WITI Fox 6 to be sold

[PaulKTF]

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,73784.0.html

Very interesting... Wonder who will buy it and if the affililation will change (probably not)?

[SRW1000]

I saw this on the news tonight, and found the press release here:

   News Corporation Announces Plan to Sell Nine Television Stations

NEW YORK, NY, June 13, 2007 – News Corporation announced today that it plans to sell nine of its FOX network affiliated television stations. News Corporation has retained Allen & Company to advise it on potential transactions.

The stations include:


- WJW in Cleveland, OH
- KDVR in Denver, CO
- KTVI in St. Louis, MO
- WDAF in Kansas City, KS
- WITI in Milwaukee, WI
- KSTU in Salt Lake City, UT
- WBRC in Birmingham, AL
- WHBQ in Memphis, TN
- WGHP in Greensboro, NC

News Corporation has 35 owned-and-operated stations in the United States, making the Fox Television Stations (FTS) group among the largest in the nation. Following the planned sale of the nine stations, FTS will remain one of the nation's strongest and most successful station groups, with nine duopolies in major markets as well as single stations in eight mid- to large-sized markets. A full list of News Corporation's U.S. stations is available at http://www.newscorp.com/operations/tvstations.html

I wonder what (if any) impact this will have on our HDTV future.

Scott

[LoadStar]

I wonder what (if any) impact this will have on our HDTV future.

Scott

Probably none. I don't think WITI had any plans to go HD with their news, and I highly doubt anyone who buys them has HD news as a priority in the least.

[LoadStar]

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,73784.0.html

Very interesting... Wonder who will buy it and if the affililation will change (probably not)?

Almost definitely not... but I'd laugh if Sinclair took the opportunity to make a charge at the FOX affiliation to replace the joke of a network that is MyNetTV. Imagine the return of FOX 24.  (Not a chance of this happening, IMHO, but amusing to think about.)

[PaulKTF]

Almost definitely not... but I'd laugh if Sinclair took the opportunity to make a charge at the FOX affiliation to replace the joke of a network that is MyNetTV. Imagine the return of FOX 24.  (Not a chance of this happening, IMHO, but amusing to think about.)

Hmmm Okay lets assume they did (just for fun).

WCGV becomes Fox 24 again.

Would WITI become independent?

You have to think that Sinclair can't be happy with the MyNet ratings...

[PaulKTF]

A thougnt- wasn't Weigel Broadcasting trying to buy WJJA? Wouldn't they much rather have WITI instead?...

After WITI is sold, there won't be any O&Os in the market anymore (unless you count WMLW which I don't).

[LoadStar]

A thougnt- wasn't Weigel Broadcasting trying to buy WJJA? Wouldn't they much rather have WITI instead?...

I'm sure they would, but I have a feeling that FOX Television Studios is going to try to sell all the stations as a block to someone, rather than selling them off one piece at a time. Additionally, I somewhat doubt Weigel has the kind of funds that FOX is going to want for WITI.

[murdoc]

After WITI is sold, there won't be any O&Os in the market anymore (unless you count WMLW which I don't).

I wonder if this is going to affect local D* HD owners who currently receive Fox 5 out of NYC over the dish?

[Bebop]

Someone will buy or switch with the Fox station. It has the all important Packers broadcast. It's not going to be cheap.

[PaulKTF]

I wonder if anyone will be able to pry WVCY TV-30 from Vic The Vampire's hands? What a waste of airspace that is..

[LoadStar]

I wonder if anyone will be able to pry WVCY TV-30 from Vic The Vampire's hands? What a waste of airspace that is..

He can keep TV-30, so long as someone someday manages to get 107.7 FM.

[kjnorman]

I wonder if this is going to affect local D* HD owners who currently receive Fox 5 out of NYC over the dish?

I was wondering about this.  Not that I watch Fox5 at all but it is nice to know that it is their should I need it.

Still I would bet that Fox 5 will be switched off once WITI is sold as Milwaukee will no longer be an O&O market.  Plus now that WITI is full power its a moot point anyway....

[PaulKTF]

He can keep TV-30, so long as someone someday manages to get 107.7 FM.

Never happen. They have enough True Believers to contribute money to keep them going on and on...

[RLJSlick]

Here is a little bit more information about this:
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2007/06/11/daily28.html

[PaulKTF]

Here is a little bit more information about this:
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2007/06/11/daily28.html

Thanks, but that doesn't really tell us anything new. I just hope that the new owner keeps M*A*S*H on and adds some more older classic TV to the lineup