Gray to buy 10 Allen Stations

[Georgie56 3661]

Gray’s acquisition spree continues.

 

Scott Jones is reporting that Gray is buying Allen’s stations.

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

We don't know which ones yet, and if this will even go through, but if so, there's lots of conflicts there will have to be squashed over (unless this FCC will just let it through). I can think of the Wisconsin stations as such an example.

[channel2 1042]

They're probably after WKOW and its spawn specifically so they can combine them with the stations they already own in Wisconsin, especially since they had to let them go the first time they struck a deal involving them. Plus they would own all the ABC affiliates within Wisconsin aside from WISN.

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

OFFICIAL: Gray to Acquire 10 Allen Media Stations

https://graytv.gcs-web.com/node/24351/pdf

 

Huntsville WAAY (ABC) - duopoly with WAFF

Paducah /Cape Giradeau / Carbondale WSIL (ABC) - duopoly with KFVS

Evansville - WEVV (CBS/FOX) - TRIOPOLY with WFIE

Fort Wayne - WFFT (FOX) - TRIOPOLY with WPTA/WISE

Montgomery - WCOV (FOX) - Duopoly with WSFA (no mention of WIYC or WALE-LD)

Lafayette, LA - KADN (FOX/NBC) - Future TRIOPOLY with KATC if that swap clears with Scripps

Columbus/Tupelo - WTVA (ABC/NBC)

Rockford - WREX (NBC) - virtual TRIOPOLY with WIFR/WSLN (since WIFR is an LD and they signed on the Freeport Channel 9 facility)

Terre Haute - WTHI (CBS/FOX)

Lafayette, IN - WLFI (CBS)

 

And in several of these markets it will be Gray and Nexstar with total control of all of the TV stations, should this ever see the light of day.

Edited August 8, 2025 by tyrannical bastard
market info and multiplicity

[Rusty Muck 4688]

Gray + Allen would result in a NBC/ABC/Fox/CW triopoly in Fort Wayne, right next to their incoming Big Four WLIO/WOHL duop in Lima. Plus it'd marry WJRT with WNEM and WCOV/WIYC with WSFA.

 

Given how badly Allen ran those stations into the ground, integrating them might be an easier process than you'd think. And thanks to pure political favoritism at the hands of hacks Brendan Carr and Olivia Trusty (let alone the disemboweling of the DOJ and FTC), this and all other deals will clear with total ease.

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

Stations like KDRV, KEZI, and KHSL/KNVN may be wondering to themselves as to why not them.

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

The only clean purchases are in Columbus/Tupelo, Terre Haute and Lafayette, IN. 

 

And there was a time that WSFA would have never considered merging with WCOV.  It was literally a handshake agreement between Raycom and Woods that they would not acquire WCOV, given their former status as the market's CBS affiliate until 1986 and WAKA's quest to serve Montgomery after being relegated to Selma.

 

But ownership rules be damned...let the bloodbath begin!!!!

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

I just noticed something... Gray is only picking up stations in the Midwest or South. NO stations in the west.

 

This means KDRV, KEZI, and KHSL/KNVN won't be sold, though I'm puzzled as to why not them. Gray isn't in any of those markets.

[cg4 18]

I don’t see WJRT listed there.

[TheRob 969]

In the Scripps swap, Gray exited a couple of markets in the West as well.

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

26 minutes ago, TheRob said:

In the Scripps swap, Gray exited a couple of markets in the West as well.

And yet they still own stations in Alaska and Hawaii...

[GraphicsMan 345]

Gray is on its way to overtaking Nexstar as largest tv station owner in the country. Good for Gray Good for Allen but quite honestly this is kinda scary. Really because of the laxxed FCC regulations, but this is small peanuts they aren’t at that 39% household cap. There waiting for Skydance, Tegna to unravel with each other.

[TheRolyPoly 3510]

2 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

Huntsville WAAY (ABC) - duopoly with WAFF

Montgomery - WCOV (FOX) - Duopoly with WSFA (no mention of WIYC or WALE-LD)

 

Technically, it would be a triopoly in these two markets. Don't forget WTHV Telemundo Huntsville and WBXM Telemundo Montgomery.

Edited August 8, 2025 by TheRolyPoly

[GoldenShine_10 263]

3 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

OFFICIAL: Gray to Acquire 10 Allen Media Stations

https://graytv.gcs-web.com/node/24351/pdf

 

Huntsville WAAY (ABC) - duopoly with WAFF

Paducah /Cape Giradeau / Carbondale WSIL (ABC) - duopoly with KFVS

Evansville - WEVV (CBS/FOX) - TRIOPOLY with WFIE

Fort Wayne - WFFT (FOX) - TRIOPOLY with WPTA/WISE

Montgomery - WCOV (FOX) - Duopoly with WSFA (no mention of WIYC or WALE-LD)

Lafayette, LA - KADN (FOX/NBC) - Future TRIOPOLY with KATC if that swap clears with Scripps

Columbus/Tupelo - WTVA (ABC/NBC)

Rockford - WREX (NBC) - virtual TRIOPOLY with WIFR/WSLN (since WIFR is an LD and they signed on the Freeport Channel 9 facility)

Terre Haute - WTHI (CBS/FOX)

Lafayette, IN - WLFI (CBS)

 

And in several of these markets it will be Gray and Nexstar with total control of all of the TV stations, should this ever see the light of day.

 

If approved:

 

Lafayette is a tiny one-station market.

Terre Haute, Rockford, Lafayette, Fort Wayne and Evansville are Gray/Nexstar markets, while Columbus-Tupelo and Montgomery are Gray/someone else (that said, Morris and Bahakel would be prime for Nexstar).

Huntsville remains a 3-station operation, while Paducah would be Gray and a local owner (as long as Paxson doesn't walk away, since Nexstar would probably love WPSD).

2 hours ago, cg4 said:

I don’t see WJRT listed there.

 

Probably because that would leave them with the #1 and #2 stations in the market and likely would create bigger hassles than a #1 and #3 station acquisition. Also, someone else might be shopping that station like Scripps.

What this means for the three new markets:

 

Indiana - Only missing Indianapolis. That will be a difficult one barring a trade.

 

Mississippi - Only missing Greenville. They missed the chance with The Delta News, but if Deltavision doesn't complete the acquisition, Gray could jump on it for peanuts.

[GoldenShine_10 263]

3 hours ago, TheRolyPoly said:

I just noticed something... Gray is only picking up stations in the Midwest or South. NO stations in the west.

 

This means KDRV, KEZI, and KHSL/KNVN won't be sold, though I'm puzzled as to why not them. Gray isn't in any of those markets.

 

It's a bit surprising, but I guess they are conceding the far west. That said, they would have been sister stations to KPTV/KPDX, and given them a stronger position out there. Especially if Cowles ever decided to sell, that would give them a strong Northwest cluster.

[24994J 5888]

I broke this into it's own thread, as it evolves and we discuss approval and the potential politics of it.

[mre29 1967]

From the Hollywood Reporter's article about the deal (emphasis mine):

 

Quote

Allen Media Group put its portfolio of 28 local TV stations across 21 local markets up for sale back in June, with Moelis & Company marketing the portfolio. The sale of about a third of those stations suggests that the bank will seek to cleave them off piecemeal to get the best deal.

 

Smart bank.

 

[Rusty Muck 4688]

If I were Gray, I'd be licking my chops at getting WISH-WNDY from DuJuan McCoy, potentially for a song.

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

55 minutes ago, Rusty Muck said:

If I were Gray, I'd be licking my chops at getting WISH-WNDY from DuJuan McCoy, potentially for a song.

And Nexstar could resort back to Tribune's "Plan A"...to put the CW back on WTTV (4.2) and make WISH-TV a full independent. 

 

Tribune was the one who sold the CW affiliation, but this was well before Nexstar was in the picture, as the company would later absorb Media General, then Tribune, and later the CW network itself.

[mre29 1967]

1 hour ago, tyrannical bastard said:

And Nexstar could resort back to Tribune's "Plan A"...to put the CW back on WTTV (4.2) and make WISH-TV a full independent.

 

Or 4.1 or 59.9 depending on when the CBS and Fox affiliations are up for renewal.

 

[Rusty Muck 4688]

2 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

And Nexstar could resort back to Tribune's "Plan A"...to put the CW back on WTTV (4.2) and make WISH-TV a full independent. 

 

That's been a fait accompli since Nexstar was gifted the CW. When Nexstar buys CBS and the owned-stations they can toss the Fox affiliation over to WISH.

Edited August 8, 2025 by Rusty Muck

[tyrannical bastard 4678]

11 minutes ago, Rusty Muck said:

 

That's been a fait accompli since Nexstar was gifted the CW. When Nexstar buys CBS and the owned-stations they can toss the Fox affiliation over to WISH.

What makes you think Nexstar would be so generous?  If anything, CBS has their own out with the low-powered O&O in Indy.

 

And FOX would be the one to pull up stakes if Nexstar flinches.  And it would be uglier than the instance when they pulled out of Fort Wayne, Terre Haute and Evansville.

[GoldenShine_10 263]

If Nexstar and Tegna make the rumored deal, that could potentially get the hands off some of the triopolies through trading pieces. I know Louisville has a triopoly pending through Block, while this deal creates one in Fort Wayne. (Rockford and Lafayette, LA are low power third stations.)

 

One of the pieces in each of those markets could be traded to Nexstar, in exchange for something that is in a market that Gray is not present in but creating a triopoly (or more) with Nexstar.

[Rusty Muck 4688]

20 minutes ago, tyrannical bastard said:

What makes you think Nexstar would be so generous?  If anything, CBS has their own out with the low-powered O&O in Indy.

CBS is going to be sold as quickly as possible because Skydance flat out doesn't want it, and Nexstar is the only buyer available. Doing the math, Nexstar will have a CBS-CW O&O duop in Indy after that happens.

[mre29 1967]

23 hours ago, Rusty Muck said:

CBS is going to be sold as quickly as possible because Skydance flat out doesn't want it, and Nexstar is the only buyer available.

 

Is there proof that Skydance/New Paramount doesn't want CBS? I can see them selling off the O&O stations, but they might see the point in holding on to the network itself for a while.

 

As for Nexstar being the only available buyer... well, I'll believe it when I see it.