Boston TV crisis: WHDH and WNEU

[rkolsen 1684]

It boils down to one simple question for NBC and Sunbeam to answer,

 

How much money are you willing to spend as NBC to get Ansin and Sunbeam Television out of the picture?

 

Because I bet you this to set up a station from scratch with a crappy signal over Boston, would cost NBC a whole lot more then $500 million dollars, Because the translator's owner who nobody is paying any attention here in this whole situation wants to get paid. Also, there is no guarantee you'll make it back with that signal and that translator into Boston. It might be cheaper for them to buy a station with a establish news team with established brand where it matters in a market like Boston.

 

Your crazy ass idea, A3N, Isn't crazy at all and might be how it goes down in the end as there is a lot of give and take and a way where everybody get something here. Ansin might get some money out of the deal by selling or building WNEU with a MNTV signal. and NBC gets free from Sunbeam and get a upgrade for Telemundo out of it as well.

 

EDIT:

Crazy idea of my own here, instead of a shell company get a third company in play for WNEU. If Telemundo moves from WNEU and WSBK get The CW. in this proposed situation. WNEU could get the MNTV affiliation. Perfect situation for a Sinclair or Nexstar to jump in on. More likely Sinclair because they know how to run a MNTV station. With that complication out of the way it would make it clear sailing for NBC and Sunbeam to make a deal here.

 

Correct if I'm wrong on this third owner hypothesis.

I was going to say if Comcast really wanted to keep WNEU (either as Telemundo or Satellite) maybe they could go the WCBS/WLNY root? Where CBS said the WLNY signal doesn't reach the population.

[NEOMatrix 1299]

The only other configuration I could see is NBC buying WHDH/WLVI and shifting Telemundo from 60 to 56. NBC could then either keep WNEU as a satellite of WLVI or WHDH. Done.

[Rusty Muck 4378]

The only other configuration I could see is NBC buying WHDH/WLVI and shifting Telemundo from 60 to 56. NBC could then either keep WNEU as a satellite of WLVI or WHDH. Done.

WNEU, despite being a Manchester signal, counts against Comcast in the Boston ownership cap department and would be a triopoly.

 

Hearst can own WCVB and WMUR because those are their only two properties.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

You don't see NBCUniversal acquire the CW Affiliate?

[MidwestTV 1232]

You don't see NBCUniversal acquire the CW Affiliate?

 

NBC doesn't want it, they just want WHDH. Plus as already mentioned, no way the FCC will let NBC have that much power in Boston.

[NewEnglandOne 17]

So all NBC has to do to get WHDH off Ansin's hand is $200 Million more then its $300 million offer and you get a improved signal for Telemundo out of it as well and you can make that $200 million back by selling WNEU in a spectrum auction.

 

WNEU has an opening bid value of $303,305,400 in the spectrum auction, but... (and it's a big but) there are FCC deadlines to file that the stations have to follow in order to be part of the auction. The same goes for WHDH & WLVI (which have $454,689,000 and $452,927,700 opening bids set). The December 18th deadline to file has already passed, whether it was or will be extended, I don't know.

 

The only other configuration I could see is NBC buying WHDH/WLVI and shifting Telemundo from 60 to 56. NBC could then either keep WNEU as a satellite of WLVI or WHDH. Done.

 

WNEU is a full-power television station, and counts towards the FCC ownership caps - if WNEU were a low-power, this would be possible.

 

Because I bet you this to set up a station from scratch with a crappy signal over Boston, would cost NBC a whole lot more then $500 million dollars, Because the translator's owner who nobody is paying any attention here in this whole situation wants to get paid. Also, there is no guarantee you'll make it back with that signal and that translator into Boston.

 

At this point, the only thing at issue is the signal penetration of WNEU - everything else is already happening. Would NBC like to acquire WHDH? Sure. Does that matter? Most likely not. Yes, there is cord cutting going on, but those percentages are small right now. Will more cord cutting happen in the future? Probably - but who knows what the future holds anyways, at that point NBC might be streaming stations like CBS.

 

At present, Boston has 96% cable/ADS penetration, and 4% over the air - those 4% are the only ones that could have signal issues if NBC can't come up with a solution. NBC also has the power to put the new NBC station in a prime location on cable with Comcast, so it will not be hard to find.

 

It might be cheaper for them to buy a station with a establish news team with established brand where it matters in a market like Boston.

 

NBC already has this with New England Cable News and WNEU. They have the broadcast facilities and infrastructure in place already. While NBC on WNEU won't be an established brand, NECN is.

 

NBC is also in the process of renovating NECN's facilities - including an upgrade to full HD. They've moved administrative functions to another building in the same industrial part. They are also expanding the newsroom, and building a second broadcast studio.

 

In addition, NBC is presently hiring anchors, reporters, photogs, and other staff in addition to what they already have in place for NECN. While it is tough to get viewers to change their habits, they may be successful if they hire the right talent. Pete Bouchard and a very likely Maria Stephanos are a good start. There are also other big names, but they are too deep in the rumor mill to mention right now.

 

There is a big investment for this, sure... but, even if NBC were to purchase WHDH, there would be a huge housecleaning and it would be integrated with NECN anyways. The WHDH broadcast center is certainly in a much better location, however, it is located in an Ansin owned office building built in 1970... and is in need of serious renovations.

 

If I were the decision maker at NBC, the only thing I would be interested in from Ansin would be his license for WHDH and the transmitter - but it would be a want, not a need.

[broadcastfan9751 140]

WNEU has an opening bid value of $303,305,400 in the spectrum auction, but... (and it's a big but) there are FCC deadlines to file that the stations have to follow in order to be part of the auction. The same goes for WHDH & WLVI (which have $454,689,000 and $452,927,700 opening bids set). The December 18th deadline to file has already passed, whether it was or will be extended, I don't know.

 

The deadline was extended to January 12, 2016.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

This is my opinion. If NBCUniversal acquire WHDH; it would be the largest newsplex in Boston Television with WNEU and NECN. Ansin would have to sell WLVI to

either Tegna or back to Tribune. And finally, Would you picture WHDH, WNEU, and NECN breaking ground on a brand new state-of-the-art facility somewhere in the

Boston area?

[NewEnglandOne 17]

This is my opinion. If NBCUniversal acquire WHDH; it would be the largest newsplex in Boston Television with WNEU and NECN. Ansin would have to sell WLVI to

either Tegna or back to Tribune. And finally, Would you picture WHDH, WNEU, and NECN breaking ground on a brand new state-of-the-art facility somewhere in the

Boston area?

With all the money they are putting into upgrading their NECN facility in Newton, MA, even if they ended up buying WHDH, I doubt they would move from Newton.

[NewEnglandOne 17]

The deadline was extended to January 12, 2016.

Which is not far away... though, it's the government... it's their habit to delay and extend

[Dantheflash2014 14]

With all the money they are putting into upgrading their NECN facility in Newton, MA, even if they ended up buying WHDH, I doubt they would move from Newton.

 

Remeber: #1. Tribune can't buy back WLVI due to FCC 39% cap, #2 Tribune might sell some station to minority-owned broadcasters intending to operate them independently, and moved their existing programming and network affiliations to digital subchannels like Sinclair, Gray and Nexstar.

[bostonmediaguy 123]

This is my opinion. If NBCUniversal acquire WHDH; it would be the largest newsplex in Boston Television with WNEU and NECN. Ansin would have to sell WLVI to

either Tegna or back to Tribune. And finally, Would you picture WHDH, WNEU, and NECN breaking ground on a brand new state-of-the-art facility somewhere in the

Boston area?

 

You do realize that the WNEU and NECN news staff are the same, right?

 

There will be no groundbreaking. NECN's broadcast facilities are located just outside of Boston in the Newton/Needham area.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

You do realize that the WNEU and NECN news staff are the same, right?

 

There will be no groundbreaking. NECN's broadcast facilities are located just outside of Boston in the Newton/Needham area.

 

You saying the staff of 7News will move to the NECN building, that is if NBC buys WHDH.

[bostonmediaguy 123]

You saying the staff of 7News will move to the NECN building, that is if NBC buys WHDH.

 

I'm saying if NBC buys WHDH then the WHDH news staff is, for the most part, dissolved.

[mardek1995 200]

I'm saying if NBC buys WHDH then the WHDH news staff is, for the most part, dissolved.

Which NBC buying WHDH is very unlikely.

[Rusty Muck 4378]

At this point, the only thing at issue is the signal penetration of WNEU - everything else is already happening. Would NBC like to acquire WHDH? Sure. Does that matter? Most likely not. Yes, there is cord cutting going on, but those percentages are small right now. Will more cord cutting happen in the future? Probably - but who knows what the future holds anyways, at that point NBC might be streaming stations like CBS.

 

At present, Boston has 96% cable/ADS penetration, and 4% over the air - those 4% are the only ones that could have signal issues if NBC can't come up with a solution. NBC also has the power to put the new NBC station in a prime location on cable with Comcast, so it will not be hard to find.

 

But that glosses over the fact that NBC will become a total non-factor in the market at-large by moving to a Manchester, NH rimshot. It's all about OTA, OTA and OTA. Forget cable penetration... that is an absolutely ignorant stance which brushes over the cord-cutters and cord-nevers. It's thrown Disney into a near panic because ESPN is totally dependent on the cable bundle for survival.

 

Here is why OTA matters. When WTVJ's intellectual property moved to analog channel 6, with a transmitter in Homestead, WTVJ experienced a slow and precipitous drop in the ratings. (It wasn't the only thing, but it was a major thing.) It wasn't until the DTV conversion - when WTVJ reclaimed a full-market OTA signal on the original channel 4 tower site - that they could start some sort of a rebound.

 

If NBC wants to become the laughingstock of the entire television industry, they can go right ahead. Because that is all they will become with WNEU. A laughingstock.

 

NBC already has this with New England Cable News and WNEU. They have the broadcast facilities and infrastructure in place already. While NBC on WNEU won't be an established brand, NECN is.

 

NBC is also in the process of renovating NECN's facilities - including an upgrade to full HD. They've moved administrative functions to another building in the same industrial part. They are also expanding the newsroom, and building a second broadcast studio.

 

In addition, NBC is presently hiring anchors, reporters, photogs, and other staff in addition to what they already have in place for NECN. While it is tough to get viewers to change their habits, they may be successful if they hire the right talent. Pete Bouchard and a very likely Maria Stephanos are a good start. There are also other big names, but they are too deep in the rumor mill to mention right now.

 

All that looks well on paper. But all those people will be going to a place that will get zero viewers. NECN will suffer needlessly when NBC shutters the entire news department five years from now because of persistent hash marks for ratings at WNEU.

 

There is a big investment for this, sure... but, even if NBC were to purchase WHDH, there would be a huge housecleaning and it would be integrated with NECN anyways. The WHDH broadcast center is certainly in a much better location, however, it is located in an Ansin owned office building built in 1970... and is in need of serious renovations.

When did they move there... when Ansin bought the station? Or has channel 7 been there since the RKO General days?

 

If I were the decision maker at NBC, the only thing I would be interested in from Ansin would be his license for WHDH and the transmitter - but it would be a want, not a need.

If I were the decision maker at NBC, I'd take a chill pill and engage in some serious introspection before making a decision as reckless as pulling the affiliation off of a full-power, full-market OTA in favor of a station no one will tune into because the full-power station doesn't want to sell.

[Rusty Muck 4378]

I'm saying if NBC buys WHDH then the WHDH news staff is, for the most part, dissolved.

Should Comcast buy WHDH, they will pick and choose who wants to stay. Those who aren't retained will assuredly move down to Miami. Simple as that.

 

Plus, as Ansin owns the building which houses the current WHDH studios, it's pretty straightforward.

[Breaking News 829]

What... what does that have to do with anything?

And Disney doesn't buy TV stations. Didn't anyone learn from the sale of WJLA? ANYONE???? THEY DON'T BUY STATIONS!!!

 

 

I was asking someone their opinion. I know they don't buy stations, but if you had went up several conversation you would see why I asked the question, so what the problem?

[rkolsen 1684]

I'm saying if NBC buys WHDH then the WHDH news staff is, for the most part, dissolved.

 

I don't think the new staff would be let go aside from behind the scenes positions. NBC would be pretty stupid to clear house and bring in NECN talent to broadcast on WHDH. There may be some synergies but if NBC makes any drastic changes they could tank the news department. People go to WHDH because of its tabloidy format and if there's a subtle changes then it may work.

[Rusty Muck 4378]

I was asking someone their opinion. I know they don't buy stations, but if you had went up several conversation you would see why I asked the question, so what the problem?

Regardless of the justification, that scenario (ABC buying WFAA) is so out of the realm of reality. That is not opinion but a cold, hard fact. Especially since Tegna isn't selling the erstwhile Belo flagship, and ABC's last station purchase was WTVG/WJRT in the CapCities era.

 

Disney doesn't buy TV stations. End of story.

[Rusty Muck 4378]

I don't think the new staff would be let go aside from behind the scenes positions. NBC would be pretty stupid to clear house and bring in NECN talent to broadcast on WHDH. There may be some synergies but if NBC makes any drastic changes they could tank the news department. People go to WHDH because of its tabloidy format and if there's a subtle changes then it may work.

If WHDH takes a WTVJ-esque presentation, it can work. A traditional format won't work.

 

Moving out of the NewsPlex into the NECN-Telemundo campus is likely a fait accompli, however.

[TVNewsLover 782]

Regardless of the justification, that scenario (ABC buying WFAA) is so out of the realm of reality. That is not opinion but a cold, hard fact. Especially since Tegna isn't selling the erstwhile Belo flagship, and ABC's last station purchase was WTVG/WJRT in the CapCities era.

 

Disney doesn't buy TV stations. End of story.

I get your point, but you're kind of wrong. As some already brought up earlier, there was interest on Disney's part in buying WJLA. However, Albritton was not interested in selling their stations piecemeal.

[BosTVwatcher 4]

People go to WHDH because of its tabloidy format

 

This.

 

Even if Ansin has to operate 7 as a CW affil, he'll be just fine. The brand is, and always has been, 7NEWS. Notice how when you see the WHDH logo, it's a giant 7NEWS with the network logos really small underneath it? Or how they subtly changed the 56 logo so it says CW56 with LVI under the 56? Or how there's next to no on-air references to NBC? You'll hear the occassional 7NBC but the star of the show is 7NEWS. They've been gearing up for this for a while. If the lead-in audience was really that important for them, then 7 would have been getting trounced at 11 for years while NBC sucked wind, and the 10pm lead in on 56? Forget about it. WBZ should have been kicking ass with that primetime lineup, but instead they were duking it out with Judge Joe Brown for the basement. The lead-in will prop up a worse product on a better network, but people tune into 7 for the NEWS.

 

If NBC is going to half-ass an offer to Ansin, then they're vastly underestimating him and the market in general. 7 owns the 18-34, network or not. Just the fact that the name NBC Boston is getting tossed around; the station is licensed to New Hampshire and they're calling it NBC Boston. Yeah, having talent like Stephanos will get you name recognition and some disgruntled ex-25 viewers, but 25 was never competitive at 5 or 6 with her, and they've had a news department since the mid-90s. Their success at 10 is more indicitavite of my point above where good ratings can prop up their product.

Adding yet another corporate cookie-cutter newscast is exactly what the market is looking for, just ask the folks at BZ when it was CBS4. So if NBC wants to go ahead and move, let 'em! The 5-10a edition of Today in New England, hour long 6pm newscast, and simulcasted 10pm show on 7 and 56 will do just fine. In fact, it'll probably hurt the other corporate outlets more than it hurts 7.

[Breaking News 829]

Regardless of the justification, that scenario (ABC buying WFAA) is so out of the realm of reality. That is not opinion but a cold, hard fact. Especially since Tegna isn't selling the erstwhile Belo flagship, and ABC's last station purchase was WTVG/WJRT in the CapCities era.

 

Disney doesn't buy TV stations. End of story.

I know there not buying any stations period, but to the person I was just asking their opinion, and was being sarcastic as well too. You came off as rude, and again we know Disney not looking for any stations. You might want to take a deep breath dude.

[Rusty Muck 4378]

I get your point, but you're kind of wrong. As some already brought up earlier, there was interest on Disney's part in buying WJLA. However, Albritton was not interested in selling their stations piecemeal.

How far did Disney go beyond the asking stage? Allbritton was a far-flung chain of mid-market and small-market stations, plus WJLA. They set themselves up so that S!nclair was the only possible buyer. You could consider WJLA to be an exception, albeit with a giant asterisk next to it, because Disney was pining for something that was otherwise unattainable.

 

I know there not buying any stations period, but to the person I was just asking their opinion, and was being sarcastic as well too. You came off as rude, and again we know Disney not looking for any stations. You might want to take a deep breath dude.

That type of a post was also a callback joke. Other posters have deliberately gone over the top in positing the same exact message, what with the comically enlarged fonts and all caps for yelling and stuff.