WBKB Partners with UpNorthLive

[Ben Zonia]

Maybe Sinclair wants to buy WBKB. With all four major networks on sub channels, it probably does better than you might think.

Remember, Northern Michigan, though large in area, doesn't have that many people. With WBKB's "peanut" shaped directional pattern, serving mainly the Alpena Oscoda Tawas Area, it perfectly complements the 7 & 4 coverage in the rest of Northern Lower Michigan no longer reached with their digital signals on UHF.

[edj]

There's a reason why no one ever built a full power commercial station in Alpena to compete with WBKB.

[Ben Zonia]

There's a reason why no one ever built a full power commercial station in Alpena to compete with WBKB.

And WBKB is a right sized fill in service for the underserved area. The area would have been OK if the Low VHF analog stations were still around. A 100 kW analog station on Channels 2-6 used to get out 100 miles quite reliably.

[kager]

...and Abitibi (& its successor(s) including DPI), used to provide a fair number of jobs for the Alpena area. No more. So maybe the new owners have buyer's regret, and combined with a local economy down on its luck, have to make cuts - not just because they want to eliminate local news. Sheesh.

BTW - 7&4 no longer has a newsroom - now it's a "content center".

[sinklair]

You can’t be serious about Sinclair having a monopoly… just look at what they’ve done in Flint, Toledo, to Bally Sports.

[organman95]

BTW - 7&4 no longer has a newsroom - now it's a "content center".

What?

[kager]

Same room as has always been used for in-station reporting when not in studio - just a new name as described by the banner and reporter.

It doubles as being a more honest description.

[organman95]

Same room as has always been used for in-station reporting when not in studio - just a new name as described by the banner and reporter.

It doubles as being a more honest description.

Ok. Been a while, thought it was a new name for the studio. You never know with some companies what they'll name/change the name of a room...

[sinklair]

“Content Center” is what Sinclair also called WEYI’s newsroom… y’all know how well that gimmick worked out for them up until they laid off most of the staff.

[Ben Zonia]

“Content Center” is what Sinclair also called WEYI’s newsroom… y’all know how well that gimmick worked out for them up until they laid off most of the staff.

Now it's Best Buy's Geek Squad. Things are bad all over.

[statmanmi]

Marquette's likely next. ABC 10's newscasts are the weakest of the four TV news operations there. Some of the on-air talent is indescribably bad.

The fact Marquette now has 4 separately run TV newsrooms is crazy to begin with. For years, TV 6 was the only choice (channel 3 would simulcast WFRV's newscasts from Green Bay).

Hi MW,

As of this morning, we have further insight regarding Morgan Murphy's plans in the Marquette market. Nexstar has filed to sell WJMN RF32 virtual channels 3.x Escanaba to an ownership arrangement that is primarily (if not entirely) Morgan Murphy. Reference my post in the Western UP thread: https://mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/viewtopi ... =8&t=64048 .

I'll speculate that in short order the two station newsrooms will be consolidated.

Cheers! ~~ Statmanmi

[MWmetalhead]

Great info - thank you!!!

We shall see whether or not the FCC approves the proposed transaction. They might not given the fact Morgan Murphy presumably has some sort of connection to the proposed buyer and already owns WBKP and WBUP.

[Bull Shannon]

Great info - thank you!!!

We shall see whether or not the FCC approves the proposed transaction. They might not given the fact Morgan Murphy presumably has some sort of connection to the proposed buyer and already owns WBKP and WBUP.

Reading the other thread, it sounds like WJMN will be sold to an entity called "Sullivan's Landing LLC" and Morgan Murphy will operate the station through a JSA/SSA agreement.

On a slightly different note, all of Morgan Murphy's other stations have pretty solid (and similar) logos/branding. One can only hope they'll update WBKB and WBUP's atrocious low-budget logos.