KFMB San Diego goes to TEGNA

[Weeters 1981]

I’ve just been informed that TEGNA employees have been informed of the purchase. KFMB in San Diego is slated to be purchased by TEGNA pending the usual FCC review.

[TheRob 940]

News release

 

http://www.tegna.com/tegna-to-acquire-midwest-television-inc-s-broadcasting-stations-in-san-diego-ca/

[NEOMatrix 1308]

It will be a speedy process that's approved quickly by the FCC. I'm actually surprised they're acquiring the radio stations as well.

[atlnews2 600]

Pleasant surprise. This had Sinclair / Nexstar bait written all over it.

[DonDonP1 118]

Wow.

[Georgie56 3349]

Well, this came out of nowhere. I had a feeling TEGNA would enter that market in some way (and by "some way" I mean purchasing KUSI). And they're getting radio stations, too. Wow.

[GoldenShine9 1515]

Color me shocked! I figured Tegna was for sale...

 

Agreed this should fly through the FCC, since there are no complications at all.

[Samantha 2906]

Get ready for the ax to fall on the staff, and eventually for the ratings to fall too. However, this is a good acquisition for them and they will be able to realize quite a few economies of scale with the television station.

 

And at a staggering purchase price of $325 million, holy heck they are cashing out.

[TheOneManHerd 555]

[oklahomanewsman 210]

Thank goodness Sinclair didn't get KFMB, don't mind Nexstar with KFMB (at least Nexstar is not as evil as Sinclair is)

[C Block 1574]

There were far worse outcomes, that's for sure.

[Ntropolis 600]

[in b4 “I wonder when they’ll get the new Tegna gfx”]

[SFTV 540]

Does this mean they can finally stream their newscasts online?!

 

Even KUSI beat them to that after not having a news website for the longest time.

[Rusty Muck 4426]

[in b4 “I wonder when they’ll get the new Tegna gfx”]

HOW DARE.

 

[TennTV1983 811]

[in b4 “I wonder when they’ll get the new Tegna gfx and website”]

There. I fixed that for you.

[jbnews 346]

*Phew* sort of. While it's not my top choices of Hearst, Meredith, or Dispatch, it is not Nexstar or Sinclair. I think if done right, *right* being the keyword here, Tegna could be a good fit for San Diego. But, I have a feeling that with the recent staff turnovers and a company that has given legacy stations "Tegna-itis" buying a legacy station, that this will be the downfall of KFMB. But, hopefully, I'm wrong. If I'm not, the other stations in the market better step it up A LOT.

[The Frog 435]

So...they'll end up with Nexstar, just taking the long way around.

[TexasTVNews 1379]

Is this the first time Tegna Media will own Radio Staions with the acquisition of KFMB Radio & TV?

[A3N 1002]

Disappointed that it wasn't COX, but hopefully TEGNA will leave KFMB alone and not mess with the format

[CaptainNews 287]

Not a shocker. However, I thought Sinclair would’ve bought them. Better outcome though.

[TennTV1983 811]

Is this the first time Tegna Media will own Radio Staions with the acquisition of KFMB Radio & TV?

The last time that happened was in the late 70s after Gannett acquired Combined Communications.

[Eat News 4745]

The outcome is still not gonna be real pretty. There is gonna be a giant blood letting. Just how bad we will see.

 

But yes...it could have been worse.

 

But plenty heads will be lopped-off.

 

I wonder what Smegma will do to keep the "natives" in line.

[TSSZNews 1053]

I did not think they would get anywhere near $325M, even for the combined operations. Good on Midwest TV!

 

While it's not totally out of the question they sell the radio stations to a company more well versed in that business down the road (including Cox), this does diversify their portfolio somewhat, and if TEGNA is committed to trying something different in that regard, buying other radio stations in this environment isn't super expensive to do.

 

They don't seem to mess with their top performing stations (read: Belo acquisitions) an insane amount like they do with the old Gannett fold, so in that respect it's a bullet dodged.

 

Though, I do wonder now about the future of Cox, given this was a no-brainer for them and they either couldn't get or didn't want the cluster...

[GoldenShine9 1515]

I did not think they would get anywhere near $325M, even for the combined operations. Good on Midwest TV!

 

While it's not totally out of the question they sell the radio stations to a company more well versed in that business down the road (including Cox), this does diversify their portfolio somewhat, and if TEGNA is committed to trying something different in that regard, buying other radio stations in this environment isn't super expensive to do.

 

They don't seem to mess with their top performing stations (read: Belo acquisitions) an insane amount like they do with the old Gannett fold, so in that respect it's a bullet dodged.

 

Though, I do wonder now about the future of Cox, given this was a no-brainer for them and they either couldn't get or didn't want the cluster...

 

Considering many of the radio giants are probably on life support, TV companies may decide to bulk up and purchase same-market radio stations? Although that is a topic for the Speculatron.

[bhratbrat 437]

Admittedly, the one thing I will give Sinclair credit for is their hands-off style when it comes to KOMO-AM/FM and how it was practically the same from when I was there in 2006. Still sad admittedly though to drive by FISHER Plaza and it now being called KOMO Plaza. Doesn't have the same ring, the same pride that FISHER had in Seattle