Gray Buys Nexstar Stations in Green Bay, Davenport

Gray Television will be buying two TV stations – WBAY Green Bay, Wisc. and KWQC Davenport, Iowa – that Nexstar Broadcasting is selling under the terms of its Media General acquisition.

The group will pay $270 million for WBAY, an ABC affiliate, and KWQC, an NBC affiliate, both the highest-rated stations in their markets, according to Gray.

The new stations will significantly increase Gray's reach in each of their regions, the company said.

In Wisconsin, Gray currently owns WMTV in Madison; WEAU in Eau Claire-Lacrosse; and WSAW and WZAW in Wausau-Rhinelander. It also owns WLUC in Marquette, Mich.

KWQC, which is in the Davenport-Rock Island-Moline market, will be Gray’s third station that reaches into Iowa. The others are WOWT in Omaha, Neb. and KCRG in Cedar Rapids. The Davenport station, along with Gray’s Rockford, Ill. station WIFR, will cover all of northwestern Illinois, Gray said.

(Photo via Pictures of Money's FlickrImage taken on Sept. 17, 2015 and used per Creative Commons 2.0 license. The photo was cropped to fit 3x4 aspect ratio.)