Exclusive: Local TV Puts Stations on Block
WJW Cleveland and KTVI St. Louis among those for sale
By Michael Malone -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/22/2013 11:55:45 AM
Oak Hill Capital Partners has put its Local TV LLC stations on the block.Station staffs are being alerted across the Local TV footprint. The group says the process may take up to a year, and told staffers to go about their business as usual in the meantime.
Local TV, based in Newport, Ky., did not return a call for comment at presstime. Three separate sources within the company confirmed the news.
Local TV owns or operates 21 stations, including KDVR Denver, WJW Cleveland, WNEP Scranton-Wilkes Barre and KTVI St. Louis. It launched after the acquisition of the New York Times Company stations in 2007, and added a bunch from the Fox-owned group a year later.
Talkback
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Could picture Cox eyeing Oklahoma City... maybe Capitol eyeing Memphis... and either Lin or Journal eyeing Salt Lake City. Just some additional ideas.
Eric - 3/25/2013 8:18:28 PM EDT -
I'm aware of Fox opting to acquire WJZY & WMYT Charlotte from Capitol, instead of acquiring WLFL & WRDC Raleigh-Durham from Sinclair. WCCB is losing Fox affiliation after 27 years. Don't know if Capitol would be interested in WGHP Greensboro-High Point... and don't know if Capitol would be interested in any additional stations.
I'm aware of Landmark selling WTVF Nashville to Journal last year... don't know if Landmark has plans to sell KLAS Las Vegas anytime soon.
I could picture Meredith eyeing Des Moines... as well as eyeing Cleveland and Milwaukee, if Fox isn't interested in re-acquiring its former O&Os. I could picture either Lin, Raycom, or Journal eyeing Kansas City. I could picture Media General eyeing Richmond and Scranton-Wilkes Barre.
With Tribune stations: I still picture Gannett eyeing DC... Belo eyeing Portland... Scripps eyeing New Orleans ABC... Hearst eyeing New Orleans CW, if Scripps doesn't want it... and maybe Fox eyeing Seattle and Indianapolis. Denver and St. Louis may be a bit of a toss-up. Could picture KWGN getting Fox, and KDVR getting CW. Could picture KPLR getting ABC, if KTVI remains with Fox, and KDNL getting CW.
Eric - 3/24/2013 6:44:17 PM EDT -
I can see that Tribune buys Cleveland,Denver, and st Louis and Tribue in a seperate move spins off stations outside of the top 30 markets as I cannot see tribune focusing just on the top 10 markets. this would make tribune a lean mean fighting machine in broadcasting. If they have a strong top 30 market station group that is involved in local news it would provide a nice launch pad for new syndicatied product as when they spin off the newspapers they will have cash and be looking for station that fit with their needs.
I could see FOX repurshing Cleveland Denver, and St Louis as they are top 25 markets and they are cash cows and 3 of the top affiliates in the network. In Cleveland Fox sports group did purshase Sports Time Ohio so I could see them adding WJW back to the fold.
Outside of the top 25, i can see Merdedith or Cox going after them as they do have the desive and cash to build a mid market station group. Merdedith was at one point going to buy time magazine so it shows they have cash and with cox spinning off their smallar market stations, they to have money to spend.
John sampson - 3/24/2013 5:10:17 PM EDT -
I Would guess that FOX Television Stations Inc or Journal Broadcasting Would go after KDVR i could see Tribune trying to move KWGN to a different location and re-booting its news department. There is no way that Gannett Broadcasting is going to give up the My Network TV affilation with KTVD. I think this will be a good thing for KDVR. Maybe they will go back to fox style graphics
Paul Armani - 3/24/2013 1:13:04 AM EDT -
@James (Jimmy) Cieloha: I could see Meredith acquiring Local TV group. The only Local TV owned station that Meredith wouldn't be able to get is WDAF Kansas City... unless Meredith were to sell its CBS/MNT duopoly KCTV & KCMO. Could see either Raycom or Lin, or Journal wanting WDAF. If Fox were to have a Denver O&O in the form of Tribune's KWGN and Local TV's KDVR... Gannett's KTVD would likely lose MNT, to affiliate with CW.
Erc - 3/23/2013 8:05:17 PM EDT
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