Forum to purchase KWSD, Launch news

[CubsFan79 58]

Good luck with competition with Nextstar’s KELO and Gray’s KSFY/ KDLT .

Good luck with KSFL TV competition with Nextstar and KELO TV, and Grays KSFY/KDLT TV.

[GodfreyGR 652]

On 1/9/2023 at 3:44 PM, TheRolyPoly said:

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

It's that way for all of their newspaper holdings. Back when WDAZ-TV (Grand Forks) was it's own entity (Pre-2016ish) WDAY still provided the weather for all of the newscasts (pre-taped)

 

That said, they have seven mets in Fargo- Need something to keep them all busy.

2 hours ago, plzstandby said:

The FCC have approved the sale

Forum should see the writing on the wall that they're not going to get KVRR/KQDS from Red River approved... That deal was announced WAY before this one

[DirtyHarry 727]

On 1/23/2023 at 11:49 AM, GodfreyGR said:

Forum should see the writing on the wall that they're not going to get KVRR/KQDS from Red River approved... That deal was announced WAY before this one.

But why? What's the problem?

[CircleSeven 1955]

1 hour ago, DirtyHarry said:

But why? What's the problem?

Forum wants to use a waiver of the top-4 rule to acquire the station, the same way Gray was able to get KDLT in Sioux Falls a few years back.

 

The problem is nearly 14 months later, the deal is still pending and you have Democratic-run FCC that isn't too kindly to deals like this.

 

Don't know if they'll ever get the greenlight. But with this FCC and given how long this deal has gone, I don't like their chances. 

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by CircleSeven

[DirtyHarry 727]

1 hour ago, CircleSeven said:

Forum wants to use a waiver of the top-4 rule to acquire the station, the same way Gray was able to get KDLT in Sioux Falls a few years back.

 

The problem is nearly 14 months later, the deal is still pending and you have Democratic-run FCC that isn't too kindly to deals like this.

 

Don't know if they'll ever get the greenlight. But with this FCC and given how long this deal has gone, I don't like their chances. 

 

It's a small Market though. You would think the stations would be pinched unless they are allowed to double up.

[T.L. Hughes 883]

5 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

Forum wants to use a waiver of the top-4 rule to acquire the station, the same way Gray was able to get KDLT in Sioux Falls a few years back.

 

The problem is nearly 14 months later, the deal is still pending and you have Democratic-run FCC that isn't too kindly to deals like this.

 

Don't know if they'll ever get the greenlight. But with this FCC and given how long this deal has gone, I don't like their chances. 

 

The FCC Commissioner Board isn’t so much Democratic-run as it is headed by a Democratic chief but is split 2-2 between Democratic and Republican members on what’s supposed to be a five-member board. All as a result of Gigi Sohn’s nomination being held up from a Senate vote for so long because of opposition from the telecom industry and its lobbyists that there’s no tie-breaker for some of these M&A deals that the board has to review (like the Forum deal in Fargo and the Standard General-Apollo buyout of Tegna), hence why some of them have been stuck in the review process for so long.

Edited January 25, 2023 by T.L. Hughes

[DirtyHarry 727]

6 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

The FCC Commissioner Board isn’t so much Democratic-run as it is headed by a Democratic chief but is split 2-2 between Democratic and Republican members on what’s supposed to be a five-member board. All as a result of Gigi Sohn’s nomination being held up from a Senate vote for so long because of opposition from the telecom industry and its lobbyists that there’s no tie-breaker for some of these M&A deals that the board has to review (like the Forum deal in Fargo and the Standard General-Apollo buyout of Tegna), hence why some of them have been stuck in the review process for so long.

 

I can be the fifth vote.

 

Forum, thumbs up. It's a small market and it's silly to have so many competitors in a small market. They have to double up. It's a matter of survival.

 

Tegna, thumbs down. Maybe people don't like Tegna that much, but it's still not a bottom of the barrel broadcaster. The last thing this country needs is to have foreign money controlling domestic media, not to mention one of the better than average broadcasters remaining.

[CubsFan79 58]

If Forum Communications and WDAY TV want to acquire KVRR TV why not move KVRR TV to Low digital tv station. Gray TV did that with KXJB TV, while owning KVLY TV.

[DirtyHarry 727]

Gray has CBS, NBC and CW; Hubbard own ABC and My TV in that market so I don't know what the problem is. Forum owns the newspaper and the industry is dying. If anything, this would help the newspaper survive.

 

By the way, I was watching Distro Tv just to see what they had. I saw WDIO on the choice of channels and decided to watch their news.

 

Their main anchor guy is great. Middle-aged guy, obviously experienced in the market. He is larger-market material (larger than Duluth, that is). The sports kid on tonight was also pretty good. He's going to have a good career. The female sports director was out covering a dog race and she didn't seem too bad, either.

 

The weather chick was okay, but she sounded like she was reading cue cards. She's been there a year and a half. You would think she'd be more natural by now. Also two black chicks that were reporters, talk about fish out of water. (In Duluth?) They both seemed nice enough, but they're both mush mouths. I hope they get better. They need to give all three of them elocution lessons.

 

I always loved watching small market TV. Newscast overall was pretty good. Interesting enough and watchable.

Edited January 31, 2023 by DirtyHarry

[SuFuEtTu 2]

So…several years on now and as a resident….kinda curious if anyone knows what’s happening because there’s no news operation.  They basically just run Fargo programming.  I know their Red River purchase fell thru. Replied in another thread where they just bought a Rapid City station.  It’s just been a very odd deal.  Their digital newspaper is pretty good and seems to have a focus and plan.  Whatever their TV goal is does not.  I’m guessing the fact Gray (primarily) and NexStar hold all the network affiliations in the market pretty well screws them.