WINK-TV/Fort Myers Broadcasting Company new facilities

[NWA_TV_guy 157]

FMBC is moving WINK-TV/FM and its other broadcast properties to a new location in Fort Myers. 
 

https://winknews.com/2023/08/03/wink-tv-buys-new-headquarters-for-18-5-million-in-gateway/?fbclid=IwAR3Yyw6O2ZTVoHxkWrLeA89O1SMpK5Be8Ej_NekLrvaQg5PNhTHpSJndUFI_aem_AaMEvmtuQXLZePPjjqtvctHajRDZI7uLCJtrqfGxDuaq1AlZXiLX22uIxa63Kek3tRk&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Edited August 4, 2023 by NWA_TV_guy

[abric 186]

I figured this would be happening given what happened with Hurricane Ian last year that flooded their studios and knocked them off the air. Pulling a KHOU.

[Recovering Producer 233]

An overdue upgrade for WINK and absolutely necessary for any possible sale in the future. No company in their right mind (or their insurance company) would take on that building after Ian.

Oddly enough, they were committed to a future in that building until a few weeks before Ian. If you look at Fort Myers building permits - they shelved a plan just a few weeks before the storm to add a studio to the northwest side of the building—the part of the building closest to the creek and water. 

[MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 958]

This is great news! I was wondering when this was going to happen.  I figured they would be looking, given what KHOU went through...

[GoldenShine9 1514]

22 hours ago, Recovering Producer said:

An overdue upgrade for WINK and absolutely necessary for any possible sale in the future. No company in their right mind (or their insurance company) would take on that building after Ian.

Oddly enough, they were committed to a future in that building until a few weeks before Ian. If you look at Fort Myers building permits - they shelved a plan just a few weeks before the storm to add a studio to the northwest side of the building—the part of the building closest to the creek and water. 

 

They probably also realized that it would be a critical piece of a potential sale. In addition, the insurance costs in Florida as a whole are skyrocketing now and that would be outrageously high where they were previously.

Edited August 4, 2023 by GoldenShine9

[ABC 7 Denver 1734]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:17 PM, GoldenShine9 said:

 

They probably also realized that it would be a critical piece of a potential sale. In addition, the insurance costs in Florida as a whole are skyrocketing now and that would be outrageously high where they were previously.

 

Sale to Scripps, you mean.

[nycnewsjunkie 1446]

15 hours ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

Sale to Scripps, you mean.

They already own WFTX.

[Georgie56 3336]

If anything, they’d be bound for Gray. WINK-WXCW is already being run like a Gray shop.

[Recovering Producer 233]

3 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

If anything, they’d be bound for Gray. WINK-WXCW is already being run like a Gray shop.

If a Fort Myers Broadcasting WINK/Sun WXCW sale happens, under current ownership rules, unless they find a main owner and sidecar willing to take on radio properties, someone would need to find two different companies to divest the radio properties owned by FMBC and Sun. (By my count FMBC has three full-power FM stations, Sun has 4 FM stations - no current legal way for one company to own 7 FM stations in a market)  Those companies would need to have a similar relationship or unwind their connected operation on the radio side. Not impossible. But a piece of the puzzle that could complicate negotiations of any potential deal because of tax advantages for the sellers to sell whole rather than piece by piece. 

[Recovering Producer 233]

The new building renovations for WINK can't be finished fast enough it appears. I don't have screen grabs, but at some point late Thursday while Helene was off the Gulf Coast, newscasts were moved into the newsroom. When they were back in the studio on Friday, you could hear drying fans very loud in the background of studio shots, which makes me think the creek next to WINK overflowed into the building again. 

[DENDude 223]

WINK says in its own article, they thought they would be moving into there new studio space within a year, that article is dated August 3, 2023. So at this point we are beyond a year.   And would Sun Broadcasting's WARO, WHEL, WSFX & WXCW move with them into the new space??  I'm guessing yes, because it's a side car operation.

[Recovering Producer 233]

20 hours ago, DENDude said:

WINK says in its own article, they thought they would be moving into there new studio space within a year, that article is dated August 3, 2023. So at this point we are beyond a year.   And would Sun Broadcasting's WARO, WHEL, WSFX & WXCW move with them into the new space??  I'm guessing yes, because it's a side car operation.

 

Because I'm a public records nerd, it looks like part of the renovation project at the new building is still in the permitting process. Building renovation is underway based on permits, but things like satellite dishes and STL Tower are still moving through the process. Granted, those can get built fast once permits are secured.

 

Sun absolutely will be moving with FMBC/WINK. The two companies are more like conjoined twins than sidecars. 

Edited October 5, 2024 by Recovering Producer

[TheRolyPoly 2641]

On 10/5/2024 at 10:07 AM, Recovering Producer said:

Sun absolutely will be moving with FMBC/WINK. The two companies are more like conjoined twins than sidecars. 

 

This is why they get away with having two TV stations and loads of radio stations (3 via FMBC and 4 via Sun) on their roster.

[brianpr3 178]

They were using the gateway studio during storm coverage 

[ScottSchell 372]

Sorry for bumping this but has anyone heard any updates on the new building if construction work is still going on or any ideas on if or when WINK will move?

[Recovering Producer 233]

On 2/27/2025 at 9:19 PM, ScottSchell said:

Sorry for bumping this but has anyone heard any updates on the new building if construction work is still going on or any ideas on if or when WINK will move?

Last update I heard from a former coworker from my time there was hopefully early Summer 2025. No explanation why. I'd guess the 1-2 punch of Ian in 2022 and Milton in 2024 means construction crews in Southwest Florida are in high demand. 

 

(Which gives me flashbacks to the economic meltdown of 2008/2009 when Southwest Florida's heavily home construction based economy driven by 2004/2005 hurricane season rebuilds and massive growth collapsed hard and Lee County turned into Foreclosure Land USA for several years.)