiful place. He seems to like the small markets. 

[ScottSchell 423]

Well as of this weekend KOKI has taken over KTUL’s weekend newscast from KOKH in OKC. But KOKH is still handling weekday mornings.

 

 

Edited April 6 by ScottSchell

[VHSgoodiesWA 334]

Rincon is selling. Verrrryyyy interesting.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/4/12/rincon-is-selling-off-their-stations

 

I have noticed that KIMA's Austin Peppers is still at the station doing sports in a cutaway with Ryan Rogers (at the KEPR studio). But no JKOC anymore. He's still listed on the KIMA website, however.

Would be interesting to see KIMA end up LMAed with Cowles or Morgan Murphy...but I wonder if Gray or Nexstar will try to buy them up (plus KEPR/KLEW)?

Edited April 14 by VHSgoodiesWA

[l_miro 245]

7 minutes ago, VHSgoodiesWA said:

Rincon is selling. Verrrryyyy interesting.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/4/12/rincon-is-selling-off-their-stations

 

I have noticed that KIMA's Austin Peppers is still at the station doing sports in a cutaway with Ryan Rogers (at the KEPR studio). But no JKOC anymore. He's still listed on the KIMA website, however.

Would be interesting to see KIMA end up LMAed with Cowles or Morgan Murphy...but I wonder if Gray or Nexstar will try to buy them up (plus KEPR/KLEW)?

 

Rincon has wanted to exit since at least last year

old news if you read this forum 

 

[NowBergen 924]

3 minutes ago, l_miro said:

 

Rincon has wanted to exit since at least last year

old news if you read this forum 

 

Scroll up and you will see the FCC filings 

[norcalTVfan 58]

3 hours ago, VHSgoodiesWA said:

Rincon is selling. Verrrryyyy interesting.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2026/4/12/rincon-is-selling-off-their-stations

 

I have noticed that KIMA's Austin Peppers is still at the station doing sports in a cutaway with Ryan Rogers (at the KEPR studio). But no JKOC anymore. He's still listed on the KIMA website, however.

Would be interesting to see KIMA end up LMAed with Cowles or Morgan Murphy...but I wonder if Gray or Nexstar will try to buy them up (plus KEPR/KLEW)?

Makes me wonder if JKOC had enough and bounced — and this is their interim solution. It is odd for there to be just sports cutaways and not news cutaways in these types of small-market arrangements, which makes me think this was unplanned and interim. If I gambled, I’d gamble on permanency unfortunately. 

[Megatron81 343]

Sinclair will buy the TV stations once again even if their just Diginets. 

[ScottSchell 423]

Update for KTUL/KOKI. Joie Bettenhausen at 8 said she went over the weekend to look at the FOX23 studios and that she is going to be recording multiple cooking with Joie segments because they don’t have a kitchen set at 23 as they prep for the move. She is moving over and sounds like she will be weekends over there just unknown if it will be mornings or the evenings. Also seems like all reporters are also moving but haven’t heard if Brenna Rose who anchors the weekday evenings will be moving.

Edited May 11 by ScottSchell

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

KUNS ARC Seattle (The CW) is the official home of the Seattle Storm and has announced today that all non-national exclusive games of the WNBA franchise will air on KUNS with select simulcasts on KOMO. That is 35 games right there.

 

https://komonews.com/news/local/where-to-watch-seattle-storm-wnba-announce-2026-local-broadcast-schedule-kuns-komo-news-tv-cw-seattle-refined

[FiveNews 482]

12 hours ago, ScottSchell said:

Update for KTUL/KOKI. Joie Bittenhousen at 8 said she went over the weekend to look at the FOX23 studios and that she is going to be recording multiple cooking with Joie segments because they don’t have a kitchen set at 23 as they prep for the move. She is moving over and sounds like she will be weekends over there just unknown if it will be mornings or the evenings. Also seems like all reporters are also moving but haven’t heard if Brenna Rose who anchors the weekday evenings will be moving.

Joie is a good talent. I enjoy her Tik Tok lives. I hope she finds a solid gig after Tulsa. I believe is from the Chicago area, she has a distinct sounding accent that is germane to the midwest.

[VHSgoodiesWA 334]

New branding for local news on KIMA/KEPR in central Washington as of today.

 

TRI-YAK News.

 

Call signs going away from their branding next, perhaps? "Tri-Yak CBS"?

 

The sports cutaways continue with Ryan Rogers at 19 and Austin Peppers at 29.

 

Imagine if they added KLEW to the branding. "Tri-Yak-Lew".

Try me, yak! 

Edited May 6 by VHSgoodiesWA

[norcalTVfan 58]

2 hours ago, VHSgoodiesWA said:

New branding for local news on KIMA/KEPR in central Washington as of today.

 

TRI-YAK News.

 

Call signs going away from their branding next, perhaps? "Tri-Yak CBS"?

 

The sports cutaways continue with Ryan Rogers at 19 and Austin Peppers at 29.

 

Imagine if they added KLEW to the branding. "Tri-Yak-Lew".

Try me, yak! 

With the FOX Memphis graphics which are a tad better than Sinclair’s

[mre29 1967]

14 hours ago, VHSgoodiesWA said:

New branding for local news on KIMA/KEPR in central Washington as of today.

 

TRI-YAK News.

 

 

 

Excuse me while I yack...in triplicate.

 

[JRyan 694]

Is Sinclair just incapable of branding things in a proper way these days?  I have a hard time believing even consultants signing off on that idea.

 

And here's a first look at the logo.

[VHSgoodiesWA 334]

There are still promos for the StormTrackers on KIMA Action News...the aforementioned logo on the lower right...the promos that pat themselves on the back for outstanding reporting...etc etc. Yet we have a different news branding at 5, 6, and 11.

Even the Facebook page still identifies as KEPR Action News.

 

A complete identity crisis at this point.

Edited May 6 by VHSgoodiesWA

[swaggyboi128 3]

10 hours ago, JRyan said:

Is Sinclair just incapable of branding things in a proper way these days?  I have a hard time believing even consultants signing off on that idea.

 

And here's a first look at the logo.

Are you sure we haven't time traveled to the mid-2000s?? That logo and that strap!

[mre29 1967]

13 hours ago, JRyan said:

Is Sinclair just incapable of branding things in a proper way these days?  I have a hard time believing even consultants signing off on that idea.

 

And here's a first look at the logo.

 

And those boys look so excited about it. 

 

[ScottSchell 423]

Tonight is KTUL’s last night on Lookout Mountain most staff has moved to KOKI’s studios with at least 3 more moving after tonight.

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 1158]

I am curious though... Sinclair is desperately overdue for a group-wide graphics refresh... Wonder if this is just an isolated case or are we about to see a new package soon??