TVs

-- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/11/2000

WPRI-TV Providence, R.I.

Price: Estimated $50 million-$60 million

Buyer: Smith Broadcasting Partners LP, St. Petersburg, Fla. (Robert N. Smith, president/59% owner); owns Sunrise Television Corp., which owns/is buying 11 TVs, including WNAC-TV Providence. Robert Smith also owns KEYT-TV-AM Santa Barbara, Calif.; 54.2% of Smith Broadcasting Group Inc., which controls three Alaska TVs, and 52% of company that owns 85% of WFFF-TV Burlington, Va. Smith also controls KOLO-TV Reno, Nev., and WETM-TV Elmira and WKTV(TV) Utica, N.Y. Note: Because Providence lacks eight independent TV owners, Smith will have to divest WNAC-TV

Seller: Clear Channel Communications Inc., San Antonio (L. Lowry Mays, chairman; William R. "Rip" Riordan, chief operating officer, Clear Channel Television/executive vice president, Clear Channel Communications); owns/is buying 18 TVs and about 1,120 radio stations, including WHJJ(AM) and WWBB(FM) Providence, WHJY(FM) and WSNE(FM) Providence/Boston, and WJMN(FM) and WXKS-AM-FM Boston/Providence; has LMA with WNAC-TV Providence. Clear Channel also owns nearby WJMN(FM) Boston, WTAG(AM) - WSRS(FM ) W orcester/ Boston, Mass., and WGIR-FM Manchester, N.H./Boston. Note: Clear Channel bought WPRI-TV for $68 million in May 1996 (see other items, below)

Facilities: Ch. 12, 316 kW visual, 31.6 kW aural, ant. 910 ft.

Affiliation: CBS