Eight CBS Stations to Ditch CW and Go Independent This Fall

[GoldenShine9 1513]

6 minutes ago, Rusty Muck said:

CBS getting WSB in an asset swap would be the most insane thing ever and I can totally see it happening.

 

I mean them being SOLD to Cox Media Group.

[DENDude 217]

Okay this is just me thinking out loud here...

 

• KBCW > KRON
• KMAX > NO OPTIONS
• KSTW> KONG
• WKBD>WADL Sub Channel
• WPCW>WTAE OR/WPGH Sub Channels
• WTOG>NO OPTIONS
• WPSG>NO OPTIONS
• WUPA>WPCH OR/WANF Sub Channels

 So I only see the CW missing in 3 markets here after CBS drops them.  My Network TV is without stations in 24 Markets, they will do just fine!!!

Edited May 6, 2023 by DENDude

[Georgie56 3303]

6 minutes ago, DENDude said:

Okay this is just me thinking out loud here...

 

• KBCW > KRON
• KMAX > NO OPTIONS
• KSTW> KONG
• WKBD>WADL Sub Channel
• WPCW>WTAE OR/WPGH Sub Channels
• WTOG>NO OPTIONS
• WPSG>NO OPTIONS
• WUPA>WPCH OR/WANF Sub Channels

 So I only see the CW missing in 3 markets here after CBS drops them.  My Network TV is without stations in 24 Markets, they will do just fine!!!

 

The KMAX and WPSG situations are easy. KQCA and WPHL. Mind you, the latter is a MyNetwork affiliate owned by Nexstar.

Edited May 6, 2023 by Georgie56

[Rusty Muck 4368]

43 minutes ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

I mean them being SOLD to Cox Media Group.

CBS would want something in return for selling a station in a top 10 market. The only thing Cox can offer is KIRO (which at least pairs up with KSTW).

[DirtyHarry 727]

9 hours ago, GoldenShine9 said:

 

If it were that easy...owners can easily retaliate too, especially in the case of Gray since they own the CBS affiliation in over 50 markets. They could make the affiliation agreement conditional on keeping CBS on WANF.

 

Jacksonville, Boston, Indianapolis, Johnson City, Wisconsin, San Francisco They won't think twice about pulling the plug.

[mre29 1519]

5 hours ago, channel2 said:

Also you've gotta love big corporations and their aversion to paying taxes.

 

It's why so many broadcasting companies were sold in their entirety, why Nexstar and Sinclair became so gargantuan, why companies such as Hearst, Graham, and other relatively smaller companies haven't been able to make as many acquisitions, why ABC had to pass on buying WJLA (remember, they didn't want the rest of the Albritton stations), etc.

 

It's also a loophole in the tax code, one that should be closed by Congress. But it won't be.

 

4 hours ago, T.L. Hughes said:

The one way CBS could shed KSTW to a commercial owner, if tax penalties weren’t an issue, is if they sold it to Sinclair to pair with KOMO, and Sinclair sold off KUNS in turn, in a way that turns it into a standalone operation. I’m not sure if TelevisaUnivision has the cap space to buy KUNS in such a scenario; Entravision might have an easier entry into Seattle.

 

They could skip a few steps by doing a facility swap between KUNS and KSTW, a la the WFOR-WTVJ swap back in the '90s. It would have the side effect of putting KUNS on channel 11 and KSTW on 51, though.

 

  

4 hours ago, DENDude said:

 So I only see the CW missing in 3 markets here after CBS drops them.  My Network TV is without stations in 24 Markets, they will do just fine!!!

 

Is anyone here going to lose sleep over MyNetwork TV not being in 24 markets?

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by mre29

[MediaZone4K 2172]

I'm surprised  the CW is still a tv network with ratings as low as they are. Again,  this begs the question, what will local station lineups look like with stations going independent and less syndication options. It cannot simply be news overkill.

Edited May 7, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[bostonmediaguy 123]

33 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

I'm surprised  the CW is still a tv network with ratings as low as they are. Again,  this begs the question, what will local station lineups look like with stations going independent and less syndication options. It cannot simplify be news overkill.

 

In the major markets it certainly can. It's two hours of programming. This is not akin to losing a major network affiliation with numerous time periods to fill.

[mre29 1519]

I wonder if WSBK quietly dropping MNTV and going independent last September is related at all to these stations going indie.

 

[Nelson R. 569]

3 minutes ago, mre29 said:

I wonder if WSBK quietly dropping MNTV and going independent last September is related at all to these stations going indie.

 

Speaking of that, I don’t think anyone else in Boston picked up MNTV did they?

[ATLNewsExpert 455]

17 hours ago, Rusty Muck said:

CBS getting WSB in an asset swap would be the most insane thing ever and I can totally see it happening.

If that happens forget "CBS News Atlanta", ATL would go crazy like Philly did when WPVI dropped the original "MCTYW". honestly "WSB News and streaming on CBS News Atlanta"

[NowBergen 681]

9 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

I'm surprised  the CW is still a tv network with ratings as low as they are. Again,  this begs the question, what will local station lineups look like with stations going independent and less syndication options. It cannot simplify be news overkill.

If WLNY (NY) is an indication, lots of judge shows, repeats of Drew Barrymore, More Judge Judy reruns, and CBS News City Name at 9 pm.  Don't get overly excited.  

[mre29 1519]

3 hours ago, Nelson R. said:

Speaking of that, I don’t think anyone else in Boston picked up MNTV did they?

 

Nope.

 

 

[Manny NYC 31]

1 hour ago, NowBergen said:

If WLNY (NY) is an indication, lots of judge shows, repeats of Drew Barrymore, More Judge Judy reruns, and CBS News City Name at 9 pm.  Don't get overly excited.  

WLNY i think is an outlier. They aren't recieved OTA in NYC.

[C Block 1566]

I'm not so sure KRON would be too happy about becoming a CW affiliate. Their primetime news block has actually gained some traction since it launched a few years ago.

[Georgie56 3303]

Here’s what Wendy McMahon had to say about programming these new (and possibly existing) independents in the Deadline piece:

 

Quote

“We look forward to reimagining these stations as independents while leveraging the considerable value of their prime-time real estate in each of the markets,” said Wendy McMahon, President and Co-Head, CBS News and Stations. “It’s an exciting time to look at new opportunities to add local programming, including live sports, and shows from across the Paramount Global brands. We are also grateful to have been part of The CW for 17 memorable years and wish our partners at Nexstar continued success.”

Sounds like there’s a new game plan in the works for the CBS independent stations that isn’t just tired court shows.
 

[Breaking News 826]

1 hour ago, C Block said:

I'm not so sure KRON would be too happy about becoming a CW affiliate. Their primetime news block has actually gained some traction since it launched a few years ago.

Sometimes KRON beating KTVU at 10pm.

[Nelson R. 569]

43 minutes ago, Georgie56 said:

Here’s what Wendy McMahon had to say about programming these new (and possibly existing) independents in the Deadline piece:

 

Sounds like there’s a new game plan in the works for the CBS independent stations that isn’t just tired court shows.
 

Doesn’t sound like it’s a given that CBS will put the affiliation on WUPA. Braves, Hawks and the rumored new NHL team on WUPA?

Edited May 7, 2023 by Nelson R.

[Adam MadMan 285]

7 hours ago, mre29 said:

I wonder if WSBK quietly dropping MNTV and going independent last September is related at all to these stations going indie.

 

Probably not. CBS is dropping The CW from their stations to wipe their hands of the network for good, and to potentially get local sports rights. WSBK and WBFS dropping MyNetworkTV, on the other hand, was just them dropping a network that really isn't anymore (if it ever was in the first place).

[C Block 1566]

1 hour ago, Breaking News said:

Sometimes KRON beating KTVU at 10pm.

 

That's not really true. It has happened in some isolated incidents. But Rich Lieberman keeps making up his own facts to claim otherwise.

[24994J 5575]

30 minutes ago, C Block said:

It has happened in some isolated incidents.

 

Pretty sure that's what "sometimes" means.

[Breaking News 826]

On 5/5/2023 at 1:20 PM, atlnews2 said:

KRON has a 3 hour prime time News block from 8 to 11. 

 

KONG has a 2 hour news block at 9pm 

 

WPCH has a 2 hour news block at 9pm 

 

WATL has a 3 hour News block at 8pm 

 

WTTA has a 2 hour block of news at 8pm

 

The question these stations need to ask is if low rated CW programming is more profitable that what they are already doing. With the election next year and the political spending going to be really high having complete ownership of your advertising is very significant (especially for the Atlanta stations considering Georgias swing state status). 
 

Personally I could only see KRON and WTTA adding CW, and that’s simply because nexstar will make them 

I see CW going to WATL because when WATL was WB they were one of WB's top rated affiliates. Granted WB had better programming than CW. CW has that niche young audience. WXIA produced news for WATL so they will do an hour at 7pm and come back at 10pm. Between 8-10pm those CW shows might be get better ratings.

 

However WANF/WPCH might do what XIA/ATL did with the news.

 

In Detroit-Channel 20[formerly WXON I know the calls have changed WMYD] will be CW.  If WADL had waited they probably would be CW.

 

[C Block 1566]

3 hours ago, 24994J said:

 

Pretty sure that's what "sometimes" means.

 

Great, they can beat KTVU at 10pm on the Friday before the Fourth of July. But that's not a trend. The fact is that KTVU still frequently has triple (or more) the audience of KRON at 10pm, and often more viewers at 11pm than all the other stations combined. Don't believe Lieberman's assertion that KTVU ratings are "cratering" in his mind. He makes up 80% of his "reporting" and doesn't have access to the numbers. He even claimed recently that KRON was beating KTVU at 11pm – only problem is, KRON hasn't had an 11pm in years.

 

With that said, KRON's primetime block has cultivated some sort of following, especially after KGO cancelled their 9pm show on KOFY. There are more eyeballs on KRON's 8 and 9pm than on the CW shows. If Nexstar cheapens the CW programming as widely reported and also forces KRON to air it, then that seems like a perfect recipe to sabotage what success they have.

[MD TV 255]

7 hours ago, Breaking News said:

I see CW going to WATL because when WATL was WB they were one of WB's top rated affiliates. Granted WB had better programming than CW. CW has that niche young audience. WXIA produced news for WATL so they will do an hour at 7pm and come back at 10pm. Between 8-10pm those CW shows might be get better ratings.

 

However WANF/WPCH might do what XIA/ATL did with the news.

 

In Detroit-Channel 20[formerly WXON I know the calls have changed WMYD] will be CW.  If WADL had waited they probably would be CW.

 

I really doubt WATL wants to give up 90 minutes of programming with 100% local ad revenue. It's not like KRON, where they probably have no choice due to ownership.

[DirtyHarry 727]

12 hours ago, Nelson R. said:

Doesn’t sound like it’s a given that CBS will put the affiliation on WUPA. Braves, Hawks and the rumored new NHL team on WUPA?

 

They're not going to show you their cards yet. It would be different if one of the big channels had the CBS affiliation, but I wouldn't think twice about taking it for myself in this situation.