Gray Media - General Thread

[DGD1314 4]

On 2/19/2023 at 10:25 PM, CircleSeven said:

But don't they blockout the network/syndicated programming from that feed for Macon viewers?

I'm not sure about that, but I did just check the cable listings and WSB has a better placement that WGXA's  ABC .2. Interesting...

https://www.cox.com/local/residential/ga/macon/tv/channels

[TheRolyPoly 2362]

On 2/21/2023 at 10:57 AM, DGD1314 said:

I'm not sure about that, but I did just check the cable listings and WSB has a better placement that WGXA's  ABC .2. Interesting...

https://www.cox.com/local/residential/ga/macon/tv/channels

 

It also helps when Cox Media Group is still connected to Cox Enterprises who owns Cox's cable unit, so no need for a carriage dispute there.

[Samantha 2895]

On 2/16/2023 at 3:03 AM, T.L. Hughes said:

Could you clue me in? ‘Cause my only conclusion with the Flagstaff purchase was in the same vein of KNAZ’s relationship with KPNX: to act as a satellite of either KTVK or KPHO. Same with the Winnemucca purchase in relation to KOLO, since what is now KWNV was once a KRNV satellite.

 

Sorry about not seeing this until now.

 

On March 1, Gray launched the Arizona Family Sports and Entertainment Network on KPHE-LD here in Phoenix. It airs almost all of the KTVK/KPHO newscasts as well as sports programming from Gray's library and the rights to Phoenix Rising FC (USL) soccer and Arizona Interscholastic Association high school championships (PRFC was announced alongside the launch of the channel).

 

KPHE-LD had spent most of the last 15 years as a Spanish-language station. It was the last TV station owned by Lotus—which is primarily a radio operator in the West and has clusters in Las Vegas and Tucson, but not Phoenix. They had intended to sell to Phil Falcone's Sovryn Holdings, but the deal fell through. Gray then spent $1.75 million. Gray also secured a low cable position (13) for it, though it is still broadcast in SD.

 

When Gray filed paperwork in re: what's now KAZF, they went out of their way to note that the station has no contour overlap with KTVK or KPHO—in other words, that it can be programmed separately. I expected them to illuminate at least Flagstaff with this new service, and Yuma is very possible now that I see the content on it.

 

Also worth noting they added a subchannel to KPHE-LD containing Fido TV, which is a niche cable channel about dogs. This must be their first OTA exposure. They also still have two subchannels of infomercials. LATV has disappeared.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Samantha

[Samantha 2895]

Apparently they began broadcasting in HD today, but Cox is not carrying the service in HD. Gray is probably gonna want that to change...

[mightynine 290]

That's a big ol' bug for WAFB.

 

[DirtyHarry 727]

That news person isn't all that tiny either. 

[mre29 1513]

2 hours ago, DirtyHarry said:

That news person isn't all that tiny either. 

 

Maybe it's for a new TLC show:  Little People, Big Video Wall.

 

[TheRob 937]

I noticed Gray has posted jobs for state capitol bureau reporters, just as Nexstar stations employ.

[MD TV 253]

KTVK and KPHE are the new flagships for the Suns and Mercury, with affiliates in Tuscon and Yuma to come:

 

https://www.azfamily.com/2023/04/28/arizonas-family-announces-transformative-broadcast-partnership-with-phoenix-suns-phoenix-mercury/

Edited April 28, 2023 by MD TV

[T.L. Hughes 881]

1 hour ago, MD TV said:

KTVK and KPHE are the new flagships for the Suns and Mercury, with affiliates in Tuscon and Yuma to come:

 

https://www.azfamily.com/2023/04/28/arizonas-family-announces-transformative-broadcast-partnership-with-phoenix-suns-phoenix-mercury/

…and thus marks the beginning of the end of Bally Sports Arizona. Diamond Sports already lapsed on fee payments to the Diamondbacks (a recent court ruling did allow the company to pay half of what it owes to the MLB teams it missed payments to) and the MLB is considering reclaiming its broadcast contracts to its teams; losing the Suns and Mercury means it’s only a matter of time before the Diamondbacks and Coyotes head for the exits.

Edited April 28, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[CubsFan79 58]

Bally sports have not been doing Twins games in South Dakota. As a Cubs fan would love to see the Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers or Rockies.

[nickp 337]

1 hour ago, MD TV said:

KTVK and KPHE are the new flagships for the Suns and Mercury, with affiliates in Tuscon and Yuma to come:

 

https://www.azfamily.com/2023/04/28/arizonas-family-announces-transformative-broadcast-partnership-with-phoenix-suns-phoenix-mercury/

I hope more sports teams/leagues get involved like this A great way to grow local fanbases

[MD TV 253]

In Tucson, it'll be on a newly-created subchannel of KOLD:

 

https://www.kold.com/2023/04/28/new-network-bring-suns-mercury-games-southern-arizona-viewers/

[T.L. Hughes 881]

The deal may run into legal issues as Diamond Sports alleges the deal between Gray, Kiswe and the Phoenix Suns violates their contract with the team that was part of a broader deal with its NBA partners that runs through the 2024-25 season.

Edited April 28, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[GoldenShine9 1512]

3 hours ago, MD TV said:

In Tucson, it'll be on a newly-created subchannel of KOLD:

 

https://www.kold.com/2023/04/28/new-network-bring-suns-mercury-games-southern-arizona-viewers/

 

That leaves out Yuma though as Gray is not in that market. They could buy some smaller Imagicomm stations to help fill holes though (it would be fairly cheap too) and that gets them into Yuma, as well as markets like Pocatello and Greenville (MS).

[CircleSeven 1955]

2 minutes ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

That leaves out Yuma though as Gray is not in that market. 

Gray has a brand-spanking new full power TV allotment that's about to launch there (KAZS 27).

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by CircleSeven

[nathannah 2402]

4 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

The deal may run into legal issues as Diamond Sports alleges the deal between Gray, Kiswe and the Phoenix Suns violates their contract with the team that was part of a broader deal with its NBA partners that runs through the 2024-25 season.

And the judge and lawyer involved will just say 'so you can totally pay for those rights, correct'? DS has no legal ground to stand on.

[T.L. Hughes 881]

3 hours ago, mrschimpf said:

And the judge and lawyer involved will just say 'so you can totally pay for those rights, correct'? DS has no legal ground to stand on.

Maybe. But, considering a Texas judge presiding over the company’s bankruptcy allowed Diamond to pay the MLB teams they weren’t able to wholly compensate 50% of the fees for their 2023 cycle, anything’s possible.

 

It seems, at least, that some sort of settlement or a court ruling that the teams held the right to exercise the clause (regardless of whether they notified Diamond/Bally Sports beforehand), assuming there was an insolvency clause in the Suns/Mercury contracts that allowed them to seek other broadcast agreements in the event Diamond ever filed for bankruptcy, would likely be coming down the line.

Edited April 29, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[nathannah 2402]

Also don't forget that the Suns/Mercury had to go through an acrimonious ownership change this winter, so there may have been a nullification clause that Mat Ishiba exercised to build overall market goodwill; before Bally, the Suns had been associated with Fox (including their UPN/MNTV station, KUTP) for years, and they were likely unhappy that their viewership didn't have any increase (and BSA lost carriage) even after a Finals run under new management.

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 2/15/2023 at 11:51 AM, CircleSeven said:

New M&A. Looks like Gray and Marquee are swapping.

 

From TVNewsCheck, Gray is selling its Boise, Idaho Fox affiliate KNIN to Marquee Broadcasting. Upon the closing of the KNIN deal, Gray will then acquire Macon, Georgia's MeTV outlet WPGA.

The swap was consummated yesterday (5/1).

[GoldenShine9 1512]

On 5/2/2023 at 4:43 AM, CircleSeven said:

The swap was consummated yesterday (5/1).

 

They still don't have 100% penetration in Georgia, as they need to get into Chattanooga and Jacksonville for that. 

 

Anyway, now the ball is in the networks' court. Will they bail on Sinclair to come over to WPGA? If Gray can promise newscasts, that might just happen (although they'd have to compete with the 100-ton gorilla WMAZ).

Edited May 3, 2023 by GoldenShine9

[nathannah 2402]

13 minutes ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

They still don't have 100% penetration in Georgia, as they need to get into Chattanooga and Jacksonville for that. 

 

Anyway, now the ball is in the networks' court. Will they bail on Sinclair to come over to WPGA? If Gray can promise newscasts, that might just happen (although they'd have to compete with the 100-ton gorilla WMAZ).

The only issue that lost WPGA its affiliation in the first place was a knob of an owner who wanted the pre-Three's Company ABC on his station (as in culturally stuck in 1978, and maybe even earlier) and terrible cable negotiation skills. He also expected Big Three RTC rates for his ego-stroke of a lazy morning radio show simulcast, Telco crap, and Retro TV at its most flailing state, and to the end when he was arrested for equipment theft after his radio stations were taken over by a debtor-in-possession who sold it off, was completely insufferable.

 

Full network carriage, a proper newscast, no crazy old man as an owner, and calm RTC negotiations may be enough for ABC to move here.

[channel2 978]

1 hour ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

They still don't have 100% penetration in Georgia, as they need to get into Chattanooga and Jacksonville for that. 

 

They own WKSY-LD in Rome, which is part of the Chattanooga market.

[mvcg66b3r 100]

Just now, channel2 said:

 

They own WKSY-LD in Rome, which is part of the Chattanooga market.

Rome is Atlanta, not Chattanooga.

[mre29 1513]

5 hours ago, mvcg66b3r said:

Rome is Atlanta, not Chattanooga.

 

Doesn't Gray have some sort of connection to WRCB?