OTA Broadcasting Picks Up North Carolina Station for Half Million

By Michael Malone
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

OTA Broadcasting has gathered up more spectrum, as it agreed to buy the Class A station WTBL in Lenoir, North Carolina for $550,000. Ernesto Bustos is the seller of the independent station, and Media Venture Partners and M.C. Alcamo & Co. are the brokers.

OTA is a subsidiary of computer pioneer Michael Dell's MSD Capital firm; it lists William Tolpegin as its president, CEO and other chief titles. The company is believed to be acquiring spectrum with an eye on the auction. Earlier this year, OTA acquired W21CK in Charlotte from Three Angels Broadcasting Network for $1.1 million. Late last year, OTA acquired the class A station WZXZ Orlando.

In recent years, OTA has gobbled up WYCN in the Boston DMA and WLWC Providence, a CW and a rare affiliated station for OTA.

Michael Malone
Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.