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Sinclair, Tribune Close to Merger Deal


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I notice that Hampton Roads and Wilkes Barre-Scranton aren't mentioned on the list of conflict markets.

 

We see what you're doing, guys.

 

It could be because they are under Dreamcatcher ownership technically right now? Hampton Roads doesn't need that much work to make legal (probably the easiest of all the conflicts). But Scranton-Wilkes-Barre is a mess right now. Keeping WNEP would likely force the WOLF+ LMAs to be terminated.

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They also said that if there any changes to the local TV ownership rule (specifically the current duopoly rules), they will amend its applications. Boy, they're really banking on Pai to swiftly change the rules. That's a very gutsy move.

 

On a footnote on page 26, they also said this, regarding the cap:

 

But I do agree with you, I doubt that Congress is going to act on raising the ownership cap, at least while this transaction is happening. And if they want this deal done by the end of this year.

 

And should they actually have to make divestitures, are they going to sell it to independent buyers or going back to playing "shell games" (aka Stealfielding & Cunningrabbing). Which of the 6% they going to divest? I'll leave that to the speculatron.

_____________________________

 

What I'm kind of surprised is that they mentioned that they might have to divest either WXIN or WTTV. Is WTTV still in 5th place or no? They might update that should they get recent number, similar to MG and Nexstar waiting on the ranking.for the Hampton Roads & New Mexico, during those transactions.

 

They're also asking for a temporary waiver to operate WCGV until they get the auction proceeds. So this basically means once they get the money, this would probably be the same set up like Vegas where the MyNet get moved to a subchannel of one of the other stations. And the surviving duopoly will be WVTV & WITI.

 

Also they're asking for satellite waivers for KFCT & WTTK, and failed waivers for KXNW & WCCT.

I really don't expect Sinclair to make amendments changed on the licenses especially if the Justice Deparment forces divestitures of stations in markets like Seattle, Okalhoma City, St. Louis, West Michigan, etc.

 

Thankfully Oklahoma City and Seattle (for now) has been sparred from a quadropoly

They admit (pages 13 onward) that they will likely have to divest stations. Let's face it, there is no way any moves are going to get through Congress anytime soon.

Wow, good work. Looks more like a takeover than a merger, No Tribune execs will remain at all. If I were at Tribune I'd be worried. Actually, if I owned Sinclair stock I'd be worried - I don't think their 3rd Tier leadership is going to be able to handle their 2nd Tier Media Acquisitions, I see huge changes to come at Tribune's Top Properties, especially NY, Chicago and L.A., Chicago is going to be a slaughterhouse.

... I see huge changes to come at Tribune's Top Properties, especially NY, Chicago and L.A., Chicago is going to be a slaughterhouse.

The Chicago slaughterhouses Upton Sinclair detailed in "The Jungle" will not compare to the upcoming Sinclair Chicago slaughterhouse gleefully run by the Smith Clan.

I really don't expect Sinclair to make amendments changed on the licenses especially if the Justice Deparment forces divestitures of stations in markets like Seattle, Okalhoma City, St. Louis, West Michigan, etc.

With Racist Keebler Elf Jefferson Beauregard Sessions in charge of this DOJ? I'm not holding my breath. Maybe assistant DOJ chief Rod Rothenstein forces the issue, but that department is farked up enough as it is.

 

As for Seattle and OKC, if there are divestures, it will be the lower-tier stations. Tossing KCPQ/KXJO to Fox is a foregone conclusion. A sidecar or Stirik will get the lower stations in OKC, possibly inviting subchannel madness. Dreamcatcher will be "detached" in the loosest sense of the word because of the WOLF 56 arrangement and operated (semi-?)independently, where they can determine who buys them up.

 

Other than that, expect virtually next to no divestures whatsoever.

With Racist Keebler Elf Jefferson Beauregard Sessions in charge of this DOJ? I'm not holding my breath. Maybe assistant DOJ chief Rod Rothenstein forces the issue, but that department is farked up enough as it is.

 

As for Seattle and OKC, if there are divestures, it will be the lower-tier stations. Tossing KCPQ/KXJO to Fox is a foregone conclusion. A sidecar or Stirik will get the lower stations in OKC, possibly inviting subchannel madness. Dreamcatcher will be "detached" in the loosest sense of the word because of the WOLF 56 arrangement and operated (semi-?)independently, where they can determine who buys them up.

 

Other than that, expect virtually next to no divestures whatsoever.

As far as the Justice Department is concerned while I'm not holding my breath on this one either, I still feel confident that the DOJ will follow through and force the divestitures, as far as Seattle is concerned it's been known since the beginning that KCPQ-KZJO was going to 21st Century Fox, all Sinclair has to do is pull the trigger and sell it. That's the 2 things we both can agree.

 

The only market where we both have a disagreement over is Oklahoma City because, the FCC ain't going to allow Sinclair to own 4 stations in ONE MARKET (unless Chairman Pai decides to give Sinclair a special waiver to keep KOKH, KOCB, KFOR and KAUT without any divestitures) and for the Dreamcatcher stations as GoldenShine9 said above my post, Sinclair would just acquire WNEP and terminate the LMAs between WOLF, WQMY and WSWB and probably the easiest market to divest is Norfolk-Hampton Roads, without a doubt, Sinclair keeps WGNT and WTVZ goes to either TEGNA or Nexstar and forms a duopoly with either WVEC or WAVY.

 

I think one of the biggest wild cards in Indianapolis (WXIN-WTTV/WTTK) this situation is similar to that of New Mexico between KRQE and KASA (which Nexstar ended up keeping KRQE and selling KASA off) and depending on where WTTV ranks one of them may have to be divested in Indianapolis.

With Racist Keebler Elf Jefferson Beauregard Sessions in charge of this DOJ? I'm not holding my breath. Maybe assistant DOJ chief Rod Rothenstein forces the issue, but that department is farked up enough as it is.

 

As for Seattle and OKC, if there are divestures, it will be the lower-tier stations. Tossing KCPQ/KXJO to Fox is a foregone conclusion. A sidecar or Stirik will get the lower stations in OKC, possibly inviting subchannel madness. Dreamcatcher will be "detached" in the loosest sense of the word because of the WOLF 56 arrangement and operated (semi-?)independently, where they can determine who buys them up.

 

Other than that, expect virtually next to no divestures whatsoever.

 

Hello, Myron.

1. Don't you mean KZJO?

2. Respectfully, I am among those who hope for more than one network-owned television station in Seattle in a good way and do hope 21CF would buy KCPQ and KZJO, among others.

I really don't expect Sinclair to make amendments changed on the licenses especially if the Justice Deparment forces divestitures of stations in markets like Seattle, Okalhoma City, St. Louis, West Michigan, etc.

 

Thankfully Oklahoma City and Seattle (for now) has been sparred from a quadropoly

 

I really thought that Fox17 was going to be shelled out to one of Sinclair shells and become a de facto Sinclair stations. I was happy when I saw that WXMI was in divest stations from TV News Check. I see Gray, Scripps, Meredith, Raycom buying Fox17. I'm surprise that Hearst doesn't know Fox stations I would think they would want to be in the West Michigan market?

I really thought that Fox17 was going to be shelled out to one of Sinclair shells and become a de facto Sinclair stations. I was happy when I saw that WXMI was in divest stations from TV News Check. I see Gray, Scripps, Meredith, Raycom buying Fox17. I'm surprise that Hearst doesn't know Fox stations I would think they would want to be in the West Michigan market?

Truthfully, I think Hearst end up with WTTV-WTTK (IF the FCC asks Sinclair to address Indianapolis), Meredith ends up with WXMI and WPMT, Raycom with WGHP, Cox gets KOKH-KOCB and KSTU (BTW i expect Sinclair to eventually move the MyNetworkTV affiliation to KJZZ and either make KMYU as a repeator of KUTV or just completely shut down operations) and last, but not least, 21st Century Fox ends up with KCPQ-KZJO and possibly KRCW if Sinclair elects not to use Deerfield or Cunningham with KRCW.

 

The other conflict stations which Sinclair will use sidecards on:

 

KDSM/Des Moines

WOLF-WQMY-WSWB/Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

WRLH/Richmond

WTVZ/Norfolk (Sinclair will either use Deerfield for WTVZ, sell WTVZ off to either Nexstar or TEGNA or shut WTVZ down and move MyNetworkTV programming over to one of WTKR's digital subchannels)

 

Overall out of the 10 conflict markets identified in the paperwork, Sinclair will end up divesting 10-12 stations and using Deerfield/Cunningham on 3-5 stations

 

That might be the biggest treatment that this story ever gets.

That's scary.

 

Too bad 60 minutes couldn't do nineteen freaking minutes on this subject. It could have also been a great news piece.

 

I guess if we have to get the kiddies to eat their news peas...we need to put a lot of sugar on them peas..

That might be the biggest treatment that this story ever gets.

That's scary.

 

Too bad 60 minutes couldn't do nineteen freaking minutes on this subject. It could have also been a great news piece.

And that's the problem.

 

What if a network news department put together an introspective piece on Sinclair, to say nothing of an investigative piece, and Sinclair orders all of their stations affiliated with the network to not carry it? What if that has already happened, and such a story was quietly spiked with no one noticing?

 

Basically, Sinclair can wield their power over any and all of the broadcast networks to suppress any content critical of them. It goes way beyond the Smith family being overt Republican supporters. They can also use their influence to shut down any website critical of them, or threaten to do so unless certain conditions are met. Oh hai, FTVLive.

 

It's a dark, bleak future ahead. Would that we all be among the KBEX sharks instead, in perfect harmony.

And that's the problem.

 

What if a network news department put together an introspective piece on Sinclair, to say nothing of an investigative piece, and Sinclair orders all of their stations affiliated with the network to not carry it? What if that has already happened, and such a story was quietly spiked with no one noticing?

 

Basically, Sinclair can wield their power over any and all of the broadcast networks to suppress any content critical of them. It goes way beyond the Smith family being overt Republican supporters. They can also use their influence to shut down any website critical of them, or threaten to do so unless certain conditions are met. Oh hai, FTVLive.

 

It's a dark, bleak future ahead. Would that we all be among the KBEX sharks instead, in perfect harmony.

 

Ahhh....

But they paid for the right to do so...and TV owners have been doing editorials for years.

Democrats are champions of FREE Speech right?

 

Sinclair 's "Speech" is protected by the first amendment right? You support free speech I assume. I assume you would also support free speech unconditionally.

 

...Unless you do not support the right to free speech by free people...in a free country..

 

( Stop me if my freedom "offends" because of PERCEIVED BAISED one may have)

 

Sinclair will not make or break American politics, the public is smarter...and who is foolish enough to believe that the wise democrat voters would ever fall for such foolery.

 

Too many other influences out there. Sinclair is nothing to fret about as the average liberal is much too wise fall for anything stupid like that.

The democratic messaging as much too strong for that. After all...the majority of people are democrats right???

 

Lets worry about real stuff...

Lets debate stuff of real importance...not manufactured fake Russian"crisis" that is designed to never end.

 

That's it.

Done

fin

(peace out)

This LWT piece really opened my eyes to what Sinclair is really like, proving much of what I heard here is not as absurd as I previously thought.

 

While it was a great, brutal take-down; I can't help but feel that when their acquisition of Tribune is done, they're going to make television an even more bleak,, scary and moronic dump of biased and weak opinion programming under more and more of what feels like a monopoly.

Ahhh....

But they paid for the right to do so...and TV owners have been doing editorials for years.

 

Sinclair will not make or break American politics, the public is smarter...and who is foolish enough to believe that the wise democrat voters would ever fall for such foolery.

 

Too many other influences out there. Sinclair is nothing t fret about as the average liberal is much, much wiser tom fall for anything

"trump". The democratic messaging as much too strong for that.

 

If Sinclair attacked the networks, they could retaliate in pulling their affiliations from those stations en masse...even though in some markets the alternatives are very limited other than piping in other markets' stations on cable...

If Sinclair attacked the networks, they could retaliate in pulling their affiliations en masse...

And Sinclair can sue them for breach of contract. With the rubber stamp puppet justices Trump will install, Sinclair could very well defeat the networks regardless of the defense, just because the Smith Clan can buy their OWN justice.

 

See Peter Theil and Gawker. "Justice" is for sale to the highest bidder.

This LWT piece really opened my eyes to what Sinclair is really like, proving much of what I heard here is not as absurd as I previously thought.

 

While it was a great, brutal take-down; I can't help but feel that when their acquisition of Tribune is done, they're going to make television an even more bleak,, scary and moronic dump of biased and weak opinion programming under more and more of what feels like a monopoly.

 

On the bright side, Ring of Honor Wrestling on Saturday nights and Sharyl Attkisson on Sunday mornings!

Honestly, if they didn't have Comet & KidsClick, I would (and still will) avoid anything and everything they own like the plague. Especially because WPHL (a station I watched regularly since I was a baby) is going to change under them for the worst. (yeah, I'm moping, but it's imminent).

On the bright side, Sheryl Atkisson on Sunday mornings!

On the other hand...that actually made me smile a little. Thanks.

And Sinclair can sue them for breach of contract. With the rubber stamp puppet justices Trump will install, Sinclair could very well defeat the networks regardless of the defense, just because the Smith Clan can buy their OWN justice.

 

See Peter Theil and Gawker. "Justice" is for sale to the highest bidder.

 

 

Gawker lost in a court of law...fair and square.

 

We have public defenders, ACLU and fee waivers for the poor and under represented in court cases of all types.

 

Are you saying the Smiths are bribing or manipulating the courts in some unfair way?

Shall we discuss the manipulation of the courts over the last 25 years?

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