Howard Beale 57 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Imagicomm Communications is getting out of the TV news business. Paywalled articles at News Blues and the Radio & Television Business Report say the company plans to sell the TV stations it purchased from Apollo (dba Cox Media Group), including: KYMA (Yuma, AZ) KIEM / KVIQ (Eureka, CA) KPVI (Pocatello, ID) KLAX (Alexandria, LA) WABG / WNBD / WXVT (Greenville, MS) WICZ (Binghamton, NY) WSYT (Syracuse, NY) KOKI / KMYT (Tulsa, OK) KMVU / KFBI (Medford, OR) WHBQ (Memphis, TN) KAYU (Spokane, WA) KFFX / KCYU (Yakima, WA) With President-elect Trump due to become President Trump in less-than one week, it seems clear that the broadcasting industry truly believes a Trump administration will be pro-merger. Many of these are small-market stations that probably turn very little of a profit, if any, so anyone’s guess is good at this point about what happens next. 1 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine_10 92 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 32 minutes ago, Howard Beale said: Imagicomm Communications is getting out of the TV news business. Paywalled articles at News Blues and the Radio & Television Business Report say the company plans to sell the TV stations it purchased from Apollo (dba Cox Media Group), including: KYMA (Yuma, AZ) KIEM / KVIQ (Eureka, CA) KPVI (Pocatello, ID) KLAX (Alexandria, LA) WABG / WNBD / WXVT (Greenville, MS) WICZ (Binghamton, NY) WSYT (Syracuse, NY) KOKI / KMYT (Tulsa, OK) KMVU / KFBI (Medford, OR) WHBQ (Memphis, TN) KAYU (Spokane, WA) KFFX / KCYU (Yakima, WA) With President-elect Trump due to become President Trump in less-than one week, it seems clear that the broadcasting industry truly believes a Trump administration will be pro-merger. Many of these are small-market stations that probably turn very little of a profit, if any, so anyone’s guess is good at this point about what happens next. I wrote my thoughts in the Speculatron. Basically, look to the surrounding markets for clues - the smaller ones with news would likely need to be helped by them. Those without news could just go to non-commercial outlets with the networks added to incumbent stations. WHBQ and KOKI are the only real prizes. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302796 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDNProd 2 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Will be interesting to see what happens to the smaller stations. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302798 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRolyPoly 2357 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Yeah, I was gonna say. The rest, ehh... but WHBQ and KOKI? Those are the grand daddy of them all. Nexstar, Gray, and TEGNA can't get involved in Memphis, neither can Scripps, Griffin, or Sinclair in Tulsa. So there's really no company that can get those two stations together without some kind of conflict of interest. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302799 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDNProd 2 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 14 minutes ago, TheRolyPoly said: Yeah, I was gonna say. The rest, ehh... but WHBQ and KOKI? Those are the grand daddy of them all. Nexstar, Gray, and TEGNA can't get involved in Memphis, neither can Scripps, Griffin, or Sinclair in Tulsa. So there's really no company that can get those two stations together without some kind of conflict of interest. It's interesting that they bought them together from CMG and are now selling them to whoever will buy them. 1 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302805 Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYAZSporty 123 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 (edited) 1 hour ago, Howard Beale said: Imagicomm Communications is getting out of the TV news business. Paywalled articles at News Blues and the Radio & Television Business Report say the company plans to sell the TV stations it purchased from Apollo (dba Cox Media Group), including: KYMA (Yuma, AZ) Wonder if Gray would be interested in the Yuma duopoly with KYMA & treat Arizona like Georgia having a station in each market. They already have that somewhat by having KAZS 27 there just over a year ago as part of Arizona's Family Sports ahead of airing Suns games, but unlike the other 2 markets, they don't have a direct local presence there as the only newscasts that air are the ones from KPHO/KTVK that are simulcasted there to the whole state. Edited January 15 by NYAZSporty Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302806 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottSchell 352 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I’m hoping Hearst, Nexstar (who should have originally bought KOKI instead of Cox), Tegna, or Gray decides to buy KOKI. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302813 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRolyPoly 2357 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 1 hour ago, NYAZSporty said: Wonder if Gray would be interested in the Yuma duopoly with KYMA & treat Arizona like Georgia having a station in each market. They already have that somewhat by having KAZS 27 there just over a year ago as part of Arizona's Family Sports ahead of airing Suns games, but unlike the other 2 markets, they don't have a direct local presence there as the only newscasts that air are the ones from KPHO/KTVK that are simulcasted there to the whole state. The only problem I see with that is that KYMA is operated by News-Press and Gazette Company, which also owns KECY and KESE. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302814 Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanErrorist 147 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Back when Imagicomm first bought these stations, there was debate here over what their play was: ATSC 3.0 or an OTA feed of INSP. Whatever it was (if there even was one), it won't get to come to fruition. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302820 Share on other sites More sharing options...
norcalTVfan 13 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I honestly believe this may spell the end of local news in Eureka, CA. Station KIEM - with partner KVIQ (LP) air the only local news after Sinclair closed up shop (on a much better product) and rolled everything to Redding in an adjacent market. I don’t think KIEM will roll into Redding as the other owner is Allen. I don’t think anyone wants KIEM and, if they do, will have trouble keeping news in that stagnant economy. This probably should go in the speculation thread. 1 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302826 Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathannah 2401 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 1 hour ago, AmericanErrorist said: Back when Imagicomm first bought these stations, there was debate here over what their play was: ATSC 3.0 or an OTA feed of INSP. Whatever it was (if there even was one), it won't get to come to fruition. I always believed it was like the 'minority owner' racket in the 2010s where a distant woman or other racial group were suddenly 'running' stations stripped to do-nothing subchannel farms in the middle of the Great Plains until Gray and Nexstar could buy them back under a GOP FCC. INSP was so hands-off I was shocked and pretty much ran the stations status quo, so it feels like Imagicomm was actually Legacy 2.0. 2 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302828 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 801 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 6 hours ago, Howard Beale said: Imagicomm Communications is getting out of the TV news business. Paywalled articles at News Blues and the Radio & Television Business Report say the company plans to sell the TV stations it purchased from Apollo (dba Cox Media Group), including: KYMA (Yuma, AZ) KIEM / KVIQ (Eureka, CA) KPVI (Pocatello, ID) KLAX (Alexandria, LA) WABG / WNBD / WXVT (Greenville, MS) WICZ (Binghamton, NY) WSYT (Syracuse, NY) KOKI / KMYT (Tulsa, OK) KMVU / KFBI (Medford, OR) WHBQ (Memphis, TN) KAYU (Spokane, WA) KFFX / KCYU (Yakima, WA) With President-elect Trump due to become President Trump in less-than one week, it seems clear that the broadcasting industry truly believes a Trump administration will be pro-merger. Many of these are small-market stations that probably turn very little of a profit, if any, so anyone’s guess is good at this point about what happens next. Kinda figured that Imagicomm would ultimately decide to cash out after a few years. Outside of INSP and a production company that makes direct-to-video films, them owning TV stations didn't really make much sense other than just holding assets for a company in Cox/Apollo that was looking to dump stuff in order to make its own portfolio more attractive to potential would-be suitors. 5 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said: Yeah, I was gonna say. The rest, ehh... but WHBQ and KOKI? Those are the grand daddy of them all. Nexstar, Gray, and TEGNA can't get involved in Memphis, neither can Scripps, Griffin, or Sinclair in Tulsa. So there's really no company that can get those two stations together without some kind of conflict of interest. With ownership rules expected to be loosened (if not outright repealed), nothing should be considered off the table as to who buys who. There may be a trade or two along the way (I'll discuss the rest over in the Speculatron). 3 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302834 Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjj 17 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 It's interesting how so many station groups have come out that they are selling or are for sale but I don't recall any having come out saying they want to buy. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302841 Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrannical bastard 3931 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 7 hours ago, jjj said: It's interesting how so many station groups have come out that they are selling or are for sale but I don't recall any having come out saying they want to buy. The industry has seen better days, so the willing buyers are few and far between. Even the current state of buyers (Allen, Gray, etc..) are crying poverty and cutting their stations to the bone, especially in smaller markets. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302850 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Lampstein 98 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Not sure if I missed it in this thread but Marquee is picking up two of their markets already - Eureka and Medford https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/marquee-broadcasting-buys-4-imagicomm-stations/ Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302858 Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlnews2 590 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 16 minutes ago, Dave Lampstein said: Not sure if I missed it in this thread but Marquee is picking up two of their markets already - Eureka and Medford https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/marquee-broadcasting-buys-4-imagicomm-stations/ well that was quick. Guess they’re ok selling piecemeal instead of “all or nothing “ 1 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302860 Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine_10 92 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 36 minutes ago, atlnews2 said: well that was quick. Guess they’re ok selling piecemeal instead of “all or nothing “ That was quick! As far as Medford, they might want to consider a news partnership with KOBI? Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302864 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 907 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) 21 hours ago, ScottSchell said: I’m hoping Hearst, Nexstar (who should have originally bought KOKI instead of Cox), Tegna, or Gray decides to buy KOKI. I doubt this would happen with Hearst, but it would be nice to have... They can be like Griffin and have 2 strong stations Edited January 16 by MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie 1 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302865 Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenShine_10 92 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) 7 minutes ago, MichiganNewsGraphicsJunkie said: I doubt this would happen with Hearst, but it would be nice to have... They can be like Griffin and have 2 strong stations Another factor is that, by buying KOKI, it closes a door for any company if Griffin comes up for sale and they have the two strongest stations in Oklahoma. Edited January 16 by GoldenShine_10 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302866 Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVVTV12 141 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 13 minutes ago, GoldenShine_10 said: Another factor is that, by buying KOKI, it closes a door for any company if Griffin comes up for sale and they have the two strongest stations in Oklahoma. Griffin will shut down the tv stations before they ever sell. 4 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302868 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mre29 1513 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 8 hours ago, atlnews2 said: well that was quick. Guess they’re ok selling piecemeal instead of “all or nothing “ About time someone was! Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-302893 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megatron81 256 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 I was surprised that Imgicomn Comm bought TV stations a couple of years ago from CMG weren't theses TV owned by Northwest at one time. Other than Mem & OK. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-303021 Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnintx 19 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 On 1/16/2025 at 1:45 PM, EVVTV12 said: Griffin will shut down the tv stations before they ever sell. Griffin is now in a unique position. They outlasted corporate owners in OKC, bought KOTV several years ago, and now have 800 pound gorillas in both markets. Oklahoma is very provincial to begin with, and they play the locally owned card to their advantage. They have new studios in both cities and are positioned to dominate for years to come. They'll be the last ones standing. Other markets would do well to have at least one local owner as OKC/Tulsa do. We're past that stage in most places. Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-303104 Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennTV1983 801 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 (edited) 2 hours ago, johnintx said: Griffin is now in a unique position. They outlasted corporate owners in OKC, bought KOTV several years ago, and now have 800 pound gorillas in both markets. Oklahoma is very provincial to begin with, and they play the locally owned card to their advantage. They have new studios in both cities and are positioned to dominate for years to come. They'll be the last ones standing. Other markets would do well to have at least one local owner as OKC/Tulsa do. We're past that stage in most places. Locally-owned is a misnomer these days in a broad sense, especially with all of the mergers that have happened over the last two decades. While some of the smaller groups who own a TV station in the same market where they are headquartered have managed to weather the storm (i.e., Capitol with WRAL, Graham with WDIV, Sunbeam with WSVN, Bahakel with WCCB, etc.), they have the deep pockets and/or resources to do so, and could've cashed out at any time, but chose not to. Others are not so fortunate. Edited January 24 by TennTV1983 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-303111 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie56 3292 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 9 hours ago, johnintx said: Griffin is now in a unique position. They outlasted corporate owners in OKC, bought KOTV several years ago, and now have 800 pound gorillas in both markets. Oklahoma is very provincial to begin with, and they play the locally owned card to their advantage. They have new studios in both cities and are positioned to dominate for years to come. They'll be the last ones standing. Other markets would do well to have at least one local owner as OKC/Tulsa do. We're past that stage in most places. Griffin also has their food business keeping them afloat. 2 Link to comment https://localnewstalk.net/topic/21616-imagicomm-communications-plans-to-sell-its-tv-stations/#findComment-303118 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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