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Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Discussion pertaining to the Tri-Cities, Flint, Mt. Pleasant, and Bad Axe
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MWmetalhead
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue May 04, 2021 5:35 pm

Would Scripps be interested in 12? Would seem like a good fit to add the Flint / Saginaw / Bay City market to the stations they own in Detroit, Lansing, and Grand Rapids.
I think Scripps is the most likely suitor for WJRT. Too bad. On-air product quality will definitely decline if that materializes. Pray that Nexstar acquires WJRT instead! Hell, even Tegna would be better than Scripps.

Gray overpaid for WJRT and WTVG. By dumping WJRT, they can likely recognize a loss on sale that will reduce the company's income tax liability.

There may also be strategic considerations in play. Meredith owns the CBS affiliate in Atlanta. That station will now be landing in Gray Television's hands. Gray might be looking to maximize the number of CBS affiliations it has. They already have 60 stations affiliated with CBS.

Nearly all of Gray's stations are located in small or medium size markets, so they fact they are picking up WGCL-TV in Atlanta, which just happens to be home to Gray's corporate HQ, is quite interesting.



sinklair
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by sinklair » Tue May 04, 2021 7:46 pm

While I agree with you MW that the Gray acquisition of WNEM will provide some efficiencies with its holdings of CBS affiliates, the main motivation for throwing WJRT overboard is solely profit margins. Gray has seen the relative strengths of 5 and 12 and came to the decision that the numbers are in 5’s favor. 12 will always be #2. 25-66 will always be #3 & 4. 5 has ratings history and geography on its side. To change the ratings and revenue outlook would cost far too much and take far too long for Gray to invest in WJRT.

What will be interesting to see is if Gray keeps the current WNEM management team... or does it put in its own team? There are arguments on both sides. 5 is currently #1, so why change things. However, Gray went out of its way to praise Pete Veto in its news release, so maybe they plan on moving him up I-75.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue May 04, 2021 8:16 pm

I do agree that 12's reputation as the I-69 corridor station is somewhat of a detriment given market geography.

Next row of counties to the south is, of course, the Detroit DMA.

Folks smack dab in the middle of the market are much more likely to get their news from WNEM, I suspect.

The advent of WLAJ followed by FCC cable carriage rule changes in the early/mid 90's really screwed over WJRT. Now, Lansing's WLAJ broadcasts from a tower that is a good 25 or even 30 miles closer to WJRT, which I suppose only adds insult to injury.



sinklair
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by sinklair » Tue May 04, 2021 11:25 pm

12 has tried convincing the FCC to add Lapeer County to the Flint DMA, which makes sense do to its proximity to Flint. Detroit hardly covers Lapeer County. But to no avail



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed May 05, 2021 7:23 am

The whole "an entire county can only be assigned to one DMA" concept is the height of FCC idiocy.

Multiple market designations should be permitted for rural counties.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by Ben Zonia » Wed May 05, 2021 1:01 pm

A quick look at the MDOT map shows the reason how county lines have distorted market definitions,

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot ... 4301_7.pdf

Market definitions are clearly influenced by the centration of principal city (now obscured by extended yellow areas) in each county. Lansing City in particular, has long extended to the the Clinton and Eaton County lines. Grand Rapids City has long extended to the Ottawa County line.

Both Neilsen Radio and TV markets, and Census Statistical Areas, should be defined by individual township lines, not County Lines.

Livingston County now has almost 200,000 people, and really is part of Three TV Markets and Four Radio Markets. It is part of far out suburban areas of Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, and Lansing East Lansing. Even in more central areas, people work in all four cities/markets. Terrain clearly defines areas such as Lapeer County, particularly with off air UHF TV signals. VHF is only on one station, 7 (WJBK 2) in the Detroit Market, and service in Lapeer County is fringe at best.


Note also that Toledo and South Bend show the yellow areas extending into Monroe and Cass Counties in Michigan on the MDOT Map. Not sure if Berrien should be considered part of the Chicago Market instead of South Bend.

Image
Last edited by Ben Zonia on Wed May 05, 2021 1:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Martin Stett
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by Martin Stett » Wed May 05, 2021 1:24 pm

Ben Zonia wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 1:01 pm
Image
When were those market counties designated? 1960?



paul8539
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by paul8539 » Wed May 05, 2021 5:39 pm

I like the music that they have at the end of the TV5 News. Are they going to keep it?



ftballfan
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by ftballfan » Wed May 05, 2021 8:21 pm

Martin Stett wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 1:24 pm
Ben Zonia wrote:
Wed May 05, 2021 1:01 pm
Image
When were those market counties designated? 1960?
The first reference I've seen toward markets was around 1970. The markets were nearly the same as they are now, with some exceptions:
1. Lenawee County was in the Detroit market
2. Alcona and Clare counties were in the Flint-Saginaw market
3. Alpena and Oceana counties were in the Traverse City-Cadillac market
MWmetalhead wrote:
Tue May 04, 2021 8:16 pm
I do agree that 12's reputation as the I-69 corridor station is somewhat of a detriment given market geography.

Next row of counties to the south is, of course, the Detroit DMA.

Folks smack dab in the middle of the market are much more likely to get their news from WNEM, I suspect.

The advent of WLAJ followed by FCC cable carriage rule changes in the early/mid 90's really screwed over WJRT. Now, Lansing's WLAJ broadcasts from a tower that is a good 25 or even 30 miles closer to WJRT, which I suppose only adds insult to injury.
Some other stations that were screwed over by FCC cable carriage rule changes include WZZM, WLNS, and WILX. Another big winner by the rule changes besides WLAJ was WGTU/WGTQ



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rugratsonline
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by rugratsonline » Wed May 05, 2021 9:12 pm

Ben Zonia wrote:
Tue May 04, 2021 4:55 pm
ABC would be foolish to let affiliation go to WNEM. Regardless of FCC(50,90) predictions, WNEM is a good 35 miles away, and on UHF, to try to serve 2/3 of the population of Genesee County.
I wouldn't fret about ABC moving -- Gray's portfolio includes a broad assortment of affiliates from all 4 big hitters, plus several others:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Television



Martin Stett
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by Martin Stett » Thu May 06, 2021 12:02 am

The first reference I've seen toward markets was around 1970. The markets were nearly the same as they are now, with some exceptions
Putting Huron and Sanilac counties in the Detroit market made no sense then, and even less now.



SBaxley
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by SBaxley » Thu May 06, 2021 8:21 am

Curious though as to which broadcast group ( under present FCC ownership cap rules) could be in the running to buy ABC12 , I bring up to the plate two media groups. Byron Allen and Circle City Broadcasting



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by Ben Zonia » Thu May 06, 2021 9:17 am

Martin Stett wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 12:02 am
The first reference I've seen toward markets was around 1970. The markets were nearly the same as they are now, with some exceptions
Putting Huron and Sanilac counties in the Detroit market made no sense then, and even less now.
It points to the superiority of Analog NTSC Low VHF, particularly Low Low VHF, WJBK 2 and WWJ 4. With a good antenna, you could watch them in Huron County.

While there were no CATV systems in the early 1960s, there were MATV systems in many communities. And good off air antennas worked. Explaining the >50% viewership around Huron County shown in this 1963 book.

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-B ... -IA-OH.pdf
Last edited by Ben Zonia on Fri May 07, 2021 9:57 am, edited 1 time in total.


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ftballfan
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by ftballfan » Thu May 06, 2021 7:24 pm

Martin Stett wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 12:02 am
The first reference I've seen toward markets was around 1970. The markets were nearly the same as they are now, with some exceptions
Putting Huron and Sanilac counties in the Detroit market made no sense then, and even less now.
Huron County has always been in the Flint-Saginaw-Bay City market, while Sanilac County used to go back and forth before settling in the Detroit market a couple of decades ago.



sinklair
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Re: Gray TV buys Meredith TV group

Post by sinklair » Sun May 09, 2021 9:03 am

Byron Allen has been on a buying spree as of late. Not sure how he runs his other local TV stations.

t least it might shut up NBC 25 license holder in name only Armstrong Williams, who flies into town once a year to check up on “his people”. No longer is he able to say he’s the only African American TV owner.



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