Gray Media - General Thread

[TexasTVNews 1377]

Folks, Circle TV is set to launch tomorrow, and the site is live and online now.

https://inthecircle.com/

 

[east-tx-tv 121]

Circle is on in DFW, KTXA (21.4) has it.  I checked before 5am this morning, they were airing Hee Haw. I checked TitanTV also and Circle is listed; hopefully the schedule is correct.

[TheRolyPoly 2451]

Circle is supposed to be on WBFS 33.5. Nope! Not this morning. I can't check Gainesville and WCJB 20.4 since I'm not there today.

[Nelson R. 569]

Circle is on WBTV 3.3, bumping Grit to 3.4.

[TheRolyPoly 2451]

Day 2: I got Circle now up and running on WBFS 33.5. Its in 480i 16:9 widescreen, just like WBFS' other subchannels.

[CircleSeven 1955]

This is really interesting.  

 

Remember Rockford, IL CBS station WIFR gave up its full-power signal during the spectrum auction? Its now on a LP signal.

 

Back in November, it moved from its out-of-core RF 41 signal for RF 28. And after that move, viewers in the northeastern portion of the area complained that it can't get the new signal. RF 28 is also used in adjacent markets (WISN Milwaukee & WEDE Chicago). So after a few days, it temporary went back to RF 41.

 

Starting Wednesday (1/15), the station is going back to RF 28 signal. But it has also announced that Weigel Broadcasting's WFBN-LD (RF 23) will simulcast WIFR's main signal on virtual channel 23.11.

 

If this sounds familiar, that's because Weigel has also simulcasted Chicago's CBS-owned outlet WBBM for about a few years on WMEU-CD 48.3. This is due to some viewers who aren't able to receive WBBM's main VHF signal.

[GoldenShine9 1513]

13 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

This is really interesting.  

 

Remember Rockford, IL CBS station WIFR gave up its full-power signal during the spectrum auction? Its now on a LP signal.

 

Back in November, it moved from its out-of-core RF 41 signal for RF 28. And after that move, viewers in the northeastern portion of the area complained that it can't get the new signal. RF 28 is also used in adjacent markets (WISN Milwaukee & WEDE Chicago). So after a few days, it temporary went back to RF 41.

 

Starting Wednesday (1/15), the station is going back to RF 28 signal. But it has also announced that Weigel Broadcasting's WFBN-LD (RF 23) will simulcast WIFR's main signal on virtual channel 23.11.

 

If this sounds familiar, that's because Weigel has also simulcasted Chicago's CBS-owned outlet WBBM for about a few years on WMEU-CD 48.3. This is due to some viewers who aren't able to receive WBBM's main VHF signal.

 

Weigel and Gray seem to have got along quite well too. I know, except in South Bend where Gray already owns WNDU, all their stations also run Greta's show and they may have news connections to them too.

[CircleSeven 1955]

So follow-up regarding the KCPM deal, which has been going on for almost two years.

 

They posted an amendment tonight and they're now in a process of filing a "failed station waiver" to acquire the station. 

 

This is because FCC ordered last month to go back enforcing the 2016 ownership rules after the Third Circuit struck down Pai's 2017 dereg order last fall.

[JCB4TV 347]

11 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

So follow-up regarding the KCPM deal, which has been going on for almost two years.

 

They posted an amendment tonight and they're now in a process of filing a "failed station waiver" to acquire the station. 

 

This is because FCC ordered last month to go back enforcing the 2016 ownership rules after the Third Circuit struck down Pai's 2017 dereg order last fall.

Since this deal was announced, Raycom, WWNY, KECY, and WVIR have come and gone, among others. Should this deal not happen, my logic says that KCPM along with KXJB should go to Nexstar thus placing the KX stations back under one roof.

Edited January 22, 2020 by JCB4TV

[CircleSeven 1955]

51 minutes ago, JCB4TV said:

Since this deal was announced, Raycom, WWNY, KECY, and WVIR have come and gone, among others. Should this deal not happen, my logic says that KCPM along with KXJB should go to Nexstar thus placing the KX stations back under one roof.

What? Gray is not stupid to give up an LP station/CBS affiliation to a group that's not even in the market. I'm sure if the KCPM deal falls through, the market will stay a status quo. It would be a better chance that KCPM would be shut down completely than to be acquired by another broadcaster.

 

[plzstandby 31]

Maybe someone could clarify for me., As part of the agreement for acquisition of KCPM it can not become a top 4 station since KVLY is one, so with that logic would it be possible for it to take the CBS affiliation or could it if it was a sub channel of 27? or could it do CW on 27.1 and CBS on 27.2 since the CW is the lower rated network and not on a full power stick? 

[CircleSeven 1955]

As of now, KCPM is not a top-4 ranked station in Fargo. KVLY is a top-4 outlet. But because of the reinstatement of eight voice test (which mean it suppose to have 8 unique owners after a deal is completed), Gray can't acquire KCPM without acquiring the "failed station waiver". The 8-voice test was nullified under Pai 2017 dereg order, until the courts vacated that order back in September.

 

It would be speculative to say which programming (either new or existing) to be moved to KCPM, since they haven't made any post-closing plans. But they do plan to change the callsign of KCPM to KXQK once the deal is over.

 

Here what they said in the press release almost two years ago:

Quote

After FCC approval and closing in a few months, KVLY will rebuild and upgrade KCPM so that it can serve the entire Fargo market. Over the coming months, station management “will evaluate the best programming to broadcast over this station and will be selecting new call letters, according to KVLY.

When they'd announce they were acquiring KNCT in late Summer 2018, they didn't announce that they were going to move The CW from KWTX to that stick under the deal was already finalized.  

 

But the question is why the deal is still pending almost two years after the deal has been announced? The FCC could've easily gave this deal a greenlight, given the regulatory relief throughout most of that time. That's because the deal was challenged by the current owners of KRDK-TV (which was the former KXJB-TV). They say that the current owners of KCPM kept the signal off the air for more than a 12 month period. And that would trigger an automatic forfeiture of the station's license, if it stays off the air for a full calender year. So in their eyes that station's license should be revoked.

 

[CircleSeven 1955]

A couple of notes tonight....

On 10/28/2019 at 11:29 PM, CircleSeven said:

 

Speaking of WYCI....

 

Gray will be acquiring the station for $1.1M. And it'll use the pre-2017 "failed station waiver" rule to acquire it. 

 

The FCC granted them the waiver last Tuesday. And were able to close the WYCI & WYCX-LD sale on Friday.

 

Also, not sure when it launched, but it appears Presque Isle's new NBC Affiliate WWPI-LD is on the air. The FCC granted an STA to launch the LP back in December. 

 

 

It appears some cable customers complained that didn't like them replacing that nearby Tegna station (WLBZ) for this new station.

 

 

[GoldenShine9 1513]

The Gray-owned Circle network is now available in Nashville and in many other Meredith markets (not all of them yet, but it's a big move for Gray to add their channel in other markets).

 

https://musicrow.com/2020/02/circle-launches-in-nashville-on-wsmv/

[TheRolyPoly 2451]

4 hours ago, GoldenShine9 said:

The Gray-owned Circle network is now available in Nashville and in many other Meredith markets (not all of them yet, but it's a big move for Gray to add their channel in other markets).

 

https://musicrow.com/2020/02/circle-launches-in-nashville-on-wsmv/

That's a very huge get for Circle. Circle's national HQ is in Nashville, Coffee, Country and Cody comes from 650 WSM Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry is in Nashville, the capital of country music is in Nashville... you get the point.

This is one market that Circle needed to get into and they (finally) got it.

[TheRyan 560]

On 2/3/2020 at 1:24 AM, CircleSeven said:

A couple of notes tonight....

The FCC granted them the waiver last Tuesday. And were able to close the WYCI & WYCX-LD sale on Friday.

 

Also, not sure when it launched, but it appears Presque Isle's new NBC Affiliate WWPI-LD is on the air. The FCC granted an STA to launch the LP back in December. 

 

 

It appears some cable customers complained that didn't like them replacing that nearby Tegna station (WLBZ) for this new station.

 

 

 

Why do they have a trademark symbol on the WWPI logo?

[GoldenShine9 1513]

1 hour ago, TheRolyPoly said:

That's a very huge get for Circle. Circle's national HQ is in Nashville, Coffee, Country and Cody comes from 650 WSM Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry is in Nashville, the capital of country music is in Nashville... you get the point.

This is one market that Circle needed to get into and they (finally) got it.

 

That seemed like the most likely path for it too, since Meredith and Gray have very little overlap - they seem like companies that can work together more easily.

[JCB4TV 347]

35 minutes ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

That seemed like the most likely path for it too, since Meredith and Gray have very little overlap - they seem like companies that can work together more easily.

The only market where Meredith & Gray overlap is Flint.

Edited February 6, 2020 by JCB4TV
.

[TexasTVNews 1377]

I'm already enjoying the new Circle network. As a country music fan, I love watching the Opry Anniversary Specials and looking forward for Opry Live to debut this month.

[T.L. Hughes 890]

21 hours ago, TheRyan said:

 

Why do they have a trademark symbol on the WWPI logo?

You mean a registered service mark? It does seem odd, though. Station logos usually don't have trademark or service mark (registered or not) on them, so that seems odd.

[east-tx-tv 121]

42 minutes ago, T.L. Hughes said:

You mean a registered service mark? It does seem odd, though. Station logos usually don't have trademark or service mark (registered or not) on them, so that seems odd.

 

The only mark I've seen, and it's only been recently, is when KXAS displays their (IMO unnecessary) tagline, "Texas Connects Us", underneath the title of their newscasts during each open.  The mark is next to the tagline, not next to the station logo.

[T.L. Hughes 890]

On 2/6/2020 at 5:36 PM, east-tx-tv said:

 

The only mark I've seen, and it's only been recently, is when KXAS displays their (IMO unnecessary) tagline, "Texas Connects Us", underneath the title of their newscasts during each open.  The mark is next to the tagline, not next to the station logo.

I've only seen service marks/trademarks in station branding in that particular instance as well as with the "Where the News Comes First" slogan in recent years (as seen on KCRA).

[CircleSeven 1955]

Looks like Gray is LP-picking again. 

 

They struck a deal with religious broadcaster TCT to acquire Lansing, MI's WLNM-LD for $175K. 

 

But here's the twist. The parties formed a subchannel agreement in which the LP will carry TCT programming on a sub for five years after closing.

 

It'll be interesting to see what Gray is going to do with this stick. Currently, WILX runs five subchannels. But Gray has also ran the same amount of subs in some of their other markets (Toledo is one of them).

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by CircleSeven

[nathannah 2446]

1 hour ago, CircleSeven said:

Looks like Gray is LP-picking again. 

 

They struck a deal with religious broadcaster TCT to acquiring Lansing, MI's WLNM-LD for $175K. 

 

But here's the twist. The parties formed a subchannel agreement in which the LP will carry TCT programming on a sub of WLMN for five years after closing.

 

It'll be interesting to see what Gray is going to do with this stick. Currently, WILX run five subchannels. But Gray has also ran the same amount of subs in some of their other markets (Toledo is one of them).

Maybe a go at getting the CW+ from WLAJ? Their stick has three HD signals going through it with the WLNS channel share which must struggle to manage bandwidth, though most of the Katz networks are already spread out through all the stations in the market.

 

It's an odd situation since WSYM (their news share partner) shares common ownership with Katz, but only carries Bounce. Lansing is just a completely different channel map compared to most markets altogether...it could also be a way to arrange an SSA to get WSYM-DT4 (the MyNet affiliate) an HD signal in exchange for extending their agreement so that they don't just extend WXMI's news op into Lansing via WSYM in some way.

[CLETVFan 367]

BIG NEWS!!!

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2020/3/6/breaking-gary-makes-offer-to-buy-tegna