STATION TO STATION
By Allison Romano -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/13/2005 7:00:00 PM
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Karpowicz Leads Meredith Group Meredith Wants K.C. Duopoly |
Karpowicz Leads Meredith Group
Four months after former broadcast group President Kevin O'Brien's stormy exit, Meredith Broadcasting has a new station-group chief. Paul Karpowicz, most recently LIN Television Group's VP of television, joins Meredith Feb. 14 to steer its 13 stations. Meredith is the 15th-largest U.S. station group, with $321.9 million in revenue in 2003, according to B&C's 2005 survey of the top 25 broadcast station groups.
In his new role, Karpowicz will report to Meredith President and COO Stephen M. Lacy. O'Brien, a local-TV vet who once ran Cox Broadcasting's KTVU San Francisco, was dismissed for violating the company's Equal Employment Opportunity policies.
O'Brien's three-year tenure at Meredith was rocky: He dismissed GMs and news directors at nearly every Meredith station. Since his departure, VP of News Operations Micah Johnson has also exited, and Meredith has since hired fresh news directors for two stations: WGCL and WHNS Greenville, S.C./Ashville, N.C.
Karpowicz, who will be based in Hartford, Conn., is expected to be a calming force. A 30-year local-broadcasting vet, he is well-regarded in the station community. “He has an extensive background in news, programming, sales initiatives and broadcasting transactions. Paul has outstanding industry connections and is recognized for his integrity and leadership abilities,” Lacy said in a statement.
Karpowicz won't comment on the group's recent troubles but says he will emphasize local news and community involvement. “The biggest challenge is to continue to make our stations relevant in an environment with more than 200 channels,” he says.
After starting his career in radio at LIN-owned WIL St. Louis, Karpowicz moved to TV. He rose on the sales side, eventually managing WLNE Providence, R.I., and LIN's WISH Indianapolis. LIN tapped him for a corporate-level gig in 1994.
Meredith Wants K.C. Duopoly
In one patch of Meredith country, the broadcast group is trying to extend its reach. The company filed for a waiver with the FCC to purchase Sinclair Broadcasting's WB affiliate KSMO Kansas City, Mo., and forge a duopoly with its own CBS affiliate KCTV.
Meredith already has a stake in the station: It handles ad sales. Sinclair has agreed to sell for $33.5 million—$26.8 million for a controlling interest and another $6.7 million if Meredith is awarded the KSMO license. But current FCC rules limit a new duopoly in Kansas City, the No. 31 TV market. Eight independently owned commercial stations must exist in a market. With Sinclair gone, Kansas City would have six station owners.
Meredith's strategy is to secure a “failing-station” waiver. The FCC will consider an exception to ownership rules if a station is struggling financially and has a low audience share. The review process could take up to 18 months.
“Ratings and profits at KSMO have eroded in the last several years. They are losing money,” says KCTV VP/GM Kirk Black, who also heads KSMO sales. He says the station's revenue share has dropped from 10% to 6% in the past several years, although he won't cite figures. Plus, ratings are mediocre. In the latest November sweeps, KSMO ranked fifth out of seven rated stations. Kansas City stations will take in a projected $174 million in revenue this year, up slightly from $170 million in 2004, according to BIA Financial.
To sweeten its pitch, Meredith will expand KSMO's local programming with a 9 p.m. newscast, two weekend community-affairs shows, one teen-oriented show, and four hours of educational kids' programs. Also, KCTV news staffers would work on a new KSMO broadcast and provide breaking weather and news reports. Although KCTV's news ratings are up, Black says a duopoly helps both outlets. “We'd increase our employee ranks and revenues,” he says. “Right now, we're on the outside.”
Send station news to aromano@reedbusiness.com
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