Forum to purchase KWSD, Launch news

[plzstandby 31]

Forum Communications to purchase KWSD in Sioux Falls from JF Broadcasting and intend to launch local news casts. KNBN (Rapid City) does not seem to be included in the agreement.
 https://www.dglobe.com/news/local/globe-parent-company-forum-communications-expands-in-sioux-falls

I feel like they missed out on getting KTTW when they had the Fox affiliation and building out a news operation. 

[CircleSeven 1955]

Forum did own KSFY for over a decade, before selling it to Aflac in 1985.

[CubsFan79 58]

I’m surprised KWSD TV did not get FOX affiliation before KDLT TV. KWSD had a stronger signal than KTTW TV.

[CircleSeven 1955]

Paperwork is up. Purchase Price: $1.4M. 

[ABC 7 Denver 1715]

1 hour ago, CircleSeven said:

Paperwork is up. Purchase Price: $1.4M. 

 

Ouch. That's a lot of money for such a tiny purchase. That or inflation is killer.

[nathannah 2428]

1 hour ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

Ouch. That's a lot of money for such a tiny purchase. That or inflation is killer.

It was a 'run for fun' station which barely made any market impact (it still carries YTA as a primary in 2022!), so it sounds like transmitter work/relocation needs to be done and it has half the signal of KSFY and KDLT. It's doubtful they get any of the big four, but we'll see if this works out (though with KELO's domination, it feels like a lost cause without any affiliation).

[Recovering Producer 218]

I remember reading the paperwork for the KSFY/KDLT waiver. Granted, that was written to convince the FCC to allow the waiver to approve that deal, but it painted a bleak picture for KDLT under Red River and made it sound like a stand-alone KSFY was hurting as well. 

The financials of launching news on a station with no established brand, no network available,  and many hours of programming to fill are yikes.

Not to mention finding a way to staff it. We're in an environment where stations in much larger markets and an established history are struggling to recruit employees. Maybe they do news on the cheap from existing facilities in Fargo with MMJs in Sioux Falls... but still... trying to think about spending that money in 2023. Weird. 

[ABC 7 Denver 1715]

4 hours ago, Recovering Producer said:

I remember reading the paperwork for the KSFY/KDLT waiver. Granted, that was written to convince the FCC to allow the waiver to approve that deal, but it painted a bleak picture for KDLT under Red River and made it sound like a stand-alone KSFY was hurting as well. 

The financials of launching news on a station with no established brand, no network available,  and many hours of programming to fill are yikes.

Not to mention finding a way to staff it. We're in an environment where stations in much larger markets and an established history are struggling to recruit employees. Maybe they do news on the cheap from existing facilities in Fargo with MMJs in Sioux Falls... but still... trying to think about spending that money in 2023. Weird. 

 

Exactly. From a fiscal perspective, buying this station now to create that kind of product at $1.4 Million with these interest rates and without an affiliate certainly makes me question if there are alternative motives.

[DirtyHarry 727]

They know what they're doing, I would think. They can leverage a lot of what they do in Fargo for their new station.

 

Maybe ABC is sick of duopolies so maybe Forum gets the ABC affiliation in Sioux Falls. Like WTHR being owned by the Wolfes was almost like having local ownership, maybe the same thing here. Locally-owned ABC instead of a chain station with cheap, diverse, wet-behind-the-ears talent.

 

I think Sioux Falls is a great city, by the way.

 

6 hours ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

Exactly. From a fiscal perspective, buying this station now to create that kind of product at $1.4 Million with these interest rates and without an affiliate certainly makes me question if there are alternative motives.

 

$1.4 million is petty cash for them. 

Edited December 1, 2022 by DirtyHarry

[jrogo 196]

1 hour ago, DirtyHarry said:

They know what they're doing, I would think. They can leverage a lot of what they do in Fargo for their new station.

 

Maybe ABC is sick of duopolies so maybe Forum gets the ABC affiliation in Sioux Falls. Like WTHR being owned by the Wolfes was almost like having local ownership, maybe the same thing here. Locally-owned ABC instead of a chain station with cheap, diverse, wet-behind-the-ears talent.

 

I think Sioux Falls is a great city, by the way.

 

 

$1.4 million is petty cash for them. 

Oh that's an interesting idea. Switching the ABC affiliate. I was raised in SD so I find this very interesting. 

I'd like to note that its not a duopoly, more like a trioploy. Gray owns 3 stations in Sioux Falls and a total of 5 in the entire state, the only 2 they don't own are KNBN and KELO. 

The Sioux Falls market is not big enough to have 5 local news options if forum adds independent newscasts.

No matter what happens all the rest of the stations in SD won't be able to compete at the same level KELO does as they have 2 things the rest never will, Legacy and Patience. KELO is number 1 for a variety of reasons but the main reason is they're consistently reliable. They have the best of everything and always have the best coverage, I remember as a kid anytime severe weather was passing through, my Dad would say "better turn on KELO" and thousands of people across the state said the same thing. KELO also has the advantage of being the only station available across the entire state. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see an affiliation switch, it'd be fun watching a shake up happen in that market/state. Forum seems to have a plan, one that hopefully make sense soon. 

[CircleSeven 1955]

2 hours ago, DirtyHarry said:

Maybe ABC is sick of duopolies so maybe Forum gets the ABC affiliation in Sioux Falls. Like WTHR being owned by the Wolfes was almost like having local ownership, maybe the same thing here. Locally-owned ABC instead of a chain station with cheap, diverse, wet-behind-the-ears talent.

 

Well, Forum can't snag ABC. Gray just renewed its affil agreement that keeps the Alphabet on KSFY.

[nathannah 2428]

What I could see is that Fox was thrown off by KTTW's sale and never has liked being DT2ed without warning onto KDLT when KTTW's ownership decided to get out (Fox could literally do nothing about it since the schedule and affiliation as-is were sold off wholesale), so they've said to Forum if they get the KVRR/KQDS deal done, they'll get Sioux Falls too; thus the news op launch so they don't have to be stuck with Nexstar or Gray providing a show, and finally have an affiliate that isn't a complete market afterthought like KTTW was (and KDLT-DT2 currently is).

Edited December 1, 2022 by mrschimpf

[DirtyHarry 727]

3 hours ago, mrschimpf said:

What I could see is that Fox was thrown off by KTTW's sale and never has liked being DT2ed without warning onto KDLT when KTTW's ownership decided to get out (Fox could literally do nothing about it since the schedule and affiliation as-is were sold off wholesale), so they've said to Forum if they get the KVRR/KQDS deal done, they'll get Sioux Falls too; thus the news op launch so they don't have to be stuck with Nexstar or Gray providing a show, and finally have an affiliate that isn't a complete market afterthought like KTTW was (and KDLT-DT2 currently is).

 

Makes sense to me that something might be up. A lot of people laughed when Weigel started dipping their feet into owning network affiliates. If you can build a decent station on an LPTV signal in South Bend, it's doable here with a full power station.

Edited December 1, 2022 by DirtyHarry

[DirtyHarry 727]

On 11/29/2022 at 1:23 AM, mrschimpf said:

it has half the signal of KSFY and KDLT

 

Their construction permit is perfectly adequate for covering Sioux Falls and maybe 50 miles out unless it's some weird directional pattern they have to use. What they don't have is a 2000 ft tall super tower, so they can't get way-way out like the other stations. But how important is that anyway? You can probably get a lot accomplished using translators. And who knows? Maybe Forum will put up the money for a new tower or lease space on one. Or maybe buy one of the existing towers.

[CircleSeven 1955]

Ever since this news came out last week, I've thought about whether Forum would acquire KDLT's former building for its future news op. 

 

Well just this week, KELO reported that there was a fire that hit parts of that building. 

[DirtyHarry 727]

16 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

Ever since this news came out last week, I've thought about whether Forum would acquire KDLT's former building for its future news op. 

 

Well just this week, KELO reported that there was a fire that hit parts of that building. 

 

No such thing as coincidence.

[CircleSeven 1955]

Small follow-up. 

 

Forum has filed to change the callsign from KWSD to KSFL-TV.

 

The change will be in effect on February 1.

 

Edited January 4, 2023 by CircleSeven

[DirtyHarry 727]

On 11/30/2022 at 9:17 PM, jrogo said:

The Sioux Falls market is not big enough to have 5 local news options if forum adds independent newscasts.

 

South Bend and Sioux Falls are both similar sized, South Bend just isn't isolated like Sioux Falls is. They could do what Weigel does there. They've got live staff, but some things like weather are done in Milwaukee. Or that's what I read before. WDAY is a quality outfit so if they could snag the Fox affiliation, I think they could carve out a niche.

 

Since mostly the same weather patterns are affecting Fargo and Sioux Falls, I could see the weather being produced in Fargo without skipping a beat. After all, KDNL morning weather comes from Columbus and that seems to work.

 

Aren't they buying some other Fox station in the region? I think in Minnesota somewhere?

[Recovering Producer 218]

1 hour ago, CircleSeven said:

Small follow-up. 

 

Forum has filed to change the callsign from KWSD to KSFL-TV.

 

The change will be in effect on February 1.

 

Matches with the branding of SiouxFallsLive.com that Forum has launched...

[nathannah 2428]

7 minutes ago, DirtyHarry said:

Aren't they buying some other Fox station in the region? I think in Minnesota somewhere?

They're trying to buy the KVRR station network in ND/northwest MN and KQDS in Duluth.

[GodfreyGR 652]

14 minutes ago, mrschimpf said:

They're trying to buy the KVRR station network in ND/northwest MN and KQDS in Duluth.

And it's dragging on longer than the Tegna deal. Another pocket veto in the works by the FCC.

[DirtyHarry 727]

2 minutes ago, GodfreyGR said:

And it's dragging on longer than the Tegna deal. Another pocket veto in the works by the FCC.

 

I don't understand why, however. What is the conflict / elimination of competition issue there? Not to mention that Forum is a quality company.

 

Reminds me of when WBNS and WTHR got approved in 60 days. Maybe my theory that Tegna has some pull with the federal government might not be that far off.

[TheRolyPoly 2413]

On 1/4/2023 at 2:48 PM, Recovering Producer said:

Matches with the branding of SiouxFallsLive.com that Forum has launched...

 

The weather section is provided by the team at WDAY-TV.

[DirtyHarry 727]

22 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

 

The weather section is provided by the team at WDAY-TV.

 

I know Scripps has kind of dabbled in this, but I always thought it made sense for a TV news organization to have a website that would look and feel like the local newspaper. Newspapers don't need print anymore and TV stations already have the infrastructure in place to do what newspapers do, plus they can enhance it with video.

 

I don't know what the cost of something like this would be, but perhaps do something like Amazon and sell a bunch of cheap tablets to your viewers with a one-year subscription to their version of the local paper.

 

The newspaper is completely readable on a 10-in tablet. Turn over one of your sub channels to your reporters so stories can be discussed in long form. Then loop it throughout the day.

 

 

[plzstandby 31]

The FCC have approved the sale