KFSM-TV Looking for New Owner
Source: Associated Press The New York Times Co. said Tuesday that it intends to sell its group of nine network-affiliated TV stations in order to concentrate on its newspaper and digital businesses.
Chief Executive Janet L. Robinson said in a statement that while the stations were profitable and well-run, the sales would “allow us to sharpen our focus on developing our newspaper and rapidly growing digital businesses, and the synergies between them.”
The stations accounted for 4 percent of the company’s revenue last year. The Times said the station group is expected to have revenue of about $150 million this year and operating profit of about $33 million.
The stations being sold by the Times include:
-WHO-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, an NBC affiliate
-KFSM-TV in Ft. Smith, Ark., a CBS affiliate
-WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Ala., CBS affiliate
-WREG-TV in Memphis, Tenn., a CBS affiliate
-WQAD-TV in Moline, Ill., an ABC affiliate
-WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Va., CBS affiliate
-KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City, Okla., an NBC affiliate
-KAUT-TV in Oklahoma City, Okla., a MyNetworkTV affiliate, and
-WNEP-TV in Scranton, Penn., an ABC affiliate.
posted by ATN @ 11:34 PM
51 comments
51 Comments:
WOW! I'm a little worried about this. NYT did a GREAT job with KFSM! They always had the money to do what they needed to do, and NYT always made sure they were well-run. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they will find a quality owner.
Maybe Gannett will buy KFSM. It might help their LR station, KTHV.
get ready, Bridget
Mike, Jared, et al.
New owners many times don't care how long you've been in the market or what kind of job you do...
NYT gave KFSM a sense of stability that other area stations didn't always have. KFSM has always been known as a "steady ship." I'd hate to see that change.
Chances are the Times will sell the group as a whole, and only a handful of companies could afford that - only good ones.
Just make sure Ashley Beck stays. She's a good girl.
Eric Sullivan
How interesting would it be if Hearst bought KFSM and the rest. Just like Orlando, there would be a duopoly there, as would KFOR and KOCO in OKC.
Gannett or Belo may be interested in those though. Those are the only other two I can think of that would have the kind of money to buy all of those great stations.
I would put my money on Nexstar... These are the size stations they like to buy...
Yup! Get ready for another Nexstar station in NWA.
You guys are nuts. This will be a one billion dollar deal (that's billion with a B).
Most companies (Nexstar for example) can't even dream of playing in that range.
Expect one of the big players to buy them. In fact, rumor is that it is an inside deal to carve the stations off of the newspapers any how.
I wouldn't be surprised if it was Gannett who ends up buying the stations. It can't be Hearst because owning so many stations in a single market is against FCC rules (they would be owning three stations in Oklahoma City, two of them major, therefore creating a monolopy).
The channels would most likely be broken up into regions... if that is the case, Belo would most likely come in and buy KFSM, WREG, KFOR and KAUT...
Gray could also be a choice, they love college towns and the chance to use their sister-company: Host Communications.
Memphis, OKC, Fayetteville, Norfolk, Des Moines all have decent-sized colleges.
Or, Marty Houston could buy them all and nationally syndicate The Huddle.
What's the feeling inside of KFSM? Are people concerned about losing their jobs with a new company eventually taking over? I know when Hearst took over 40/29, some people lost their jobs.
What would be great is if CBS coporate bought KFSM
How would CBS buy KFSM?
The inside feeling is that we'll be better off. Big newspapers haven't been doing well over the last few years and the fight to keep them propped up has been sucking us dry.
I think it's hilariously funny that NYTBroadcast is being sold... yet at the NLGJA convention over the weekend, a recruiter was there at the job fair.
I just heard that 40/29 just picked up the CW! Are they going to split it like 24/51 or just put it on cable?
what is CW?
Why is that hilariously funny? The station hired two new people yesterday. Business goes on.
It could be a CBS O&O...meaning it's owned and operated by CBS.
That would absolutely be a long shot.
If I knew that Gray or Sinclair was going to buy my station, I'd find every excuse in the world to lose my job.
Gray isn't as bad as Sinclair, but they take 'lowballing your news talent' to a whole new leve.
No one in their right mind thinks Sinclair will wind up with these stations. Sinclair isn't really in the business of buying huge blocks of #1 stations.
Keep on dreaming though.
Most NYT stations are a nice medium market 40-80.... it'll take a substantial company..... Raycom or Belo are good candidates provided all stations are sold in a single deal.
Oh man, if CBS corporate buys KFSM, I hope they send us Bob Scheiffer!!
Okay, CBS will not buy KFSM. No chance in hell. When they were part of Viacom, they sold KAUT in Oklahoma City to get rid of dead weight. They won't buy it back after just selling it. Raycom will only buy if don't have to buy WREG in Memphis. Reason: they own WMC in Memphis, therefore creating a monopoly. It is going to be hard to find a big company to buy all of these stations in one sweep. The only large company that comes to mind is Gannett.
CBS won't buy for two reasons: too many small market stations and they just sold KAUT in Oklahoma City. They won't buy it right back. Also, Raycom won't buy because, once again, too many small market stations. And they own WMC in Memphis, a competetor of NYTB's WREG. That would create a monopoly on stations in that market. If one of those two weren't large stations (CBS and NBC) then the deal would go through, but only if one of them drops major affiliation. Sinclair won't buy because they own two stations in Oklahoma City already. So really the only option left is Gannett.
Raycom bought Liberty when they already owned stations in some of Liberty's markets. They just have to agree to sell off one or the other of the stations in duplicate markets within a certain period of time.
You guys don't keep up.
And there are tons of companies out there that could do this deal (Gannett, Belo, Raycom, Albritton, Media General, Gray, etc. etc. etc.) There could even be an inside management play.
where did you hear that 40/29 was going aquire the cw.do you have a link for it?
The CW is a new network which combines UPN and WB.UPN and WB were defunct in September.Their formed to make THE CW.Which is partly owned CBS and Warner Brothers. The link is: http://www.cwtv.com/
Tribune Broadcasting might also buy NYT stations.
Tribune's website is : http://www.tribune.com/. On top of smaller stations their own WGN in chicago.Their would have the money to all of NYT tv stations
not even new ownership can stop a WINTER STOOOOOOOORRRMMMMMMMMM!
But.... can a WINTER STORM stop new ownership ?!?!?!?!
Tribune won't buy. Too small of markets plus they are in sell off mode. They have sold a few different stations.
ya know, this whole "winter storm" shtick is just so old. can't you find yourself another stupid little catch phrase? or is that just too much to ask of your creative powers? get over yourself, you're just not funny
Thanks for chipping in Charles.
Shouldn't you be looking for "pocket cloth" sales?
don't like winter storm? How 'bout this instead:
40/29 SUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKSSSSS!
you're right, that's an improved "stupid little catch phrase" Thanks!
We're about 3 months away from a WINTER STORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess that means we have to settle for an AUTUMN STORRRRRMMMMMMM!!!
SOUR GRAPES STORRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMM
Sour grapes?? Nah. We love WINTERRRR STORRRRRMMMMSSS!!!!
This time last year Salser was predicting our first snow!!!! You know I'm right!!! WINTER STORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And he's gone, so nobody cares anymore!
just for the record, i'm not charles, didn't particularly like charles, and don't work at 40/29...i just think you're stupid little winter storm posts are incredibly stupid....charles is gone, get over it
Yes, but the legend lives on!
legend legend third-wheel legend always in the way
Besides, where's your sense of humor? 40/29 predicting a winter storm was always the first sign of fall in the Ozarks. It came every September just as sure as Razorback football and senior citizens on their way to Branson.
This post is just too funny. The satire is so wrong, yet so true.
I'll bet the other mets in the market scream: "winter storm" just as much as Charles used to.
Salser: "There's a small cloud over Waldron and it could produce up to 10 inches of WINTER STTTOOOOOOORRRRRRM, so steal gas, hoard food - run for your lives!"
Post a Comment
<< Home