Greggo 340 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 That will be a huge boon for KRGV (which is already dominant), as well as the Tegna cluster to a lesser extent. In El Paso, KVIA is the market leader? KVIA and KFOX, which Sinclair bought from Cox a few years back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbnews 344 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 I know Sinclair's gonna hub everything now, but what about other stations? I don't think they would leave. I bet there'll be some public uproar, but not overnight, just like with the whole Sinclair-Tribune deal. Don't worry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NowBergen 486 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 If anything’s going to derail the Sinclair/Trib deal, it’s THIS: It’s one thing to hub a show that was already LMAed like WOLF or a bottom-dweller like WNWO—it’s quite another to do this to a lot of markets where the affected stations are competitive. EDIT: And now we know why this can go forward: The Main Studio Rule just got axed: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/index/article/id/108343 Actually, FCC rulings today that no longer require local studios, Sinclair will do more and more of this until there are 5 regional hubs supplying news with little localization. I guess NewsCentral was a head of its time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasTVNews 1366 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 KVIA and KFOX, which Sinclair bought from Cox a few years back. KVIA is owned by NPG (News-Press & Gazette) not by Sinclair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4168 Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Actually, FCC rulings today that no longer require local studios, Sinclair will do more and more of this until there are 5 regional hubs supplying news with little localization. I guess NewsCentral was a head of its time. And what’s to say Tegna, Nexstar, NBC, Scripps, Fox and CBS can’t do the same thing? You’re all looking at it the wrong way. No one will “benefit” from Paid Off’s craven move here. Unless you work for an employment agency, as this has all the makings of an economic implosion a la Youngstown, Ohio in 1977 thanks to Sinclair and competitors consolidating en masse. This move was totally expected because corrupt Trump Regime lackeys like Paid Off do this. But it will result in a devastating blow for an industry already on the ropes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrannical bastard 3471 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Today's decision is damning for the future of local broadcasting in general. Sure, most companies will still do the right thing and keep a local presence with some degree of locality. And your sat-casters there to only put out a must-carry signal doing the bare minimum by FCC rules can now breathe a sigh of relief since they are no longer "obligated" to have a local physical presence, aside from their antenna. This could be a savior of the radio industry...because it's so hubbed (and leveraged...especially iHeart and Cumulus), they will be the first to take advantage and eliminate any excess "obligation" to their communities to save themselves and the industry they helped ruin thanks to de-regulation... And of course, the Heathens of Hunt Valley could very well take advantage of this new development...and do anything behind the scenes to save some $$$ to produce their so-called brand of "local news"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daybreak 269 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I've been hoping this deal gets denied but it seems like that is less likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 743 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 And of course, the Heathens of Hunt Valley could very well take advantage of this new development...and do anything behind the scenes to save some $$$ to produce their so-called brand of "local news"... How long before Sinclair decides to close down WPMI's studio operations and hub everything out of Pensacola? Or Birmingham? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJClementeFan69 477 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I don't think the studio rule change will affect anything. If Sinclair wanted to hub TX newscasts, there's nothing that would have stopped them before. Look at WNWO and WOLF. The main studio rule didn't keep that from happening. Hopefully this is just a rumor, but I wouldn't put it past SBG to try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroCity 247 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 If the San Antonio hubbing happens, what happens to the anchorless Newsfix newscasts Tribune does in Dallas and Houston? Do they survive where they are, or are they replaced by a traditional hubbed anchor format? And what about Eyeopener (or whatever it's called now)? Since that's distributed to a handful of other Tribune stations, does it stay in Dallas, or would that go to San Antonio as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.L. Hughes 752 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Newsmax CEO and Trump friend(?) Chris Ruddy criticized the deal once again in a Washington Post article. While most of his concerns have a kernel of truth, his claim that NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox would try to grow their station portfolios to the same expanse that Sinclair is trying to do not only has a partisan tilt but also notes a scenario that Sinclair-Tribune may have made a little less likely. CBS is the only network that has indicated that any changes to FCC national ownership caps would incentivise it to acquire more stations; Fox, of course, backed out of acquiring Tribune, while ABC and NBC have been lukewarm about or denied that they would make acquisitions. The possibility of the O&O groups of the major networks expanding to 70%+ of the country is something that could happen, as we've seen in Canada, when the CRTC got rid of national caps a couple decades ago, leading to CTV, City, CBC and Global owning most or all of their stations. But for that to happen in America, that would require Disney, NBCUniversal, CBS and 21st Century Fox to engage in takeovers of every major station group (Hearst, Scripps, Nexstar, Meredith, Raycom, etc., and yes, even Sinclair), and make piecemeal buys of stations within those groups that are affiliated with their respective OTA networks since there aren't many groups left that maintain primary affiliations with only one major network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSSZNews 1046 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The possibility of the O&O groups of the major networks expanding to 70%+ of the country is something that could happen...But for that to happen in America, that would require Disney, NBCUniversal, CBS and 21st Century Fox to engage in takeovers of every major station group (Hearst, Scripps, Nexstar, Meredith, Raycom, etc., and yes, even Sinclair), on a piecemeal basis since there aren't many groups that maintain primary affiliations with only one major network. If the FCC does raise the cap, paired with the studio rule gone, I can see at least one network trying it. It depends on how much they hate Sinclair or see them as a threat to their own business model when it comes to reverse comp. All a net has to do is yank the contract the next time it’s up, buy a LP station for a pittance, run news out of whatever larger O&O market is closest or is most convenient, open a sales office, add a few MMJs, and take all the revenue for itself. See: NBC Boston/WHDH. That would be one way to make Sinclair’s stations worthless pretty quick. It very well could be FOX that takes the first step. They’re basically doing it now with WOFL/WOGX and no one cares, and if you recall they almost bought KBCB on a knee-jerk reaction over KCPQ. I think they’d pull the trigger. Also making this a bit easier—anyone else here think Scripps and Meredith exist in broadcast TV in the next 10 years? I kinda don’t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The FCC has no authority to raise or modify the ownership cap. Only Congress does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrabbleship 427 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 If the FCC does raise the cap, paired with the studio rule gone, I can see at least one network trying it. It depends on how much they hate Sinclair or see them as a threat to their own business model when it comes to reverse comp. All a net has to do is yank the contract the next time it’s up, buy a LP station for a pittance, run news out of whatever larger O&O market is closest or is most convenient, open a sales office, add a few MMJs, and take all the revenue for itself. See: NBC Boston/WHDH. That would be one way to make Sinclair’s stations worthless pretty quick. It very well could be FOX that takes the first step. They’re basically doing it now with WOFL/WOGX and no one cares, and if you recall they almost bought KBCB on a knee-jerk reaction over KCPQ. I think they’d pull the trigger. Isn't WOGX an exception since they're in the same spot they were in under Meredith years ago? The rest of this would make a great Speculatron post to be honest. Also making this a bit easier—anyone else here think Scripps and Meredith exist in broadcast TV in the next 10 years? I kinda don’t. I think that Graham is also short for this world and I think that inevitably Cox and Hearst would mash up a la Journal/Scripps with one brand getting print and the other broadcast. This would pave a path for Fox to buy WFXT for a third time if it came to be since I would be shocked if Fox didn't have a right to first refusal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.L. Hughes 752 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The FCC has no authority to raise or modify the ownership cap. Only Congress does. But doesn't the FCC outline a proposal for modification of the ownership cap that is then sent to Congress? (As an aside, I don't see why other changes to media ownership rules are delegated solely to the FCC, if Congress has the partial authority to change the national cap upon FCC proposition.) However, considering the grueling legislative agenda that Congress now has to undertake, partially caused by Trump punting some parts to Congress through his executive orders, raising the cap might be low on their to-do list. It very well could be FOX that takes the first step. They’re basically doing it now with WOFL/WOGX. In that instance, WOGX isn't solely centralcasted, since it basically operates as a semi-satellite of WOFL, carrying most of that station's syndicated programming (even if some of them may be scheduled in different timeslots between the Orlando and Gainesville markets) and newscasts. A more analogous example would be with Tegna's West Texas Fox stations KIDY and KXVA, which operate from the same facility in Abilene, share syndicated shows and simulcast a local morning show, but carry separate evening newscasts and airs the syndicated shows they both carry on a bit of a randomized schedule between the San Angelo and Abilene stations. One more thing, with the chorus of groups and individuals who have voiced opposition to the sale, why haven't the networks made a peep? For ABC, NBC, CBS/CW and Fox, they have full reason to pressure the FCC to kill the deal, because they don't want a precedent set to where other private station groups attempt to buy up stations to come close to having the reach Sinclair wants. It would hurt them in their pocket books, because reverse comp and retrans revenue partially accrued from it makes up a substantial portion of their revenue nowadays, and an enlarged Sinclair would squeeze out some of the revenue that they want from those sources. Groups like Scripps, Weigel and others also should oppose the deal because of a concern that Sinclair would favor the six in-house diginets it would have if the deal closes to fill subchannel space over outside networks. The networks are the biggest voices, and probably, the only ones at this rate who could put enough pressure on the FCC to deny the acquisition, since they have more clout than anybody to sway the votes among one or more of the Commission's three Republicans to Hindenburg the Sinclair-Tribune merger. The only major companies that have voiced opposition so far have been TMobile and Dish Network. That, plus the outcry from anti-consolidation organizations, may not be enough, I fear, to convince Pai, O'Rielly and/or Carr to flip their sure "yes" votes to "no" votes whenever the deal comes up for final approval. Maybe members of the public that have educated themselves on the matter and spell out the consequences for broadcast networks to the networks, in addition to virally educating those still in the dark about what the merger would entail. They need to be the Jeff Flakes and Bob Corkers of this situation and stand up, even if it's mainly because the networks' own interests are at stake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRob 920 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 The main-studio rule wasn't much of an impediment anyway. We're just accelerating the inevitable, the consolidation and centralization of media in this country. Radio operators have been getting studio waivers for years. We've gone from competing newspapers to a single newspaper in most cities. Many radio stations are voice-tracked or programmed from afar. In the future, a single local TV station may remain while the rest operate either as regional hubs or mouthpieces for national networks. As far as Sinclair goes, I would not be surprised if, when the deal is complete, the company tries to make its former Tribune properties do more news for nearby smaller markets. Why sign a news-producing deal with a competitor in Wichita? Just make Kansas City do it. Why have news in Kirksville? Make St. Louis do it. Never mind many stations are at their physical limits both for production capabilities, and what humans can accomplish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha 2878 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 There's no real place to put it, but I do imagine we'll see hubbing in cases where there's already a tendency toward it (the Yakima market being a very prime example of this). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oklahomanewsman 210 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Oklahoma City and Tulsa should be safe from the hubbing at Sinclair, Fort Smith, Columbia/Jefferson City, smaller markets within my region I'm concerned about it. (I don't include Wichita because KSAS' newscast is already outsourced to a different station in the Wichita market anyway so even if it were to be hubbed in Oklahoma City, Tulsa or Kansas City, nothing will really change there anyway) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggo 340 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 KVIA is owned by NPG (News-Press & Gazette) not by Sinclair. Right. I was saying KFOX is owned by Sinclair. I didn't say who owned KVIA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmaxhanson 650 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Rumors that Sin-Don't Care could hire Bill O'Relly to host a 2 hour show on WGN America have been reignited by the "failing" New York Times: http://deadline.com/2017/10/bill-oreilly-sinclar-broadcasting-back-on-air-harassment-settlement-1202194564/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1509 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Rumors that Sin-Don't Care could hire Bill O'Relly to host a 2 hour show on WGN America have been reignited by the "failing" New York Times: http://deadline.com/2017/10/bill-oreilly-sinclar-broadcasting-back-on-air-harassment-settlement-1202194564/ I think they want to air it on Sinclair-owned stations as a must run from 6 pm to 8 pm. That would be a ratings dream for the competition in those markets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmaxhanson 650 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I think they want to air it on Sinclair-owned stations as a must run from 6 pm to 8 pm. That would be a ratings dream for the competition in those markets... Yes, but it would make more sense to just run it on WGN America instead of having all of its stations displace Wheel, Jeopardy, ET, Big Bang Theory, or others, including the local and network news. Maybe if the deal for Tribune fall apart they'll just turn Tennis Channel into their Fox style news network. Who the heck watches Tennis Channel anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCB4TV 334 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Oklahoma City and Tulsa should be safe from the hubbing at Sinclair, Fort Smith, Columbia/Jefferson City, smaller markets within my region I'm concerned about it. (I don't include Wichita because KSAS' newscast is already outsourced to a different station in the Wichita market anyway so even if it were to be hubbed in Oklahoma City, Tulsa or Kansas City, nothing will really change there anyway) KSAS’ newscasts are provided by Nexstar’s KSNW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCB4TV 334 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Right. I was saying KFOX is owned by Sinclair. I didn't say who owned KVIA. I believe that NPG owns KVIA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine9 1509 Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 KSAS’ newscasts are provided by Nexstar’s KSNW. Hence, as mentioned a hubbing would make no difference there. That is also true in a bunch of other Sinclair markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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